Miccosukee Arts & Science Symposium Coming October 4

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Love The Everglades Movement Celebrates 10th Anniversary by Collaborating with the Miccosukee Tribe for a Science & Art Symposium

Miami, FL – September 12, 2024 – The South-Florida based arts and conservation group Love The Everglades Movement (LTEM) is celebrating a milestone and once again presenting a series of talks, workshops and other creative tools called the Miccosukee Arts and Science Symposium (MASS) during a 24-hour event starting Friday, October 4, 2024 at Miccosukee Casino & Resort (500 SW 177th Ave, Miami, FL 33194). 

This collaborative event strives to bring diverse elements of the community together to inspire action. MASS welcomes indigenous voices, scientists, artists, and the community to lead discussions on, and interactive displays about, environmental issues facing the River of Grass. There will also be a film festival and dance party.

Now entering its second decade of activism in the area LTEM is a multi-disciplinary, volunteer, nonprofit organization that facilitates Everglades art projects, cleanups, concerts, fundraisers, workshops, prayer walks, and excursions. It was co-founded by artist Jean Sarmiento and Miccosukee poet Houston R. Cypress.

MASS will feature a morning and afternoon session of science panelists that will be discussing their work on Everglades status and trends as well as threats to the ecosystem posed by sea level rise and a changing south Florida climate. MASS is proud to feature the work of professors and graduate students from Florida International University, constituting collective science efforts produced through the Florida Coastal Everglades Long-Term Ecological Research (FCE–LTER) program. 

A poster session will be featured during an afternoon happy hour event in the Grand Ballroom, and will offer an opportunity for discussion with the researchers.

“As a product of FIU’s graduate school and FCE-LTER over 25 years ago, I am very pleased to help facilitate this important partnership between the Miccosukee Tribe and FIU,” says Kevin Cunniff, Chief Sustainability Officer for the Miccosukee Tribe. “MASS offers a great opportunity to showcase the world-class Everglades environmental/ecological science being conducted at FIU. The Miccosukee Tribe values its role and responsibility as a leader in Everglades science, management, restoration, and policy, and looks forward to achieving positive outcomes for the Everglades with FIU.”

MASS will balance the science symposium with arts and community workshops and activations.

“During our tenure as eco-art provocateurs, we’ve learned so much from our friends in he Miccosukee community. They’ve shown us how to let the land lead,” says Cypress. “Over the past decade, we’ve met so many fabulous folks in South Florida who are innovating new ways of storytelling, community building and inspiring action. Let’s get together at MASS, have a great time, and activate the wisdom of everyone in the community.”

To that end, LTEM advisors will be offerings arts and community workshops on the following topics: forest bathing, posthumanism, art making, citizen science, civic engagement, and direct-action planning. The activities will take shape in the form of an Everglades field trip, a Talk Show, instructional activities, the film festival, and a dance party, all informed in equal parts by science, the arts, and Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge.

The MASS Film Festival will feature 3 programs, highlighting Miccosukee conservation efforts, a diverse selection of short films, and a documentary screening and panel discussion on the role of soil in our circular economy.

William “Popeye” Osceola, Secretary of the Miccosukee Business Council, feels very strongly about this community effort, explaining that “communication and collaboration are the beating heart of conservation, and we invite you to join the conversation.”

Spanish language interpretation will be available throughout the event.

The Miccosukee Casino & Resort is the ultimate destination for gaming, entertainment, elegant dining options, business meetings, and leisure in the heart of the Everglades. Guests can take in scenic views of the surrounding ecosystem with 302 luxurious guest rooms and suites featuring modern amenities and outstanding service. The casino features 1,800 slot machines, 20 live-action poker tables, bingo, and entertainment 24/7.

For the latest information, please visit LTEM on Instagram @love_the_everglades, or at lovetheeverglades.org.

