At last, it’s here! The West Palm Beach Arts & Entertainment District officially launches today! But what does that actually mean for you?
It’s completely understandable that when you hear “Arts & Entertainment District,” you have no idea what it means. Some people might be thinking, “We already have an entertainment district – it’s called Clematis.” Well, yes and no. There are plenty of spots for nightlife and entertainment along Clematis Street, and there is new art popping up all over Downtown West Palm Beach, but this is something different.
What Is The A&E District?
The more than 20 cultural partners that make up the Arts & Entertainment District (A&E) are not necessarily new to Downtown West Palm Beach, but the district itself will associate the Downtown area with a brand of elegance like never before. By uniting these individual entities into one central collection of arts and entertainment venues, the A&E District will provide West Palm Beach visitors and locals alike with increased awareness, opportunities and incentives to take in the unparalleled array of cultural entertainment options at their disposal. Options such as:
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Museums: Flagler Museum, Historical Society of Palm Beach County, The Society of the Four Arts, Norton Museum of Art and Palm Beach Photographic Centre Museum
The A&E District is home to first class museums and historic architectural treasures designated by the National Register of Historic Places. Works from some of the world’s finest artists and millions of archived photographs, newspapers, architectural drawings, artifacts and ephemera from Palm Beach County’s rich history are available to the public.
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Galleries: Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens, Bruce Helander Studio, Eaton Fine Art, Habatat Galleries, Legacy Fine Art Gallery and Terebinth Studio & Gallery
From our seasonal contemporary and fine art fairs to a constellation of galleries and pop-up exhibits, the volume and variety of visual art on display throughout the A&E District is enough to quench that thirst of even the most passionate art aficionado. In addition to powerful static displays, exhibition opening nights and studio tours throughout the district keep patrons interested, engaged and evangelistic in their support of our visual arts community.
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Performance Venues: Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, Palm Beach Dramaworks and Sunfest
From the waterfront to the Kravis Center, the A&E District comes to life at some of the region’s most acclaimed performance venues. Whether it’s plays or concerts, student productions or professional companies, headlining tours or local acts, the mixture of indoor and outdoor performance space in West Palm Beach sets the stage for a wide range of cultural experiences you’ll never forget.
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Performing Arts Organizations: Palm Beach Opera, Palm Beach Pops and Palm Beach Symphony
Of course, those venues wouldn’t do much good without talented individuals and organizations ready to grace their stages. Rather than rely solely on traveling tours from out-of-market performers, the A&E District ensures its own vibrancy by fostering the growth of some of the most talented and acclaimed actors, directors, musicians, dancers, choreographers and performers in the nation right here in West Palm Beach.
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Libraries: Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach and The Society of the Four Arts Library
If your method of appreciating art and culture is exercising an eagerness to learn more about it, the A&E District has you covered. With hundreds of thousands of books, periodicals, DVDs and CDs, our libraries are a window to the world. In addition, they offer an array of programming, classes and special events that are available to the public and their members.
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Art Education: Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts, Armory Art Center, Palm Beach Atlantic University, Palm Beach Photographic Centre, The Society of the Four Arts, Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts and Uptown Art
There may come a time when your appetite for art education becomes too strong to satisfy on your own; a time when your desire to see a show is overcome by the urge to be on stage. Fortunately for you, the A&E District prides itself on offering outstanding arts-centered education programs across disciplines such as communication arts, dance, music, theatre, digital media, or visual arts.
Tasteful Transportation Throughout the A&E District
At this point, you probably realized that not all of the venues comprised of the A&E District are within walking distance of one another. In fact, some of them are not even technically in Downtown West Palm Beach. But does that mean you should be incapable of enjoying all they have to offer? Absolutely not. That’s why we are launching a brand new free trolley system to make sure anyone who wants to visit all cultural partners is able to. The Orange Line operates every Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., allowing you to sit back, relax and enjoy one cultural experience after another.
Experience A&E Today
So now that you’ve got the scoop on what The A&E District is all about and how you can get from place to place, there’s only one thing left to do: find an event and Discover What Inspires You!
