Culture worthy of your calendar

‘Florida ART’ at the Mennello Museum

Art by Florida’s most celebrated artists will be shown at the Mennello Museum over the upcoming eight months. From May 13 through Sept. 25, the exhibit celebrates artists who were (and are) seminal to the Central Florida art scene. A diverse collection, FLA.ART features work from the collections of the Mennello Museum, the city of Orlando and several public and private collections. It shows the evolution of Florida art as represented by its “resident” artists. Artists include: Robert Rauschenberg, James Rosenquist, John Chamberlain, Cicero Greathouse, Barbara Sorensen and Anna Tomczak, among many others.

FLA.ART will hold an opening reception on Friday, May 13, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Museum is at 900 E. Princeton St. at Loch Haven Park. Call 407-246-4278 or visit mennellomuseum.com

Historic illustrations in Maitland

American illustrator Henry Patrick Raleigh (1880-1944) spent decades drawing and creating scenes of high society and the lives of the wealthy while leading his own life of wealth as one of America’s highest-paid illustrators. From Raleigh’s first job at the San Francisco Examiner, publisher William Randolph Hearst brought him to New York. Raleigh continued newspaper work while creating iconic illustrations for all the great magazines of the day. Working as he did in the Golden Age of American Illustration, improvements in printing technology allowed him to experiment with bold color and draftsmanship.

Opening on Saturday, May 14, the Art and History Museums of Maitland will present “The Confident Line: Henry Patrick Raleigh” at the Maitland Art Center, courtesy of Kate and Chris Raleigh. There is a reception from 6-8 p.m. Visit artandhistory.org or call 407-539-2181.

‘Shrek’ at the Bob Carr

Everyone’s favorite swamp-dwelling ogre — Shrek — is headed to Orlando for one week only from May 17 to May 22. “Shrek the Musical” presents the friendly ogre in a life-changing adventure to reclaim his land. Based on the story from the DreamWorks animated movie, the musical finds Shrek joined by a wise-cracking donkey while he fights a dragon, rescues a feisty princess, and learns that friendship and true love aren’t only found in fairy tales. The book and lyrics were done by Pulitzer Prize-winner David Lindsay-Abaire. The role of Shrek will be played by Eric Petersen; Haven Burton will play Princess Fiona; and David F.M. Vaughn will play the villain Lord Farquaad. All three major roles come to the tour from the Broadway production. For tickets, visit OrlandoBroadway.com or to charge by phone call 800-982-2787.

Fringe celebrates 20 years

Twenty years of theater, art, music, dance and “uncensored madness” begins with the 20th anniversary Fringe gala on Wednesday, May 18 and continues through May 30. One of the truly awesome cultural events of Orlando, Fringe is celebrating this season like a high school reunion, and at 20 years of age, Orlando Fringe is the longest-running Fringe festival in the United States! Random names of Fringe producers give you an idea of what to expect on stage, including the Humor Mill, Yow Dance, Zombie Productions and The Oops Guys. There are more than 100 shows to choose from, featuring artists from across the globe as well as Orlando’s homegrown talent. There is a family-friendly Kids Fringe on weekends too. Fringe is 100 percent uncensored, 100 percent non-juried, and 100 percent of ticket sales go directly back to the artists (although a one-time-purchase of an $8 Fringe button is required for all shows). Shows last from 30 to 70 minutes, and all are affordable. The festival is held in and around the Orlando Shakespeare Theater and Loch Haven Park. Purchase tickets and find a listing of all Fringe shows by visiting OrlandoFringe.org