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MEDIA CONTACT
Mut Communications
Michael Mut
786.426.2277
info@mutcomm.com

SAVE THE DATE: Miccosukee Arts & Science Symposium Coming October 4

 Love The Everglades Movement Celebrates 10th Anniversary by Collaborating with the Miccosukee Tribe for a Science & Art Symposium

Miami, FL – August 21, 2024 – The South-Florida based arts and conservation group Love The Everglades Movement (LTEM) is celebrating a milestone and once again presenting a series of talks, lectures, workshops, and other creative shenanigans in collaboration with the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida. Indigenous voices, scientists, artists, policymakers, and other community members will converge at the Miccosukee Casino & Resort on October 4, 2024, and the event will not only focus on environmental issues facing the River of Grass, but also include a film festival and dance party, integrating a holistic, multidisciplinary approach.

The Miccosukee Arts & Science Symposium (MASS) is a collaborative event between the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, and the Love The Everglades Movement, bringing the community together for a 24-hour event that articulates eco concerns using three ways of understanding the world: Science, Art, and Community.

The Miccosukee Tribe will be organizing the Science tracks, and LTEM has created a committee of advisors to organize the Art and Community tracks. This year, the 24-hours for the Glades portion of MASS includes presentations and panel discussions, two Direct Action training workshops, poster sessions with researchers, community organizations with booths, field trips and forest bathing, a film festival, dance party, and late night sessions for shift workers.

Spanish language interpretation services to be provided by MARB Language Services.

Love The Everglades Movement is a multi-disciplinary, volunteer, nonprofit organization comprised of artists, activists, teachers, clergy, businesses, and media members. In addition to hosting events, LTEM organize Everglades art projects, cleanups, concerts, fundraisers, workshops, prayer walks, and excursions.

The Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida (Tribe) is a federally recognized, sovereign Indian Tribe that provides a full suite of governmental and support services to the Tribal Community. Among the government services is the Miccosukee Environmental Protection Agency that conducts scientific research, monitoring, and assessment across nearly 1.3 million acres of Tribal Lands. The Tribe is a primary stakeholder and leader in Everglades management and restoration, bringing knowledge and expertise in collaboration with federal, state, and local partners, to ensure protection of resources critical to Tribal vitality and culture.

More details are forthcoming.  

Who: the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, and Love The Everglades Movement

What: Miccosukee Arts & Science Symposium (MASS)

When: Friday, October 4 – 5, 2024; 24 Hours for the Glades

Where: Miccosukee Resort & Gaming, 500 SW 177th Ave, Miami, FL 33194

More: lovetheeverglades.org

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MEDIA CONTACT
Mut Communications
Michael Mut
786.426.2277
info@mutcomm.com

Grammy-nominated Musician Jose Elias to Perform “Everglades Songbook Suite”, a Free Concert in Everglades National Park during Earth Day Weekend!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Live performance of original work to commemorate the park’s 75th Anniversary

April 12, 2022 – Homestead, FL– Community Arts & Culture (CAC) and Live Arts Miami (LAM) are proud to present Jose Elias’ Everglades Songbook Suite (ESS), a dynamic live concert event featuring new musical compositions and soundscapes that celebrate the sights and sounds of the Florida Everglades at 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 24, at the Long Pine Key Amphitheater within Everglades National Park. Presented in honor of Earth Day and the park’s 75th anniversary, the concert is free and open to the public. Park admission required.

Everglades Songbook Suite is presented as part of LAM’s EcoCulturaseries of performances for the planet, and as the culmination of CAC’s annual Afro Roots Fest. The event is being produced with support from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and filmed for its “Arts Across America” docu-series.

“We are thrilled to be a part of bringing music into this glorious setting as part of our EcoCultura series, celebrating Earth Day in our beloved Everglades National Park,” said Kathryn Garcia, LAM’s Executive Director. “Through projects like these, artists can inspire us all to listen to, connect with and take care of our planet.”

The vastly resplendent Everglades has inspired countless works of literature and art, including this new musical composition created by Grammy-nominated musician, composer, and producer Jose Elias. A 2016 Artist in Residence in Everglades (AIRIE) fellow, Elias wrote the music for ESS after spending considerable time at Everglades National Park. The project, which stands as the creative and artistic statement of his experiences, first came to fruition on June 21, 2021 as a short film shot in the Everglades, co-produced with LAM and AIRIE for International World Music Day. Now it returns with its first ever live performance at Everglades National Park.  

