Culture worthy of your calendar

Truly groundbreaking!

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer invites the entire Central Florida community to three days of celebration in honor of the official groundbreaking for the new Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. After 20 years of dedicated work (and fundraising) by hundreds of arts-lovers, the official groundbreaking will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. on Thursday, June 23, with live entertainment from Broadway singer (and Orlando native) Davis Gaines, as well as performances from the Orlando Ballet, Orlando Philharmonic, and the cast of the national tour of HAIR. The celebrations continue with an open house on Friday, June 24, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Saturday, June 25, from noon to 4 p.m., where the community is invited to enjoy performances from local performing artists and groups.

Funded entirely by community donations, the events are free and open to the public, and will take place in an air-conditioned tent located on Magnolia Avenue between Anderson and South Streets … the future front door of the Dr. Phillips Center.

OMA opens Cut Glass exhibition

Antique collectors will not want to miss the Orlando Museum of Art’s new exhibit, “Expressions in Glass: American Brilliant Cut Glass 1876-1914,” which promises America’s finest examples of cut and engraved glass from the period. The new OMA exhibit may be viewed from June 25 to August 21, timed to coincide with the American Cut Glass Association’s National Convention to be held in Orlando in late July.

Organized by William Meek, the works in the exhibit are from the 1860s to the 1920s, and come from private collector-members of the American Cut Glass Association. The OMA is located in Orlando’s Loch Haven Park at 2416 N. Mills Ave. Parking is free. Call 407-896-4231 or visit omart.org

Free programs at the Morse Museum

The Morse Museum, home to treasures and architectural objects by Louis Comfort Tiffany, recently opened new galleries in a 12,000-square-foot expansion. This summer the Morse invites families to continue the celebration of its new Tiffany wing through two free programs designed especially for children. Highlights include leaded glass windows, iconic Tiffany lamps, as well as art glass and custom furnishings.

Beginning on Tuesdays, June 21 and 28; July 5, 12, 19, and 26; and Aug. 2; families may enjoy a 45-minute museum tour and a take-home art activity. On Fridays, June 24; July 8 and 22; and August 5; participants will see a short film on architecture, visit the Tiffany exhibits, and produce a work of art. Space in these free programs is limited, reservations are required, and children must be accompanied by an adult. Call 407-645-5311, ext. 136. The Morse Museum is at 445 N. Park Ave. in Winter Park. Visit morsemuseum.org

Orlando Philharmonic’s Sounds of Summer

Fulfilling its “destiny” to bring music to Central Florida all year long, the Orlando Philharmonic begins its 2011 Sounds of Summer Series on Monday, June 27, at 7 p.m. with a program called “Baroque and Blues.” The program features Philharmonic musicians Mark Goldberg, percussion and group leader; Olga Ferroni, violin; Paul Strasshoffer, bass; Colleen Blagov, flute; Tom Macklin, trumpet; and Krystof Srebrakowski, piano.

The “suite-filled” program includes “Trio Sonata in D-Minor,” by Georg Telemann, in addition to “Suite for Trumpet and Jazz Piano,” “Suite for Flute and Piano” and “Suite for Violin and Jazz Piano,” all by French jazz pianist and composer Claude Bolling. Known for “crossover” compositions combining classical and jazz music, Bolling has composed for over 100 movies. The concert will be presented at the Shakespeare Center at 812 E. Rollins St. in Loch Haven Park. Call 407-770-0071 or visit www.OrlandoPhil.org