LOCAL ARTS GROUPS SEEK YOUNGER AUDIENCES

Come December, the entertainment at some local bars and restaurants could be a little different — not rock, jazz or blues — but opera.

Palm Beach Opera’s new early evening Happy Hours will mix a shot of opera with an chaser of facts about the music garnished with drinks and appetizers.

“We want to engage with people in unusual settings,” said David Walker, the opera’s managing director. “It ties in with what a lot of our audiences are interested in — food, wine and entertainment.”

Patrons will be invited to converse with the singers, who are the company’s young artists, during Q&As. “It’s a lot more interactive than watching a soprano standing in front of you singing an aria,” Walker said.

The company plans to hold five to 10 Happy Hours in the upcoming season.

It’s not the only cultural group pursuing a broader audience in new ways this season. The quest is vital as the country’s demographics become more diverse and older audiences die off.

At the Flagler Museum, visitors last summer were surprised by free pop-up activities such as a choral concert or outdoor painting workshop. Croquet lessons in the Cocoanut Grove began in September.

“It’s a way to loosen the place up,” Executive Director Erin Manning said. It’s also a bid to entice visitors to return.

The museum is continuing its Flagler’s Spirit initiative to connect with under-served populations. In September, the staff of Feeding South Florida attended a dinner in the Cocoanut Grove and toured the house.

“It’s important to make the attempt to reach out to get people in who might not be able to come otherwise,” Manning said. She intends for the events to be

PHOTO BY TOM TRACY Norton Museum Teen Advisory Squad member Taneria Tysinger led a gallery talk on Mickalene Thomas’ “Naomi Looking Forward #2, 2016” in August during an Art After Dark the squad organized at the museum.