>> ATLANTIC AVENUE HAS ALWAYS BEEN DEL RAY’S MAIN STREET.
IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY, NEARLY A DOZEN RESORT HOTELS LINED THE BEACH.
ONE WAS THE FAMOUS COLONY HOTEL.
>> THIS BUILDING IS THE ONLY HOTEL THAT’S LEFT.
>> IT’S A REAL LINK TO THE PAST.
>> IT IS, IN A WAY.
A LOT OF PEOPLE LIKE IT THAT WAY.
>> JUSTINE A DOES.
HER MOTHER AND FATHER BOUGHT THIS HOTEL IN THE 1930’S.
>> I TRIED TO KEEP A LOT OF THINGS BOAT IN.
EVERYTHING WAS PAINTED BEIGE.
>> SHE DID KEEP MANY ORIGINAL TOUCHES.
>> RANTED, THE ORIGINAL SWITCHBOARD NO LONGER WORKS, BUT REMEMBER PHONE BOOTHS?
STILL WORKS.
LOOKING FOR THE ELEVATOR?
>> THIS IS A RELIC.
I LOVE IT.
>> IT’S FUN TO HOLD ONTO THE PAST LIKE THIS ELEVATR, BUT ALSO BE ABLE TO OFFER MODERN THINGS.
>> TRUTHFULLY, THE ROOMS ARE JUST THAT.
BUT ABOUT ALL THAT HISTORY.
THERE HAS TO BE A GHOST HERE, RIGHT?
THIS IS YOUR GRANDFATHER?
CLICK SOMEBODY SWEARS THEY SAW HIM WALKING ACROSS THE DINING ROOM, THROUGH THE WALL, INTO THE KITCHEN.
>> WITHOUT USING THE DOOR?
>> YES.
>> THE ICONIC HOTEL REMAINS PERHAPS THE MOST PAINTED AND ICONIC LANDMARK IN DELRAY BEACH.
>> THE DOME, THE FLAGS, THE ARCHWAYS.
THERE ARE SOME MANY ELEMENTS FROM AN ARTISTIC POINT OF VIEW THAT MAKE IT INTERESTING.
>> TODAY, SHE LIVES IN DELRAY BEACH.
>> A FRIEND OF MINE LIVED IN BOCA RATON AND HAD BEEN URGING ME TO COME TO FLORIDA.
I SAID NO, NO, NO, FLORIDA IS NOT MY KIND OF PLACE, BUT WE CAME TO DELRAY BEACH FOR LUNCH AND IMMEDIATELY, I FELT AT HOME.
>> WHAT HAS DRAWN YOUR EYE IS AN ARTIST HERE?
>> I LOVE THE ARCHITECTURE, THE COLORS, THE ARCHES.
THE WAY THE LIGHT HITS BUILDINGS AND FOLIAGE IS MAGICAL.
AS SOON AS THE COLOR HITS THE PAPER AND IT STARTS TO SPREAD, IT’S WONDERFUL.
A WONDERFUL PART OF MY LIFE.
>> FOR TRUTH IS, DELRAY BEACH HAS BEEN A HAVEN FOR ARTISTS OF ALL KINDS.
>> ARTISTS URGE DRAWN TO THINGS THAT ARE A LITTLE OFF THE GRID.
>> AND DEL RAY WAS THAT.
>> I THINK DEL RAY WAS THAT, YES.
>> YOU SEE IT EVERYWHERE, ON THE STREETS THEMSELVES, NOT TO MENTION THE STREET SIGNS, AND THE CITY’S COMMITMENT TO PERFORMANCE SPACES, FROM THE FIRST FLOOR OF A PARKING GARAGE
TO THE DEL RAY PLAYHOUSE WHERE THE BUILDING IS ON LAKE IDA.
THE NEWEST CENTER FOR THE ARTS MAY BE ITS MOST AMBITIOUS.
IT FILLS AN ENTIRE WAREHOUSE.
>> WHAT DREW YOU HERE?
>> LOOK AT THIS SPACE.
IT IS WONDERFUL.
IT IS A WONDERFUL PLACE TO WORK.
>> THE 15,000 SQUARE FOOT FORMER WAREHOUSE OPENED THIS PAST FALL UNDER THE CITY’S COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY.
THE GOAL IS TO CREATE AN ARTS INTO BADER, A PLACE WHERE ARTISTS OF VARIOUS MEDIA CAN WORK NEAR EACH OTHER AND LEARN BUSINESS SKILLS TO AID THEM IN FURTHERING THEIR CAREER’S
COMMERCIALLY.
>> THAT ALLOWS THEM TO BE ABLE TO SPEND MORE TIME AND MONEY WORKING, REACHING O TO GALLERIES, WRITING GRANTS.
>> HE MOVED BACK HERE TO BE PART OF THIS NEW PROJECT.
YOU LIKE THE IDEA OF BEING SURROUNDED BY OTHER ARTISTS?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I FEED OFF THE ENERGY THAT ALLOWS YOU TO GO TO THE NEXT LEVEL AND SEE WHAT YOU CAN DO.
>> THE BUILDING IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
FOR THE ARTISTS THEMSELVES, THERE IS A SENSE OF CREATING A NEW CHAPTER.
>> I THINK THE ARTS MAY DEL RAY WHAT IT IS.
IT’S GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE WHEN YOU PUT ARTISTS ANYWHERE.
>> LIKE SO MANY PEOPLE IN THE DEL RAY AREA, LOIS HAS A CONNECTION TO NEW ENGLAND.
SHE IS A GRADUATE OF THE RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN.
>> AND THE COLONY HOTEL IS ONE OF THE LARGEST AND LONGEST SUPPORTERS OF THE ARTS AND DEL RAY.
WE CAN SEE WHY.
IT’S SO POPULAR AS A SUBJECT.
>> THERE IS A REASON IT’S CALLED BOSTON’S ON THE BEACH.
>> ARE THESE