Following on the heels of the Royal Tastes exhibit and entering the new year with continued dedication to the exhibition of art from the Asian continent, The Ringling Museum this Friday unveils Samurai: The Way of the Warrior. Featuring more than 80 historical artifacts from the Museo Stibbert in Florence, Italy and presented in collaboration with Museo Stibbert curator Francesco Civita, Samurai affords visitors an up-close look at a multitude of arms and armor that came to define this warrior class, as well as a glimpse into the lavish domestic life of the wealthy, all the while presenting perhaps the most aesthetically pleasing crash-course in samurai history during a martial and political dominance lasting from 1185 to 1868.

Everything works in tandem, and upon entering the exhibit, a brief history and a timeline at the front provide immediate written context, while a 17th century triptych screen of gold and silk offers to the careful eye a preview of all to come, with samurai at battle on earth and at sea, fully-armored and wielding weapons of war. This is the rise of the samurai.

Ample room is supplied to the showcasing of the famous katana, a sword legendary in its own time and now enshrined in popular culture, as much a work of art as a martial tool. Presented whole and deconstructed, each part of the sword is on display, emphasizing the craftsmanship required for every piece, from the all-important blade to the scabbard, the hilt and even the tsuba, which protected the gripping hand.

Through it all, the fusion of function and beauty looms large. “Most of these instruments were designed for killing, for warfare,” said Ringling curator Christopher Jones, “but also designed to reflect status, culture and refinement.” And nowhere is that clearer than in the full suits of armor on display in the Searing Wing.

Ornate, built from an intricate intersection of steel, silk, bone, leather and wood, the exhibit features nine complete suits, ultimately works of art in themselves, ranging from different time periods and styles, with a noticeable shift upon the arrival of the relative peace of the Tokugawa Shogunate, when the samurai as warrior became less elevant. “That suit of grey metal head-to-toe doesn’t do anything for me,” said Ringling Asian art curator Benita Stambler, comparing the collection to medieval European plate mail. “But this is beautiful.” Four stand as menacing mannequins, helms resting on the same sculpted heads commissioned by the collector Frederick Stibbert more than 100 years ago.

The exhibition continues on to showcase the kawari kabuto, or “spectacular helmet,” with 12 on display, ranging from fearsome demonic displays to the more whimsical rabbit and turnip battle-wear, culminating in a brief peek into more domestic artifacts such as saddles, lacquered boxes and ornamented furniture.

Samurai: The Way of the Warrior opens Friday and will be on display at The Ringling Museum until April 17. Free docent-led tours are available twice a day, Tuesday through Sunday, beginning at 1pm and 2pm. 

The Southwest Florida Certified Commercial Investment Member District recently announced its new slate of officers for 2016. Ron Struthers, a Punta Gorda-based agent affiliated with the Sarasota office of Coldwell Banker Commercial NRT, will be this year’s president. Struthers is one of the firm’s top producing associates in Florida and has more than 20 years of commercial real estate investment experience. The Southwest Florida District was established in 1991 and plays host to its 16^th annual Southwest Florida CCIM Real Estate Outlook Conference on Jan. 21. 

Coldwell Banker Commercial NRT

The Beach House Restaurant, part of the Chiles Restaurant Group, has been selected as a 2016 winner in The Knot Best of Weddings, an award representing the highest-rated wedding professionals as reviewed by couples, families and wedding guests on The Knot. This is the seventh year The Beach House has been selected for the accolade, awarded to about 2 percent of the 250,000 local wedding professionals listed on TheKnot.com. 

Chiles Restaurant Group

Studio G Home + Gail Carlson Interiors of Sarasota has won “Best of Design” on Houzz, a leading platform for home remodeling and design. The 30-year old interior design firm was chosen by Houzz users from among more than 1 million active home building, remodeling and design industry professionals. 

Studio G Home + Gail Carlson Interiors

The first of the year is full of resolutions (perhaps some that have already been broken, but we won't tell anyone). While some might vow to take on a new hobby, others are focusing on ways to get healthy in the coming months of the year. For those looking to stay active and get fit, we're looking to you to name the best retailer when purchasing workout or outdoor gear. Let us know what your favorite fitness/gear store is, so that we can see if Fit2Run will hold its top position on the podium, or if it will be surpassed by its top challenger Environeers. Make sure to vote in our 2016 Best of SRQ Local Competition, which is open now. 

Reader Donna Buono-Ryan let us know why Fit2Run was her favorite fitness/gear store, “I voted for Fit2Run as my favorite fitness store due to their selection and expertise in fitting one with shoes to match their abilities and physiology. The staff is well-trained and take great care in fitting each and every customer.”

The Best of SRQ Local Polls are open now through February 15th, 2016 at SRQMAG.com/bestofsrq. Don’t forget to vote for your favorite! 

We've heard the expression. Likely you have, too. "Home is where the heart is." For us, the homes are in the March edition, when we dedicate almost the entire edition of SRQ | The Magazine to homes: the place we go back to after a long day of work. The place where we spend our most precious moments should be special. In the March edition, we'll find out the winners of the ever-popular Home of the Year competition, highlighting some of the most stunning design, architecture and structures in our region. And, we'll have several advertising opportunities for home service companies that make our houses lovely, clean and in tip-top shape. If you're looking for ways to get the word out the great work or want to share a message with our readers on the quality of your service, consider the March edition of SRQ. We're introducing a Roundtable called Abode Spring that is just right for companies seeking to go above and beyond traditional advertising. If you're interested in learning more about this or other advertising opportunities, contact SRQ Media at GrowMyBusiness@SRQME.com or call 941-365-7702 x220. See you in March!