“I’m very happy to have the opportunity to perform the ESSin the environment that inspired the piece in the first place,” said Elias, who is also the founder and executive director of the Miami-based nonprofit CAC. “To have it coincide with the 75th anniversary of the national park is a personal and professional honor.”

The project features a rotating cast of musicians playing a variety of global instruments, including the Cuban tres, Venezuelan cuatro, percussion and woodwinds, indigenous flutes, and the African Kora. Featured musicians alongside Elias (Cuba) will include: Morikeba Kouyate (Senegal), Aboubacar Camara (Guinea), Carlos Ochoa (Peru), Damian J. Sanchez (Cuba), Gino Coca Mir (Puerto Rico), Kenneth Metzger (Puerto Rico), Samuel Tommie (Seminole Tribe), Aboubacar Soumah (Guinea), and Rajesh Bhandari (India).

“The park is happy to partner on projects such as this that help others see and understand the Everglades in new and unique ways,” said Pedro Ramos, Superintendent of Everglades and Dry Tortugas national parks. “We are excited that the Everglades songbook performance is going to be a part of the seminar series celebrating the 75th anniversary of Everglades National Park.”

The artwork of Canadian-born Scottish artist Deborah Mitchell, a certified Master Naturalist from the University of Florida, will adorn the stage during the performance. Mitchell’s creative process is derived from experience-based field work, where observations become the driving force for studio work. Her photography-based work evolves into paint, fabric and / or installation-based collages.

WHAT:   MDC’s Live Arts Miami Presents Everglades Songbook Suite
WHEN:   Sunday, April 24, 4 p.m.
WHERE: Everglades National Park, Long Pine Key Amphitheater

                40001 State Hwy 9336, Homestead, FL 33034

                Parking is located at the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center, guests can take trolley to Long Pine  

                Key Amphitheater. Trolley will run to and from both locations from 2 – 6 p.m.  

Tickets: This event is free with limited capacity. RSVP strongly encouraged at bit.ly/ESSENP2022. Please note that park entrance fees apply.

For more information, please visit AfroRootsFest.com. Click here for Photos and Videos.

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ABOUT COMMUNITY ARTS & CULTURE

Incorporated in September 2002, Community Arts and Culture, Inc. (CAC) is a Miami-based non-profit organization that fosters an appreciation and understanding of a vast assortment of arts and cultures through workshops, lectures, and artistic performances in local communities for individuals of all ages and social backgrounds. The award-winning Afro Roots Fest is a multi-county and multi-event concert series organized by CAC. This year, the festival has added new stops in Gainesville and Hollywood, gained new partners,and added a series of music and dance workshops. More information and the full schedule is available at AfroRootsFest.com and through CommunityArtsandCulture.org.

ABOUT LIVE ARTS MIAMI
Live Arts Miami is one of the city’s oldest and boldest performing arts series: an action-driven platform for powerful performances, impactful community programs and learning experiences that spark dialogue, raise awareness around pressing issues, and open minds and hearts in all who take part. Its EcoCultura initiative, a series of performances for the planet, features artists tackling climate change through dynamic dance, theater, and music events. Created in 1990, Live Arts Miami is proud to be a part of Miami Dade College’s celebrated Department of Cultural Affairs. For more information, please visit www.liveartsmiami.org and follow @liveartsmiami on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.

EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK
Everglades National Park protects the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States. Established in 1947 as the first national park created for its biodiversity, the park’s 1.5 million acres are home to critically threatened and endangered species including the Florida panther, the American crocodile and the West Indian manatee. The Everglades is also the main source of drinking water for residents of South Florida. Learn more at nps.gov/ever and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

MEDIA CONTACT
Mut Communications
Michael Mut
786.426.2277
info@mutcomm.com

Jose Elias’ Everglades Songbook Suite to Premiere on Crowdcast for Make Music Miami Day

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Community Arts & Culture and Live Arts Miami to facilitate HD webcast on June 21, 2021, 7:30 p.m. ET

Miami, FL – June 9, 2021 – Grammy-nominated musician and composer Jose Elias, co-founder and tres player for Cuban folk band Cortadito, and long-time guitarist of the Spam Allstars and the Nag Champayons, is also a 2016 Artist in Residence in Everglades (AIRIE) fellow. The creative and artistic fruit of his time in the River of Grass is called the Everglades Songbook Suite (ESS), and an audio / visual production of the project will be webcast for free during Make Music Miami Day – June 21, 2021 – beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET. The free screening will originate from www.crowdcast.io.

“This video presentation focuses on the spirit of collaboration,” says Elias. “I invited fellow musicians to join me at the park to perform songs that resonate with the true essence of what the Everglades represents. Thanks to Live Arts Miami and AIRIE we were able to complete the first multimedia phase of the project. It’s only fitting that we chose World Music Day June 21st to present this film, which was brilliant captured by Randy Valdez and Guillermo Rodriguez.”

The ESS is a collection of compositions and soundscapes that celebrates the sights and sounds of the Florida Everglades by juxtaposing a stunning variety of acoustic instruments with field recordings. They were captured by the artist while in residency at Everglades National Park.  A magical and unique portal into our native habitat, the piece focuses on our connection to nature, the flora and fauna of our increasingly threatened, precious ecosystems, and explores the concept of interspecies communication through music and sound art. 

An illuminating project from one of the leading Miami-based voices in contemporary music. ESS is and immersive audiovisual celebration that captures the sights and sounds of this one-of-a-kind jewel in North America, and the world.

ABOUT JOSE ELIAS AND COMMUNITY ARTS & CULTURE
A professional musician for more than 30 years, Elias earned his Grammy nomination with 2005’s Masters of Cuban Son which he performed on as part of Conjunto Progreso. He is also the executive and artistic director for the non-profit organization Community Arts & Culture, which just completed a 23rd season of curating the award-winning and multi-county Afro Roots Fest. He also heads and produces artists for the label Afro Roots Recordings. Learn more at JoseEliasMusic.com.

ABOUT LIVE ARTS MIAMI

Live Arts Miami is one of the city’s oldest and boldest performing arts series: an action-driven, people-centered platform for powerful performances, impactful community programs, and learning experiences that spark dialogue, raise awareness around pressing issues, and open minds and hearts in all who take part. For more information, please visit liveartsmiami.org and follow @liveartsmiami on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for the latest updates.

Those interested in catch the webcast are encouraged to register on the Crowdcast site by clicking bit.ly/ESSMDC. For more information, visit liveartsmiami.org.

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MEDIA CONTACT
Mut Communications
Michael Mut
786.426.2277
info@mutcomm.com

Skunkape Headquarters Hosts Swamp Rally April 24 and 25 at Trail Lakes Campground

MEDIA ALERT

Event will feature motorcycles, live music, food and beer vendors, Skunkape merchandise, and more

Ochopee, FL – April 13, 2021 – The legendary Skunkape Headquarters is hosting their inaugural Motorcycle Swamp Rally on Saturday, April 24 and Sunday, April 25, 2021 at the Trail Lakes Campground (40904 Tamiami Trail US 41, Ochopee, FL 34141), from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. The free, family-friendly event will be held at the 30-acre camping site nestled between Miami and Naples on the Tamiami Trail / U.S. Highway 41.

Featured on NationalGeographic and the SmithsonianMagazine, the Skunkape Headquarters is run by renown skunkape expert Dave Shealy, offers guided tours, houses a zoo, and sells officially licensed merchandise, including the new line of BBQ and hot sauces. The Airboat Club is conducting a fundraiser for their non-profit, as is Everglades Conservation and Sportsman’s Club, who are raising funds for their conservation efforts in the Big Cypress Preserve.

