Pensacola’s 450th Anniversary

PENSACOLA – In June, the world’s third largest tall ship, Juan Sebastián de Elcano, will sail into the Pensacola Bay to commemorate the 450th Anniversary of the discovery of Pensacola. The ship will dock at the downtown Port of Pensacola, where visitors will have the opportunity to meet the crew at public and private events. (850) 432-1450. www.celebratepensacola.com.

Robert Leedy at Bok Tower Gardens

LAKE WALES – Florida-born watercolor artist Robert Leedy’s life has spanned living on four different continents. The Bok Tower Gardens’ Vignettes in Paint will exhibit his art March 28 – May 28. His work includes “plein air” in Maine landscapes, Southern vernacular architecture, Paris milieu and abstract painting combining volumes of sundry color with broad brush strokes. (863) 676-1408. www.boktowergardens.org.

Georgia O’Keefe At Jacksonville’s Cummer Museum

Art exhibition opening in the Jacksonville area:

• The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens will exhibit Georgia O’Keefe and Her Times: American Modernism from the Lane Collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Feb. 4 – April 12. The Lane Collection is considered one of the greatest collections of American modernism. Masterpieces by Georgia O’Keefe, Charles Sheeler, Arthur G. Dove, Stuart Davis and Mardsden Hartley will be on display. (904) 356-6857. www.cummer.org.

Jim Henson and Other Arts Exhibitions

A roundup of arts events in the Orlando Area:

• This Spring, the Maitland Art Center will unveil new exhibits, including The Seminoles, The Reeves Collection, March 13 – April 26 and Florida Craftsmen, May 15 – July 13. (407) 539-2181. www.maitlandartcenter.org.
• The Orlando Museum of Art has several new exhibits, including: American Portraits and Landscapes, 19th and Early 20th Century American Art, Therman Statom: Stories of the New World and Jerry Pinkney: Aesop’s Fables and Other Tails. (407) 896-4231. www.omart.org.
• Peek into the imagination of Sesame Street’s creator in Jim Henson’s Fantastic World, a Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition at the Orange County Regional History Center. The exhibit features more than 100 artworks, photographs, documents, puppets, movie props, and videos. Step inside “Sesame Street,” “Fraggle Rock,” “The Muppet Show,” and other whimsical worlds, and explore the “visual thinking” process of a visionary storyteller. (407) 836-8500. www.thehistorycenter.org.
• The Polk Museum of Art will exhibit Unbelievable Transformations: Moving Sculptures by Gregory Barsamian March 14 – June 7. The artist uses elaborate metal structures that support a series of sculptures and a flashing strobe light to trick the eye into seeing movement. (863) 668-7743. www.polkmuseumofart.org.

Off Road Attraction Debuts in Clermont

CLERMONT (Near Orlando) – Revolution, The Off-Road Experience is a new attraction company that brings local adventures to tourists. On 200 acres of wilderness, visitors can ride ATVs, dune buggies and a four-wheel drive SUV; receive water-skiing lessons from an international coach; and learn how to reel in the big catch at the local lake. (352) 400-1322. www.revolutionoffroad.com.

New Universal Coaster, SeaWorld Manta

ORLANDO – Universal Studios will open a new roller coaster, “Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit,” this spring. The high-tech, multi-sensory experience will include audio and special effects with on-and-off-board LED-screen videos for riders to create a unique experience by choosing which song they will hear while on the roller coaster and compiling it into a take-home music video when the ride is over. (407) 363-8000. www.universalorlando.com.

ORLANDO – SeaWorld is nearly finished with “Manta,” a new roller coaster attraction that transitions riders from air to sea. Guests will experience underwater animal habitats, soar face-down in a horizontal position to nearly 60 mph, and come within inches of the ocean. Visitors who choose not to ride can instead experience the attraction itself, which provides floor-to-ceiling window views of more than 300 rays, including shark rays, spotted eagle rays and leopard rays. (407) 351-3600. www.SeaWorld.com.

WINTER HAVEN – “Florida’s First Theme Park,” Cypress Gardens Adventure Park reopens in March with an expanded water park area and new cultural components. (863) 324-2111. www.cypressgardens.com.

Resort Refurbishes Furniture Instead of Pitching

PANAMA CITY BEACH – BY THE SEA RESORTS is renovating two of its three gulf-front hotels, Legacy and Beachbreak. The hotels are refurbishing more than 1,800 pieces of functionally sound furniture – instead of throwing them away – in an effort to save money and help the environment. (888) 627-0625. www.bythesearesorts.com.

Saeger Renovated in Pensacola

PENSACOLA – The historic Saenger Theatre is nearing the end of its multi-million dollar renovation and will open Feb. 17 with the production of “Hairspray.” Built in 1925, the Spanish Baroque theatre is one of only four Saenger Theatres still operating in the South and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. (850) 595-3880. www.pensacolasaenger.com.

Miami Seaquarium Opens Dolphin Harbor

MIAMI – Miami Seaquarium opens its new dolphin interaction facility called Dolphin Harbor. The new facility, home to ten Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins and the park’s dolphin interaction programs, features a 12,000-square-foot, 700,000-gallon dolphin pool surrounded by an 8,000-square-foot facility. Dolphin Harbor offers guests two different dolphin interaction programs – Dolphin Odyssey and Dolphin Encounter – where guests can feed, touch, learn about and even swim with these magnificent animals. (305) 361-5705. www.miamiseaquarium.com.

Hotel Indigo Opens and Renaissance Resort Renovated

JACKSONVILLE – New renovations and openings in Jacksonville:

• The Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village recently completed a $10 million renovation including remodeled guest rooms and suites, redesigned public spaces, a brand new restaurant and technology upgrades. The renovation won “Best Renovation of the Year” for a franchised property by the Marriott International Association. (888) 740-7020. www.worldgolfrenaissance.com.
• The Hotel Indigo – Jacksonville/Deerwood Park recently opened in Tapestry Park on the Southside of Jacksonville. The boutique hotel features a waterfront café, as well as 2,100 square feet of meeting space that overlooks a lake. Hotel Indigo offers a relaxing and inviting environment in its public spaces for busy business travelers. This is the first Hotel Indigo to open in Northeast Florida. (877) 846-3446. www.hotelindigo.com.

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