By Laura Bruney, The Arts & Business Council

If you are like the dozens of business professionals I meet each month, you want to get involved in the arts, attend events and programs and make 2013 art-mazing! The Arts & Business Council created the Arts Checklist: 13 Arts Highlights for 2013 to get make it easy for our business community to connect with the arts one participant and one event at a time. Our checklist is better than any old New Year’s resolution that would soon be forgotten and a fun way to explore the cultural mecca that is Miami, while supporting so many of our arts icons. Miami-Dade has one of the most dynamic arts communities in the US. The Checklist reminds us there are an endless amount of artsy things to do in our own backyard and is a resource to help participants find cultural experiences.

We sent the Arts Checklist in early January and the response has been overwhelming.

From Mark Trowbridge the President and CEO of the Coral Gables came an email that we inspired him – “This past week, a special email came from the Arts & Business Council.  And, it really caught my eye – no easy task in a pile of solicitations.  They put together 13 things one should do over the next year that would connect you to our burgeoning cultural community more significantly.  Brilliant!  What a clever idea and unique way to engage the masses…and they challenged all of us to add to their list, blog about it, share it on Facebook and  savor the dynamism of our arts community. Now, while I do not make New Year’s resolutions, per se, I did decide in December that I wanted to do one “cultural” activity each week in 2013 and take advantage of the many offerings available around town. .”

On Facebook more than 25 liked us and one of our griends responded “Love the Arts Checklist. It is given me ideas to attend at least one cultural activity each month.” Anther posted “I love the arts but I don’t seem to have the time to plan to see performances and go to events. This has given me a great tool that I can use at the beginning of each month to make my own cultural plan.” On Twitter more than 50 retweeted our Arts Checklist tweet and encouraged their friends and colleagues to make their own or add to ours.

Here is our 2013 Arts Checklist:

• HISTORIC PLACES AND BEAUTIFUL GARDENS. Art, history and natures beauty in Miami. Start the year with a visit to Vizcaya Museums and Gardens, Deering Estates or Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens.
• FESTIVE FESTIVALS. Experience one of our signature festivals, the Coconut Grove Arts Festival, on Presidents’ Day weekend. There are more festivals than days of the year in our community. Share the fun from dance to music, from food and wine to tropical fruits, from historic preservation to nature’s bounty, from heritage celebrations to ethnic festivities. Check out the Greater Miami Festivals & Events Association to get an idea of all the festivals that are hosted here.
• FANTASTIC FILM. Check out the exciting independent film scene in Miami. Start with the Miami International Film Festival.  Enjoy an evening of cinema at Coral Gables Art Cinema, O Cinema, and Miami Beach Cinematheque and more.
• DANCE, DANCE, DANCE. Check out some of our great local dance companies or take in some of the world’s finest at the South Miami- Dade Cultural Arts Center! or at the Adrienne Arsht Center. The Artburst website features reviews and articles by some of our best writers on dance and music groups and also has a calendar of events.
• MAGNIFICENT MUSEUMS. Don’t miss the chance to explore some of our exciting and innovative museums during Miami Museum Month in March with over 21 participating groups. If you join one you can see them all.
• MIAMI ARTS DISTRICTS. Miami is home to some fascinating arts districts. Discover a new artist or join your friends for an artsy evening at one of our Art Walks. Art districts in Miami Beach, the Design District, Wynwood , Bird Road and the Falls all have monthly art events. Click on the ones that interest you to learn more.
• CONNECT YOUR KIDS TO THE ARTS.  Have your children discover the magic of the arts with live performances, a museum show or by attending an art class or art camp during breaks from school. Miami Theater Center and Actor’s Playhouse do theatre for kids. The Miami Children’s Museum and the Miami Science Museum are set up to immerse youngsters in the arts. Many other museums feature hands on arts activities and family days.
• EXPLORE YOUR CREATIVE SIDE. Get in touch with your creative side with an art class at ArtCenter/SouthFlorida or Bakehouse Art Complex or try dance, music and acting classes at the Performing Arts Network. Miami-Dade College also offers dance, music, photography and art classes at all their campuses.
• TREMENDOUS THEATRE. Miami -Dade has renowned theatre companies that you don’t want to miss. Catch a Broadway show at the Adrienne Arsht Center, or see a drama, a comedy or a musical at stages throughout South Florida. The Theatre League of South Florida website has great resources.
• LOOK BACK, LOOK OUT. Now that it is cooling off it’s a great time to celebrate nature. Visit Everglades National Park or do a walking, kayak or boat tour with History Miami. You can also explore the arts with Miami- Dade Parks.
• MESMERIZING MUSIC. Get down with Miami Music Month! Listen to local bands or hear visiting national acts. Don’t miss some classical notes – Florida Grand Opera is one of the world’s best. Don’t miss visiting the New World Center on Miami Beach home of the renowned New World Symphony, an innovative orchestra experience you will not forget. Seraphic Fire is a world class choir, don’t miss hearing them perform. Immerse yourself in classical music on Classical South Florida radio 88.7. Or if jazz is your thing tune into WDNA 88.9.
• ART IS EVERYWHERE. Art Basel is all the RAVE in December from the Convention Center to satellite art fairs! Art is everywhere! Make sure you get to out to see it all.

I encourage you to do the same and join the Arts & Business Council’s crusade to explore all that our cultural community has to offer. Now that we have your cultural interest energized here are some resources to help you get your arts fix all year. Visit the Miami Herald or the New Times. Visit WLRN to see a great arts calendar and to get half price tickets on the same day. Miami-Dade Department of Cultural Affairs has a directory listing of over 1,000 arts groups. The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau has a comprehensive calendar. You can search by date, by discipline or by activity.