Numerous food, beer, and arts and crafts vendors will be present at the event, including Viking Customs Motorcycle Repair Shop, Red Woman CBD, Iona’s Frybread, Victoria Osceola’s Seminole Arts & Crafts, Buffalo Tiger Airboat Rides, and renown python hunter Dustin Crum aka “Wildman” from Discovery Channel’s show “Guardians of the Glades”.

The live entertainment schedule is as follows:

April 24th:

Southern Stampede | Noon – 3 p.m.

Raiford Starke | 3 – 6 p.m. 

April 25th:

Third Wheel (pictured below) | Noon – 3 p.m.

Southern Stampede | 3 – 6 p.m. 

DJ Monsta host of Bike Night Broward will MC and DJ between the bands.

For event camping and vendor spots, call 800-504-6554 or visit www.evergladescamping.net. There is a larger rally / event planned in for October.

For more information about the Skunkape, visit skunkape.info. 

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MEDIA CONTACT
Mut Communications
Michael Mut
786.426.2277
info@mutcomm.com

Agape Featuring Nadia Harris Release “Time is Now / From Illusion to Realization and Letting Go” Video

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Director Erick Paredes’ short film serves as a psychedelic reminder not to wait for the perfect time

Miami, FL – April 1, 2021 – Released on December 6, 2020, the dystopian, environmental psychedelia “Time is Now” is a culmination of a vision that began nearly a decade ago. Animator and director Erick Paredes, who heads the label Sustainable Music, also produced and composed the music heard in the film, recorded along with the band Agape, which is spearheaded by Paredes and singer / songwriter Nadia Harris. Although the run time is just over 17 minutes, the short film is three separate music videos woven together and serves as a poignant commentary about current events such as the theme of manipulation by the mass media. However, hemmed together, the three are a complete manifestation.

“The first thing I would like the audience to get from it is an introduction to the band and the project,” says Paredes. “Our message is that of one love and harmony, which are the highest feelings and vibrations we have experienced though music and in life. It has always been about being ourselves and embracing our truth and essence. It is about empowering ourselves and others through the creative process, sound, and the arts. Our message.” The idea of making music videos has been an integral part of the band’s creative process from the start, and this project is a continuation of that ethos.

Time is Now is equal parts Spy vs. Spy and Brave New World, is heavy on the HegelianDialectic, and touches on themes of social engineering, propaganda, mind control, and the old socio-political tactic of divide and conquer. What begins as a black and white study on surveillance and digital privacy, ends in a stunningly beautiful, shamanistic release set on the River of Grass. Along for the trip, the viewer travels through Toronto, a favela in Brazil, and winds up in the Florida Everglades. By it Paredes suggests the game is rigged and urges viewers to break free. The downtime afforded by the pandemic allowed for the project to be completed.

The first song and clip featured in the film is “She Really Likes It” begins at the 2:40 mark and represents the “illusion” part of the voyage. This video and segment of the film was directed by Ryan Furlong in Toronto. The song is shot in black and white (reminiscent of film noir) and also in color. The video starts by Nadia ingesting an “A” administered by a Jester/Joker like figure who we see through the whole film. The video has this Alice in Wonderland feel and explores the theme of whether “she really likes it”, which at first seems like a sexual suggestion, but a deeper meaning is revealed at a closer listen and within the context of the film.

The clip ends with a scene leading to the next video that encompasses current events, such as the isolation everyone is feeling due to the pandemic and echoing the social unrest of last summer’s Black Lives Matter and other protests. The music highlights the vocal talents of Harris, while the up-tempo / retro / mod-ish song also showcases the multi-national band that is Agape.

The dub / reggae of the second song in the trilogy of “If Love” at 7:15 marks switch to color and manifests the “realization” part of the journey. The visuals feature the children of Projeto Final Feliz and Dreams Can Be Foundation, and is dedicated to the memory of Marcelo Yuka, the late legendary Brazilian drummer who collaborated with Paredes who along with Christine Clauser helped to facilitate the shoot in Brazil. This segment also echoes the theme of surveillance, and at the end triggers a cinematic “system error” and ushers in the “letting go” passage at 13:33, and was directed by Ryan Furlong.

