SAT 5/21
A few ticks of trivia: Ten million copies of Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time have been sold since 1988; a half-billion wristwatches were purchased last year; The New York Times recently reported that the average museum visitor spends 3.2 seconds viewing artwork. In this high-speed world where unraveling time seems a popular obsession, many artists have been magnetically lured to mark its fleeting nature.
"Time has been a theme that artists have been contemplating throughout the 20th and 21st centuries," chimes Lorie Mertes, curator of "Marking Time: Moving Images," an exhibit featuring the work of ten internationally acclaimed artists and sixteen large-scale installations linked by how they mark time through movement. Running through September 11 at the Miami Art Museum (101 W. Flagler St., Miami), the show seeks to engage viewers to become aware of the passage of time and how it relates to the contemporary world. "This is literally a great opportunity for visitors to come to the museum and become lost in time," Mertes laughs. Call 305-375-3000, or visit www.miamiartmuseum.org. --Carlos Suarez de Jesus
Props to the Panther
FRI 5/20
The Florida Panther Genetic Restoration and Management annual report published in September 2004 revealed "from 1990 to 2004, the number of births in the radiocollared population has exceeded the number of deaths by a factor of three" (www.panther.state.fl.us). The Florida Panther Society and the National Wildlife Federation recently celebrated a major court victory against the Army Corps of Engineers, who failed to consult the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regarding the impact of nationwide dredge-and-fill permits on the endangered species. Even with these advances, preservation efforts must continue to protect our state animal. Tonight the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Biscayne Nature Center (6767 Crandon Blvd., Key Biscayne) presents "All About Panthers" with Brian F. Call. Nature photographer and director of the FPS, Call will show a documentary and his multimedia work "The Everglades: A Passing of Knowledge" from 6:00 to 8:00. Admission is three to five dollars; parking costs five. Call 305-361-6767, or visit www.biscaynenaturecenter.org. -- Lyssa Oberkreser
Celebrate
Young Moviemakers
SAT 5/21
You might spot the next Spike Jonze, Sofia Coppola, or Quentin Tarantino today, as the Miami Children's Museum (980 MacArthur Cswy., Miami) presents the ninth annual MCM Film Festival. All 52 entries from elementary, middle, and high school students will be shown from 11:00 to 5:30. The short films (fifteen minutes or less) range in genre from animation and documentaries to comedies and experimental pieces. With titles like Dorito Desperado, The Teeny Weeny Man, and The Passion of Mel Gibson, how can you go wrong? The screenings are free and open to the public. Call 305-373-5437, or visit www.miamichildrensmuseum.org. -- Lyssa Oberkreser
