A year after the Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando, “Although a flurry of benefit concerts and other productions provided an immediate artistic reaction, the emotions and issues stirred by the tragedy have added a new, and poignant, layer to Orlando’s creative culture,” writes Matthew J. Palm in Saturday’s (6/10) Orlando Sentinel (Florida). “The word ‘healing’ is frequently spoken when talking with arts leaders about their reaction to the events of Pulse. Music is often said to soothe the soul, and the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra has commissioned a work to commemorate the tragedy. Executive director Chris Barton said the piece was early in its development and it’s too soon to say when it will be ready to be performed in public. But right now, at the Cornell Fine Arts Museum in Winter Park, Central Floridians can see firsthand how Pulse has influenced an artist’s current work. Los Angeles-based artist Patrick Martinez’s first solo museum show, ‘American Memorial,’ is on view at the Rollins College institution…. Some theaters found already scheduled plays took on a new meaning. Mad Cow Theatre, in downtown Orlando, will present ‘The Amish Project’ in August. Chosen before the Pulse massacre, the play is set after a mass shooting in a small Pennsylvania community.”
Posted June 13, 2017