The viewer, now free from psychological programming and the confines of the past, is welcomed to the final “Row” segment by a vivid color explosion. This musical and visual culmination, set to an electronic dub exploration, celebrates the diversity and vastness of life, and the sanctity of indigenous culture, exploring the Everglades landscape via Tigertail Airboat Tours.

The visuals and the music again work to great effect to discernably transports the observer through a moving canvas. This segment and the collaboration with Executive Producer Houston Cypress was born of the process of Paredes trying to secure passage on an airboat and access to Miccosukee tribal lands. The results were not just the video for “Row”, but the partnership that eventually produced the trilogy, and a 2013 award at the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival. 

Paredes continues: “At the end of all of these ideas and subject matter, the trilogy culminates with ‘Row’, where the premise is to look within, towards the center. To question and let go of the game that is and has been clearly rigged, and to look towards nature and our ancestral guides for harmony, balance, and health for the individual and the whole.” He offers that the piece is a blessing to all. 

Time is Now is a warm up to bring to attention to the release of a series of new singles and videos the band is cooking up, an invitation for viewers to join them in an evolving story that is happening now, and reflects the times. “We would like to build and vitalize our following in anticipation of our next song and video, which is called “Love Me Like I Am”, and explores identifying the cycles of trans generation abuse and trauma we all carry.”

Paredes is planning to celebrate the release here in South Florida once conditions allow for a safe gathering of large groups. He is also planning to mint and sell a very limited quantity of NFT art from the imagery found in the film to continue funding this evolving body of work, and help with the preservation of the Everglades. More details are forthcoming.

For more information and to view the film now, visit sustainablemusic.com. 

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MEDIA CONTACT
Mut Communications
Michael Mut
786.426.2277
info@mutcomm.com

Everglades Activists Plan Two-Day Loop Road Prayer Walk December 7 and 8

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Historic route once heavily populated by indigenous and non-indigenous families; walk seeks to educate and uphold agreements made during creation of the Big Cypress Preserve

Ochopee, FL – November 22, 2019 – Betty Osceola and Rev. Houston R. Cypress are two well-known Everglades educators / conservationists. They are now leading the charge to protect the Big Cypress National Preserve and the rights of the indigenous and non-indigenous families who live among it, organizing a prayer walk along the historic Loop Road (50940 Loop Road, Ochopee, FL 34141), which sits just off the Tamiami Trail, closer to the west side of the trans-Everglades part US Highway 41. The walk commences on Saturday, December 7, 2019, at 8 a.m. and will last through the evening of Sunday, December 8, 2019.

“Even though the federal government, thru the Army Corps of Engineers, has abandoned this WERP project, the potential for a federal land grab is still a part of any future restoration actions even if the WERP projects are picked up by the State of Florida,” says Cypress, co-founder of the Love The Everglades Movement. “It’s also an environmental travesty that the federal government would walk away from an important Everglades Restoration project without clarifying serious land concerns.”

In addition to prayer, the goals are to educate and call attention to the plight of indigenous families and non-indigenous landholders who may be at risk to lose their lands in the Big Cypress Preserve as a result of the Western Everglades Restoration Project (WERP). Walkers will be able to camp overnight, and an evening chat led by the participants is set to happen Saturday evening.

Those camping are encouraged to arrive and check in on Friday, December 6. The entrance for campers and walkers will be clearly marked ahead of the event. The group is seeking volunteers to help set up and check participants in. For those planning to camp overnight and walk one day only on Sunday, check in begins Saturday December 7 at noon. This is an alcohol / drug free, family-friendly event.

Cypress adds: “There’s still discussions going on between all the stakeholders — the feds, the state, the tribes, and landowners — about restoring Big Cypress / WERP, but the fear of a federal land grab still hasn’t been alleviated and that’s why we’re bringing attention to this matter.”

The pair believes that the healing of the environment doesn’t require the removal of indigenous people from their lands nor requires violations of agreements made to them in the beginning of the creation of the Big Cypress Preserve. Their Facebook event page states: “As we pray over the landscape we will also pray for the protection of indigenous communities and their rights to exist in their ancestral homelands and also advocate for honoring the congressional agreements made to our non-indigenous neighbors who will also be impacted.”

