Weekend arts picks: April 3-7

Theater: This weekend is your last opportunity to see Palm Beach Dramaworks’ impressive production of David Mamet’s early scam drama, American Buffalo, the tale of three Chicago bumblers who plan to break in and steal a valuable coin collection. Director William Hayes and his cast harness the fragmented rhythms of the dialogue with skill, led by John Leonard Thompson, who enters midway and takes over the play as well as the would-be heist. Continuing through Sunday. Call (561) 514-4042. – H. Erstein

Film: Mos’Art Theatre in Lake Park and Emerging Cinemas in Lake Worth have an art film documentary this week geared for art lovers. With a punning apology to Donald Trump, it is The Art of the Steal, a look at the collection of Philadelphian Albert Barnes, who tried to control the display and access of the artwork from beyond the grave, and the lawsuits that ensued. Filmmaker Don Argott’s handiwork is fairly pedestrian, but the story he relates is fascinating. – H. Erstein

Art: This weekend at Mulry Fine Art, gallery owner Fecia Mulry is showing the wood sculptures of Jesse Walp. A native of New York, Walp grew up in Mississippi and graduated with a degree in design from Mississippi State University. At Rochester Institute of Technology, he studied furniture design, sculpture and woodworking. Walp is an instructor at the Armory Art Center, where he was previously an artist-in-residence.

All of his studies have combined into a beautifully blended style in which sculpture becomes furniture and furniture turns into sculpture. Sculptural wall pieces also organically stream from the wall with a roundness and softness of form that, combined with the richness of the layered wood, seems comforting and familiar.

In his artist’s statement, he says: “I aim to imbue my sculptural furniture with life, giving the appearance as if it has grown into existence. I use both botanical and anthropomorphic forms and characteristics making pieces with fruits, buds, flowers, and skin folds. The different parts appear as if they grew out of one another helping make visual and physical sense. I work with wood in a conscious manner, appreciating its color, grain, and imperfections as I unearth this inner beauty and create artwork with permanence.”

Walp’s work will be on view through April 10. Mulry Fine Art is located in The Paramount Building at 139 N. County Road in Palm Beach. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call (561) 832-8224.

If you happen to be in the Philadelphia area this weekend, where I am attending the National Council on Education in the Ceramic Arts (NCECA), plan to attend the more than 90 curated exhibits and countless shows staged by artists from around the world. More than 6,000 mud lovers converge on the conference each year, and next year’s will be in Tampa, which is much closer to home (start planning now to see it!). – K. Deits
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Music: On Wednesday, the German-American violinist David Garrett returns to Broward County after two earlier appearances in October at the Broward Center. Garrett, 28, is one of the hottest names in classical crossover these days, a well-trained (Itzhak Perlman, Juilliard School) fiddler who likes to play Metallica tunes as much as classical concerti. He also has worked as a male model, and that has helped draw a younger female crowd to his concerts as well. Earlier this season, he played well-known violin showpieces as well as arrangements of heavy and pop metal anthems; his show this time is in the Parker Playhouse in Fort Lauderdale. Tickets: $25-$35. Call 954-462-0222 or visit www.browardcenter.org. – G. Stepanich