Alfstad& Contemporary kicks off its third season with an exhibition entitled Shark Fin Soup from international ocean photographer Bruna Stude, opening tonight with a reception and meet-and-greet with the artist. Through her photographic series and printwork, made in collaboration with Alfstad&’s Chris Schumaker, Stude hopes to bring light to the plight of the ocean’s shark populations, long exploited and verging on devastation.

“Because it’s ‘the predator,’” Stude said wryly, “but if you look at the statistics, it’s really silly.” Only a small number of people die from shark attacks any given year, according to Stude, but more than 100 million sharks are estimated to be killed each year by humans, most for their fins. The disparity makes her question who the predator in this relationship really is, a theme throughout Shark Fin Soup.

The Empty Oceans series, a collection of platinum prints done in the old style, with metals and hand-painted emulsion developed under UV light, showcases the vacant waters in monochromatic stillness, a beauty made haunting when the viewer realizes it’s a graveyard – the whale shark spawning grounds barren at peak season. Taking a trip with a research team, Stude brought her camera. They returned 10 days later without a single sighting.

Hanging nearby, a rare series sees Stude turn her camera upward, peering out of the water and catching the encroaching forms of concrete and steel on the horizon, blurred and looming. “Wherever you are, wherever you look, there’s a manmade object,” Stude said of Seascapes Manmade. “There’s less nature and we are spreading everywhere and I don’t know how we can manage not to create a negative impact.”

But if these are operations in understatement, the flagship installation, “Shark Fin Soup,” hammers the message home in vivid color. Dividing the estimated 100 million sharks killed each year, their fins harvested and the bodies dumped back into the water to die, by 365 and making a print from an up-close image she took of a Grey Reef Shark off the Marshall Islands, Stude recreates a running tally of the day-by-day kill count on each print, resulting in a morbid red-and-yellow tableau dominating the wall. “Red for blood and yellow for shame,” said Stude, consciously echoing the colors of the Chinese national flag, a country she says is responsible for 90% of sharks harvested. “It’s a cruel practice,” she said. “And for what? Soup?”

“People don’t know how threatened they are,” added Stude, “how many species are on the brink of extinction.”

Shark Fin Soup opens tonight at Alfstad& Contemporary with an opening reception at 5:30-8pm, with Stude in attendance. The exhibition runs until Oct. 30. 

Pictured: "Shark Fin Soup" by Bruna Stude. Courtesy of: Alfstad& Contemporary

At Center for Architecture, October is Architecture and Design Month – a month-long celebration of our built environment designed to educate and inspire our community about the importance of thoughtful planning and building. There are a number of unique and stimulating October programs planned, beginning with internationally-renowned architect Toshiko Mori’s exhibit “Dialogue in Details” and a kick-off event tonight, October 1, 5:30 to 7:30 at the Center with live jazz, light bites and a sneak preview of the exhibit. 

And this Saturday, October 3^rd, 9:30 to 11 am is a special program for children ages 5-13:  Kids at the Center – Architecture 101, based on Bricks4Kidz Lego Build. This program triggers children’s lively imaginations and builds their self-confidence. It provides an extraordinary atmosphere for students to build unique creations, play games, and learn basic architectural concepts. This play helps children develop the intellectual, emotional, social and creative skills that are of lifelong benefit to them and their communities. The students attending program will also enjoy a mini-figure swap and treats to take home. Admission is free, but registration is required and attendance is limited. For more information and registration, please visit CFASrq.org.  The Center is located in the McCulloch Pavilion at 265 S. Orange Ave. 

The Center for Architecture Sarasota is a 2015 SRQ Story Project partner and the featured non-profit organization this October. To learn more about the mission of CFAS and their growing outreach, educational programs and produced events, visit them online at CFASrq.org. 

East Coast Migrant Head Start Project has closed on the purchase of 7,157-square-foot special use building located on 17^th Street West in Palmetto for $332,500.00. The buyer was represented by Chaim Gleitmann, with Xena Vallone Realty.  The seller, AMIKIDS, was represented by Debra Cooper, an advisor with the downtown Bradenton office of Sperry Van Ness Commercial Advisory Group. 

Sperry Van Ness Commercial Advisory Group

Gene Matthews Boys and Girls Club of Sarasota County alumnae Whitney Stewart, 18, was named the 2015-2016 National Boys and Girls Clubs of America Youth of the Year at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. during an event Tuesday. As the winner, Stewart will serve as the Boys and Girls Clubs of America’s official teen spokesperson for the next year. Stewart was also awarded $140,000 in scholarships, a new car from Toyota and a trip to Disney. 

Boys and Girls Club of Sarasota County

After a five-year campaign, the Sarasota Audubon Society announced that the newly completed Nature Center will be open to the public starting Oct. 10 at 10am. Audubon members will be on hand to welcome and educate visitors about the Nature Center and the abundant birds and wildlife at the Celery Fields. 

Sarasota Audubon Society