As the two did during a prayer walk of Lake Okeechobee earlier this year, each morning the prayers will be webcast on Facebook Live in an attempt to envelop and embrace Mother Earth in a global healing prayer. Supporters who cannot join the walk are encouraged to tune in.

For more information, visit www.LoveTheEverglades.org. 

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MEDIA CONTACT

Rev. Houston R. Cypress
lovetheeverglades@gmail.com
786-897-4582


Everglades Awareness Concert Coming 11/3

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

11th Annual Everglades Awareness Concert Happens November 3 at the Fillmore Miami Beach

Activism and entertainment once again drive event hosted by Love the Everglades Movement and Ploppy Palace Productions

Miami, FL – October 16, 2018 – The annual Everglades Awareness Concertcontinues to be one of the area’s longest running concert series and one that champions the area’s most important natural resource. Now in its 11th year, the event moves over to the Jackie Gleason Room in Miami Beach’s Fillmore Theater (1700 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139) and takes place Saturday, November 3, 2018, beginning at 4 p.m.  The all-ages event is free for children under 12, and $15 for adults during the pre-sale period on Ticketmaster.com, and $20 at the door. There’s a $5 discount available for seniors, veterans, students, and Miami Beach residents.

“This year, Love The Everglades Movement has taken the Everglades Awareness Concert to the next level by connecting with the Fillmore on Miami Beach,” says concert organizer and community activist Flash. “By hosting this dynamic showcase in one of South Florida’s premiere venues, we are amplifying our empowering message into the heart of the region that is being directly affected by sea level rise and climate change.

With a focus on social engagement, personal actions and voting for sustainable policies, the group is merging entertainment and education with a diverse selection of performers and speakers. “Our intent as always is to raise awareness and support for Everglades protection and public education,” continues Flash. “As part of this multi-media extravaganza, some of South Florida’s top bands, spoken word artists and community activists will join together to raise awareness for this vital natural resource.”

There will be live musical performances by: Iko–Iko, The Spam Allstars, Army Gideon, Tamboka, Above the Skyline, Venus Rising, Kuyayky, Mr. Grim da Reapa, Grant Livingston and more to be announced. This will be the first time that the event will be held in the famous Art Deco venue that was once home to the Jackie Gleason Show, and now hosts national and international touring acts and productions.

Guest speakers will include: Houston Cypress from Love The EvergladesMovement, Betty Osceola (Walk for Mother Earth), Tim Canova, Candidate for U.S. Congress, along with other representatives from community organizations and concerned citizens to be announced.

There will be dance performances by Melody Gedeon, Elviza and more. Spoken word artists will include Alonso, Rebecca Butterfly Vaughns, and others, plus attendees can enjoy live art from Anibal Fernandez, Linx, Anastasia Sultzer, and more. A digital art show highlighting more than 40 artists will run on a continuous loop. Information booths from Love The Everglades Movement, and other organizations will be present.

Vendors and small businesses including The Wallflower Gallery, ProgressiveRags, and others will be promoting and selling their merch. The concert is also being sponsored by Sunkeeper Solutions, and is made possible with the support of the Miami–Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural AffairsCouncil, the Miami–Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners.

Production support by provided by Fillmore Miami Beach, 7th CircuitProductions, Resurrection Drums, Mut Communications and One Love MiamiPhotography.

For more information, please visit https://www.facebook.com/events/521661158286635 or call 305.579.0069.

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MEDIA CONTACT
Mut Communications
Michael Mut
786.426.2277
info@mutcomm.com 

10th Annual Everglades Awareness Concert is 11/4 at Gramps

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

10th Annual Everglades Awareness Concert Scheduled for November 4 at Gramps in Wynwood

Activism and entertainment at the forefront of event hosted by Love the Everglades Movement and Ploppy Palace Productions

Miami, FL – October 10, 2017 – One of South Florida’s longest-running concert series, the annual Everglades Awareness Concert, returns to Gramps in Wynwood Saturday, November 4, 2017, beginning at 2 p.m.  It will feature live music, speakers, spoken word performances, live and digital art, and more through 3 a.m. the following day. The all-ages event is free for children under 12 and $10 for those 12 and over.

