With the holiday season well underway, the galleries of Palm Avenue are putting up a strong argument for local art as the go-to gift that can’t be found on Amazon. From large-scale abstractions and expressionist florals to strange stone sculptures and even a solo exhibition of new work from assemblage artist Melanie Carlstein, it’s a walkable portrait of the weird and wonderful that is the Sarasota art scene.

At Burns Gallery on Palm, the “Whispers of Nature” exhibition features the work of artists Gary Borse, Kathe Fraga, Marleen De Waele-De Bock, and Laura Varich. From Varich’s blooms, all broad strokes and near abstraction, to detailed arboreal diptychs from De Waele-De Bock, mixed-media frescoes from Fraga and slightly psychedelic landscapes from Borse, each pays tribute to the natural world in their own way.

In MARA Art Studio + Gallery, new sculptures from Puerto Rican artist Julio Rivera are on display, as well as a series of still life paintings from Elise Gold Sewall, demonstrating the artist’s mastery of light, glass and reflection. For fans of the abstract, find large-scale works from Mara Torres González, neutral and understated, and for fans of the mysterious, ponder the curious curves of stone sculpture by Bruce Robertson.

A couple doors down at Define Art Gallery and Studio, the walls are as electric and eclectic as ever, highlighting the wide diversity of its member artists. Stand in the center and spin in a circle to find everything from pop art and photography to Janet Mishner’s sheep series and a painting by Evelyn McCorristin Peters that looks equal parts punk rock and playground. And step into the corner gallery to enter the mad mind of Melanie Carlstein with Inspiration Found, a solo exhibition dedicated to the artist’s sculptures and found art creations.

“Melanie Carlstein’s assemblage sculptures beautifully blend her South African roots with the art of repurposing,” says Deena King, owner and curator of Define Art Gallery, “creating powerful narrative that celebrate uniqueness, identity, and the unexpected.”

And it wouldn’t be an artwalk down Palm Avenue without stopping in at Palm Avenue Fine Art, where the gallery is celebrating the season with a special show of small works that make one-of-a-kind gifts. 

Pictured: Blowing in the Wind, diptych by Marleen De Waele-De Bock. Photo by Phil Lederer.

To read more from SRQ about assemblage artist Melanie Carlstein, click here.

On a midnight battlefield crawling with smoke, nine soldiers stand silhouetted. Silent. Still. Their faces draped in shadows they are featureless. Anonymous. And when the figures start to sing, it is as a ghostly chorus roused from the dark of history.

So opens Peter Rothstein’s All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914, a nine-man a cappella ode to the soldiers of World War I who, for at least one fateful day, put aside their arms and embraced a common humanity instead. It is a powerful image and a promising hook—and one that the rest of the production will strive to live up to.

Based on the true story, the narrative is told through a clever combination of monologue and musical, mining the stark dynamic between the two. One moment, the cast is a veritable a cappella assault force, full of energy and volume with vocal interplay as complex as the choreography. The next, all is silent and still but for a lone voice against the quiet, its source isolated in the beam of a single spotlight. It’s an effective technique made even more poignant by the fact that every word comes from the journals, letters, poetry, and even epitaphs of the soldiers who were actually there.

And when it works, it works, transfixing the audience and evoking everything from laughter and hope to heartbreak and fury. However, the show can also be a bit of a marathon—and not just for the cast, nearly all of which are onstage for the entire proceeding, singing and moving and marching without intermission or rest. With more than 20 musical numbers crammed into a relatively brief runtime, one starts to wonder if perhaps less is more. And while the show hits several high notes throughout, there are moments when it feels as if we’re hitting the same note a touch too often.

The show does (nearly) end on perhaps its strongest note, as the harsh reality of war revisits the men and they realize their respite is fleeting and false, their voices rising in an angry and confusing cacophony that presages the chaos to come. It’s a startling moment executed with elegant precision. And one that makes the decision to spoonfeed theme and message to the audience in the following scenes all the more unfortunate. Whether this demonstrates a lack of confidence in the previous hour’s material or in the audience is anyone’s guess.

But when all is sung and done, All Is Calm remains an impressive example of a cappella theater and a worthy addition to anyone’s Christmas traditions.

Currently onstage in the Historic Asolo Theatre, All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 runs through Dec. 22. 

Pictured: The cast of All Is Calm, currently onstage at the Historic Asolo Theatre. Photo by Kayla Erny.

What started as a call out to jazz players in the area on the Nextdoor app has turned into a jazz collective that hosts over 200 people bi-monthly. Ron Kushner, an intermediate jazz pianist and the creator of Jazz Jam SRQ, moved to the region from New York after the pandemic. As Kushner settled, there was a desire to first, get to know people in the community who were interested in jazz and second, enhance his own jazz skills. After putting up the post on Nextdoor, Kushner received 40 responses. The interest in a jazz collective was obvious, they just needed a set place and time to meet. Kushner says the collective views sheet music as just a suggestion. “Our musicians take liberties with the sheet music in front of them. They add aiding notes where they see fit and change the value of the note. Rhythm is found within these decisions,” says Kushner.

