Creative City Collaborative (The Collaborative) presents audiences with diverse and stimulating programming at Arts Garage in Delray Beach. The Delray Arts Garage is a multi-disciplinary cultural hub for visual artists, musicians, performers, film presenters and arts educators. The mission of the Arts Garage is to collaborate with emerging artists and cultural innovators to facilitate an exchange of art and ideas and to present cutting-edge, interdisciplinary performances and exhibitions.

Among the many offerings of the Arts Garage is their Jazz Project which takes place the second and fourth Saturday evening of each month, featuring legendary (and legends-in-the-making) jazz artists. The Jazz Project is a major initiative of the Collaborative, and is designed to make Delray Beach an international destination for live jazz in South Florida.

Nicole Henry will kick off the Jazz Project series on Saturday, October 8th. Henry's newest album, Embraceable, was released in August to uniformly rave reviews. A stellar list of international jazz performances and awards pay tribute to her powerful voice and unique artistry, which combined with her stunning presence, inspires and touches audiences around the world. According to The New York Times Henry "phrases songs with a freewheeling sense of play that never loses sight of the subject at hand. At the same time she holds back the force of her tart-timbered voice until the right dramatic moment to unleash its considerable power." Tickets for this event are $30 for advance preferred seating, $25 for advance reserved seating, $20 for advance general admission, and $25 for general admission at the door.

On Sunday, October 9th , the Arts Garage, in collaboration with Alliance Française, will present pianist Guillaume Vincent. The 20 year old Guillaume Vincent began studying piano at age seven, and first played with an orchestra at the age of ten. A laureate of France's prestigious Long-Thibaud Competition (a group known for spotlighting some of the world's finest young musicians for almost seventy years), Gillaume Vincent has been awarded numerous awards and prizes, and was recently named a 'classical discovery', by ADAMI (Administration of Rights for performing Artists and Musicians). He has participated in a number of festivals, and has performed chamber or orchestral music as a soloist throughout France, as well as in Mexico, Japan, Portugal, China, Hungary, and the United States. Tickets for this event are $25 for advance reserved seating; $20 for advance reserved seating for Alliance Française members; $20 for advance general admission; and $25 for general admission at the door.

"Arts Garage was created for artists such as Guillaume Vincent," says Alyona Ushe, The Collaborative's executive director. "It's a stage for up and coming young protégés and an international destination for exceptionally talented artists." Stay tuned for their female impersonator series called Divas In Art. The Arts Garage is located at 180 NE 1st St., Delray Beach, FL. To purchase tickets you may call them at 561-450-6357 or visit: www.artsgarage.eventbright.com or www.delraybeach arts.org.

Putting a new twist on your evening out, audiences are encouraged to BYOW (Bring Your Own Whatever!) to enjoy during performances. The fresh feel and energy of the Arts Garage make it a promising and unique new venue for the arts in Palm Beach County.

See the current theatre season schedule for southern Florida.

-- John Lariviere