“This is a celebration for the Everglades that features a diverse mix of music, spoken word, dance, live art, community speakers and lots of creative interaction,” says concert organizer and community activist Flash. “We are coming together to support the Everglades because we need to protect our water supply and our ecosystem, so this is a party and a call-to-action for the Everglades. Our goal is to inspire people to appreciate the vitality of the Everglades and recognize that individuals can make a difference.”

There will be live musical performances by: Army Gideon, Here II Here, AaronLebos Reality, The Baboons, Falseta, Chantil Dukart, Above the Skyline, VenusRising Women’s Drum & Dance Ensemble, Kuyayky, The Osceola Brothers, Cleaveland Jones, Steve Minotti, Anthony Nelson, Tom Schafer, Mr. GrimReapa, PATH, School of Rock, and more to be announced.

Guest speakers will include: Houston Cypress from Love the EvergladesMovement, Laura Reynolds (Conservation Concepts); Dara Schoenwald and David Doebler from VolunteerCleanup.org, Sam Van Leer (Urban Paradise Guild), Progress For All’s Tim Canova, who is running for the U.S. House of Representatives in Florida’s 23 Congressional District, Matthew Schwartz from South Florida Wildlands Association, along with other representatives from community organizations and concerned citizens to be announced.

There will be dance and performances by Elviza’s Rockabelly Hippies featuringElviza, Symphony & Sofia Luna plus Melody Gedeon, and more. Additionally, Anibal Fernandez and Linx will be painting live, and a digital art show highlighting more than 40 artists will run on a continuous loop. Information booths from Love the Everglades Movement, VolunteerCleanup.org and other organizations will be present.

Vendors and small businesses including The Wallflower Gallery, ProgressiveRags, and others will be promoting and selling their merchandise. Also, more activities for kids are being developed. For the first time this year, the concert is being sponsored by the Miami–Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami–Dade County Mayor and Board ofCounty Commissioners.

For more information, please visit https://www.facebook.com/events/2021529228127054 or call 305.579.0069.

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MEDIA CONTACT
Michael Mut
Mut Communications
info@mutcomm.com
786.426.2277

Love the Everglades Movement 4th Annual Symposium

MEDIA ALERT

Love the Everglades Movement to host the 4th Annual Everglades Symposium and Cleanup in October

 

Miami, FL – August 15, 2017 – The South-Florida based conservation and activism group Love the Everglades Movement is hosting their 4th Annual Everglades Symposium including a series of talks, lectures, and workshops by local industry leaders, elected officials and candidates running for office, indigenous voices, and other officials October 7, 8 and 15. The events will focus on citizen empowerment and include divergent perspectives on science, policy, activism, and arts and spirituality. The symposium will include information booths from a diverse selection of community organizations, and the booths are free for community organizations. They will be prioritized by actionable items of environmental concerns.

Topics covered will include “Indigenous Sovereignty and Land Use”, “Impacts of Phosphate Mining in Central Florida”, “The Urban Development Boundary in South Florida”, “The health of Biscayne Bay”, and much more.There will also be live music. Attendance is free but registration is required because space is limited. Lunch will be provided by the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida to registered attendants.

Who: the Love the Everglades Movement

What: 4th Annual Everglades Symposium and Cleanup

When: Saturday, October 7, Sunday October 8, and Sunday, October 15, 2017

Where: 

Day 1 – Symposium at Miccosukee Resort & Convention Center, 500 SW 177th Ave, Miami, FL 33194

Day 2 – Workshops at Florida International University Modesto Maidique campus, 11200 SW 8th St, Miami, FL 33199

Day 3 – Everglades clean-up on the Tamiami Trail

More information: www.lovetheeverglades.org/symposium-2017.html 

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MEDIA CONTACT
Mut Communications
Michael Mut
info@mutcomm.com
786.426.2277