Now, Jazz Jam SRQ meets every other Monday at the Downtown Selby Library from 5:30pm to 7:30pm in collaboration with the Jazz Club Sarasota. Musicians unknown to each other who play jazz on the piano, bass, or other instruments are tied together by the music they play in an open-mic-styled jam session. “Everybody knows the rules of the game, we put together musicians who have never played together before and they sound good because they know what they are supposed to be doing,” says Kushner. Ultimately, Jazz Jam SRQ aims to create a community within Sarasota County that comes together for the sound of jazz. Sway to the music as an audience or musician for the next jam on December 16. 

Pictured: Jazz Jam SRQ meeting at the Downtown Selby Library. Photo Courtesy of Ron Kushner.

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Sarasota Opera has partnerned with Mercedes-Benz of Sarasota to raffle off a 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLE 300 Convertible. The car has a four-passenger capacity, a 2.0L Inline-4 turbo with mild hybrid drive engine with automatic transmission. Only 1,750 raffle tickets are available at $100 each at: https://www.sarasotaopera.org/sarasota-opera-2025-mercedes-benz-convertible-raffle. All proceeds go to support the mission of Sarasota Opera's world-class productions, artist training, and education and outreach programs. Tickets are on sale now through March 31 at noon, or until all 1,750 have sold out. The drawing will take place March 31 at 5 p.m. To view the car in person, visit Mercedes-Benz of Sarasota at 4754 Clark Road, Sarasota. More information, including car raffle rules and regulations, can be found here: https://www.sarasotaopera.org/sarasota-opera-2025-mercedes-benz-convertible-raffle. For questions, please call (941) 366-8450, Ext. 813 or email development@sarasotaopera.org 

We are excited to offer you the newest guided tour at The Ringling! Tours begin February 1, but you can book your tickets now! Discover the remarkable life and legacy of circus impresario and art collectors John and Mable Ringling. From humble origins, John Ringling and four of his brothers started a circus and the rest is history! This is a journey from John’s first year running a circus to the lasting cultural impact he and his wife Mable left behind in Sarasota, Florida. This tour ticket includes entry into the Museum of Art, Circus Museum, and Bayfront Gardens. 

For tickets and more information click here

Asolo Repertory Theatre and the Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee are proud to announce their partnership to host the First Annual Asolo Luminary Award, sponsored by Joel and Gail Morganroth, to take place on Tuesday, January 7, 2025 at 7:00pm at The Ora. “At Asolo Rep, we strive to celebrate community, and this goes beyond our stage. This inaugural celebration will be the launch of something truly special: bringing the brightest luminaries of the American Theatre to Sarasota and giving the unique opportunity for our community to have an inside look at their creative processes and inspiring careers,” stated Peter Rothstein, Producing Artistic Director. 

For ticket information click here.

Reaching speeds of thirty-five miles per hour and able to propel itself meters over the water, the flying fish seems to defy the laws of nature. Seen only occasionally in Japanese visual culture of earlier eras, images of flying fish began to proliferate in decorative arts during the 1930s and 40s, where they suggested agility, power, and new possibilities. This period saw rapid advances in technology and infrastructure, the rise of commercial and military aviation, and the escalation of Japan’s imperial encroachment in East Asia and the Pacific. This fall, a group of modernist lacquerware, glass, and metalwork objects, textiles, and works on paper and silk that feature this motif will enchant visitors to The Ringling. Catch of the Day: Flying Fish from Modern Japan will be on view November 23, 2024, to April 6, 2025, in the Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Foundation Gallery. 

Photo Credit: Isozaki Yoshitsugu (Bia), Japanese, 1884-1949, Vase with Flying Fish Design, ca. 1930s, Silver with gilding, 12 x 8 2/5 in (30.5 x 21.4 cm), Private Collection.

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Azara Ballet, a non-profit professional dance company, will be performing “Short and Suite”, their holiday performances of the 2024/2025 season. Short and Suite is a delightful blend of classical and contemporary ballet. Performance dates and times are December 20 7pm, December 21 2pm and 7pm, and December 22 at 2pm​​. The performances will be held at the Ovation Black Box Theater, 4602 E, State Rd. 64 Bradenton. For more details visit AzaraBallet.org. 

Peter Mawanga, from Malawi, Africa, will be performing with Trevor Bystrom at Ranch Nite Wednesdays (at Waterside Place) on Dec. 18. Mawanga fuses traditional African rhythms, composition and vocal arrangements with modern instrumentation. His music is simultaneously inspirational, introspective, spiritual and socially conscious. The latter facet can be heard even in the initial roots of his career, when he shot to fame across Malawi, albeit under the moniker Peter Pine, with his record Citylife. Mawanga has remained dedicated to the causes that matter to him working closely with organisations like SASO, Unicef and Plan Malawi to mentor orphaned and venerable children through music workshops and raise awareness of AIDS.  

Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota presents the Aznavoorian Sisters on January 7 at First Congregational United Church of Christ, Violinist to the Stars Caroline Campbell on January 14 at Plantation Golf and Country Club, and Next Generation: Fleiss and Lin on January 26 and 27 at the Fischer/Weisenborne residence. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit ArtistSeriesConcerts.org or call (941) 306-1202. 

Sarasota Opera is seeking male volunteer supernumeraries (supers) for non-speaking roles in its upcoming production of Cavalleria rusticana. Supers will experience the thrill of being on stage in front of a live audience while being part of a world-class opera production. Supers often make lifelong friends while participating in the program. No experience is necessary — just enthusiasm and a commitment to attend all rehearsals and performances. Anyone interested should contact artistic administrator Marco Nisticò at mnistico@sarasotaopera.org. 

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