Getting Religion
Author talks of Judaism
Temple Israel (137 NE 19th St.) welcomes the Provocateur of Judaism for a talk tonight. Don't get all freaked. We're not referring to Ariel Sharon or Yasser Arafat but to cultural critic Douglas Rushkoff, whom a newspaper recently graced with that nickname. A professor of media culture at New York University, Rushkoff is author of Nothing Sacred: The Truth About Judaism, a book generating a certain amount of hoo-ha. Why? Rushkoff rails against the notion of Judaism as a race, arguing that Jews have strayed far from the religion's original mandate (to look beyond one's self and make the world a more just and better place). These days, he claims, Jews are chiefly concerned with self-preservation. Hear him out and then, if you disagree, let him have it during a Q&A period beginning at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free. Call 305-573-5900. -- By Nina Korman
Friday, June 6
Leggy goddess, there is poetry in your thighs. We dream our way down your eloquent extremities, imagining you giggling as we sample your skin. Beginning at your quads, we navigate in and cascade down your supple hamstring, only to zip to the front as you squirm. Kissing your cute knees, we roam southward to languor in your lotioned calf. Swooping forever onward we taste your perspiration. The plum of your ankle reveals your tasty toes unfairly bound in high heels. Drooling now, we U-turn and plan our journeys up while praying for a thunderbolt to kill us now. If your legs tell a story, enter the Legs of a Goddess contest. Paula Abdul will be judging. Registration begins at 11:00 a.m. at Lummus Park, Ocean Drive between 6th and 12th streets. Admission is free. Call 954-745-3830. -- By Juan Carlos Rodriguez
Friday, June 6
Hip-Hapa
In Hawaiian, the word Hapa is a derogatory term used to put down people of mixed race. Laura Kina, a Hawaiian-American of Japanese descent, is reclaiming the term in her colorful and dramatic canvases that will be exhibited tonight at Diana Lowenstein Fine Arts Gallery (3080 SW 38th Ct.). Kina's paintings capture Amer-Asians in the vivid colors and poses often seen in Bollywood movie posters. Though she captures her subjects in a heightened reality, Kina simultaneously portrays them in everyday moments. They are seen gazing into bright sunlight, smoking cigarettes, and seemingly questioning their circumstances. The blend is meant to dispel stereotypes and exoticization seen in Asian depictions from Gaugin in Tahiti to Tiger Woods on television commercials. The exhibit opens at 7:00 p.m. and runs through Monday, June 30. Admission is free. Call 305-774-5969. -- Juan Carlos Rodriguez
Saturday, June 7
Sure Miami boasts plenty of art galleries, cold white-walled halls filled with snooty black-clad connoisseurs sipping wine and chatting meaningfully about the blue behemoth glowing above them. What Miami needs more of, though, are cool alternative art spaces. Enter Rocket Projects (3440 N. Miami Ave.), brainchild of Nina Arias -- founder of Fort Lauderdale's late lamented LaLush Gallery -- and partner Nick Cindric. On the fringe of the Design District, the 1500-square-foot venue offers a main gallery, a project space, and a flat file lounge, where the hip can hang and casually flit through a discerning selection of drawings, photos, and works on paper. A reception at 7:00 tonight inaugurates two shows: "Customized," an exploration of the ideas of urbanism and technology by Daniel Arsham, Martin Oppel, George Sanchez, and David Rohn; and "Assembly of an Allegory," a postmodern meditation on making paintings by the mysteriously monikered trio FeCuOp (Jason Ferguson, Christian Curiel, and Brandon Opalka). Exhibitions run through Saturday, August 16. Admission is free. Call 305-576-6082. -- By Nina Korman
Saturday, June 7
Road Work
Snide critics who argue that Florida has produced no great art except its kitsch couldn't have been exposed to the Highwaymen's "outsider" masterpieces. An African-American art group that worked in the Fort Pierce area beginning in the 1950s, the Highwaymen of Florida were known for selling their works on the side of the road. Despite lacking formal training, these 25 men and 1 woman created some of the loveliest landscapes ever painted. Brightly colored royal poinciana and moonlit palm trees will cast their spells at CocoWalk's Artist In Residence Gallery (3015 Grand Ave., Coconut Grove) through Friday, June 27. Five of the original Highwaymen will be honored at tonight's 7:00 reception. Hours are 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Call 305-443-9799. --By Margaret Griffis
24/7
Food Stuff
It's Alive
You've tried it all. Vegetarian, vegan, fruitarian, sproutarian, ovo-lacto pescetarian. Now your tastebuds are bored and your colon is begging for mercy. Your latest kick: raw or "living" foods. Fruits, veggies, nuts, sprouted seeds, and legumes organically grown. High fiber; low fat, salt, and sugar. Packed with nutrients. Smart. Chances of cancer and heart disease have been slashed. But you're wracked with anxiety because no local eatery can serve you a decent meal. Fear not, AJ & Sunshine's (747 4th St., Miami Beach) will save you. This all-raw restaurant doles out tasty fare from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Call 305-674-9960. -- Nina Korman
