Pictured: Lisa DiFranza speaks about the ways the pandemic affected her art at the 10x10 event. Photo by Laura Paquette.

Time, an invisible yet pervasive force, was the common thread that wove together the talks of each speaker at last night’s 10x10 Series, presented by Halflants and Pichette Architects. During the event, ten speakers, each an expert in their field, are challenged to create a ten slide presentation, with only 30 seconds to speak about each slide. Making time count, both in a literal and figurative sense, was at the heart of the event, which has been on hold for the last two years due to the pandemic.

“One of the interesting parts of the 10x10 is that we all work within our circles and within our own passions,” says Michael Halflants, one of the event’s organizers, “and it’s really interesting to get a glimpse of what happens outside and how other people are carving their own lives.”

The evening began with Justin Bloom, an environmental activist, who gave the audience a crash course about the health of Sarasota’s water systems. While they are imperiled, Bloom’s talk indicated that there is still time to protect this crucial resource. The following speaker, art historian Chelsea Bruner, shared the work that her Ringling College students are doing to preserve a house that has been integral to Sarasota’s African American community for generations to come.

Houses, like those built by his father, inspired the next speaker, illustrator and sculptor Tom Casmer to create intrictate wooden sculptures. Casmer examined the many people, places and things that have inspired his work over the years. Speaker and cheesemonger Louise Converse found inspiration to tell stories through the medium of cheese by reflecting on medieval art, which, like the very product she sells, has aged well. Painter Lisa DiFranza considered the passage of time as she presented works that she created each day during the pandemic, turning her focus to the importance of social interaction.

Michael Halflants showcased the work that his company has done to create architectural spaces that bring people together, even amidst the isolation of the past two years. Fellow design enthusiast and Architecture Sarasota president Marty Hylton shared his goals to preserved the historic buildings of the Sarasota school of architecture.

Moving back towards the two-dimensional, painter Bruce Marsh took the audience on a tour of his art’s evolution, and multi-media artist Mike Solomon presented powerful images of essential workers, individuals affected by violence and his own mother, all people who faced challenges over the past years. To finish the event, Jarred Wilson, a collector, discussed how postcards and family photos can act as a time capsule in a turbulent world. Indeed, the evening itself served as a powerful reminder of everything that the world has been through the past few years, and a beacon of hope for the future to come.

The 10x10 Series will return in April, 2023. For more information, visit 10slides10speakers.com.

Pictured: Lisa DiFranza speaks about the ways the pandemic affected her art at the 10x10 event. Photo by Laura Paquette.