Arts & Culture

Arts and Culture

We follow in the long tradition of providing cultural experiences and fundraisers to our community since our Club’s inception in 1891. The WCCG Arts and Culture Committee brings enriching activities that reflect the exceptional multicultural arts in greater Miami. Our clubhouse provides an excellent setting for a variety of presentations and workshops about drawing, painting, sculpture, architectural design, ceramics, textiles, and culinary arts as well as the performance and learning/teaching of dance, music, storytelling, poetry, and theater. Field trips to nourish our minds and our sisterhood beyond our clubhouse include visits to outstanding exhibitions and performances at various centers, museums, theaters and neighborhoods.

During our past two seasons 2021-2023 we have had a musical event, a monthly “women artists” book club, a dance class party/fundraiser, a theatrical performance, an architecture show, a ukulele music group, and a field trip to the Frost Museum of Art.

Women Artists Book Club
We meet regularly to discuss biographies of famous women artists. After the discussion we make art! For example, if we read about a sculptor, we make sculptures, no experience necessary.

Musical Events
"Sing in the Season" was our way to celebrate the holidays with an old fashioned sing-along. We enjoyed a variety show with audience participation, live music, skits and group carolling. In addition, we used this opportunity to collect clothing, toiletries and monetary donations for those in need, which we gave to St. James Baptist Church and Clothing Ministry.

Dance
In the fall of 2022 we had a Country Line Dance Party and Fundraiser. Our enthusiastic instructor taught all of us how to do several different dance routines. The main room was turned into a “dance hall” including elaborate square dance style decorations. Over 100 people from the local community came and participated.

Architecture
We volunteered to work with and host The University of Miami School of Architecture Students to present an exhibition of their work in our clubhouse. We made history by hosting a 5-day event attended by over 300 members of the Miami community. This exhibition showed the work that was completed by students given an academic exercise to address the housing crisis in the Little Bahamian section of Coconut Grove, also known as the West Grove. They were asked to address the role that architecture can play in alleviating affordability issues in this densely populated neighborhood. We exhibited twenty distinctly different architectural models for public viewing.

Theater
In celebration of our 131st Founders Day, volunteer members of our Arts & Culture Committee performed the stage play Pineland on our clubhouse stage. Pineland, is a short story by Marjory Stoneman Douglas that was adapted for the stage by our member and playwright, Sandra Riley. We packed the house for this very special evening.

Coconut Grove 150th Anniversary Celebration

“Ladies of the 1880’s” was a program our club designed in conjunction with the Coconut Grove Business Improvement District’s city-wide celebration. Our speaker, Dr. John Nordt, gave a presentation in our clubhouse about Old Coconut Grove history. We also showed a video created by and about the WCCG history. Participants dressed in vintage clothing.

We also marched in the Mango Strut annual parade as Ladies of the 1880's.

Field Trips

WCCG members visited the Frost Art Museum. The Chief Curator of the Frost Art Museum gave us a tour of current exhibitions.

We also attended "El Huracan" at Gablestage for an entertaining afternoon of local theater.

WCCG Ukulele Strummers

Playing ukulele is just good fun! Late on an afternoon passersby may hear rich, warm sounds and singing at the WCCG clubhouse. This is the time and place where the Strummers get together to make music on the little four string instrument and sing together.

The club’s strumming team finds the ukulele an incredibly social instrument because it’s not intimidating and can be played by anyone, young and old, musician or non-musician. Even those who have never played a musical instrument before are invited to share the fun.

Out and About

Out and About is a service provided by the WCCG Arts and Culture Committee, available on WhatsApp. This group chat is a casual way to invite other club members to an arts or culture event like restaurants, films, performances, museums, etc.

WCCG 1891