The halls of the Willis Smith Gallery at Ringling College of Art and Design rang with the pop and whir of Polaroid cameras last night, as visitors celebrated the opening of the gallery’s latest exhibition, Fifteen Minutes: Homage to Andy Warhol. Marking 30 years since Warhol’s passing, the show remembers the American artist and cultural icon through the words, music and images of the collaborators, friends and colleagues who populated his studio, The Factory.

Curated and produced by conceptual artist Jeff Gordon and painter Path Soong, the show comprises 17 stations along the stark white walls of Willis Smith. Each station bears a single image the size of an album cover and a pair of black headphones waiting to be worn. Through the headphones, audio accompaniment—songs, poetry, stories—paired with each particular image reveals something more about the man and the myth known as Andy Warhol. At one end, a self-portrait in oil on canvas by Bob Dylan with his song, “When I Paint My Masterpiece,” playing through the headphones; at the other, Christopher Makos’ famous photograph of Warhol placing an affectionate peck on John Lennon’s cheek. Punk icon Patti Smith makes an appearance, as does Factory archivist Billy Name, Warhol superstar Brigid Berlin and a dozen more writers, photographers and artists of all stripes.

“Andy Warhol is a classic and will continue to nourish students and the arts community at large for many years to come,” says Ringling College’s Tim Jaeger. “But for me personally, it’s not just the work that nourishes my creativity, it’s also the fact that it’s a large piece of American history from the Pop Art era.”

According to Ringling College Chief Curator Mark Ormond, the man who brought Fifteen Minutes to Sarasota, the show allows viewers not only a glimpse of Warhol as a person, but also, through the breadth of his circle, a better understanding of his impact. “Through the minds and hands and voices of the seventeen people who contributed work to this exhibition, visitors can see and understand something about who Warhol was, what he did and how he broke down the barriers between high and low art,” he says. “His influence as an illustrator, artist, filmmaker and writer was enormous.”

Fifteen Minutes: Homage to Andy Warhol runs in the Willis Smith Gallery at Ringling College of Art and Design through March 18. 

Pictured: Nat Finkelstein's 1965 photograph, "Andy, Bobby and Elvis." Courtesy of Ringling College.

Remember when Jessica Simpson famously confused “chicken of the sea” (aka tuna) with actual chicken? There’s no confusion at New Pass Grill & Bait Shop, located on the Gulf of Mexico right before the Longboat bridge, where they serve up the juiciest grilled chicken sandwich on the water. New Pass is famously known by locals and visitors for burgers, but when you’re in the mood for something lighter, try out the chicken sammy and famous battered fries; no need for sauces, the flavor is all there. “I’ll take it to go,” should be an unspoken phrase at this Old Florida charm-filled establishment—the view of the Gulf of Mexico and Intracoastal, fisherman stopping for a bite to eat and dolphins frolicking in the clear blue are all the reason you need to stay and enjoy your sandwich at the weathered, colorful picnic tables lining the ocean.  

New Pass Grill & Bait Shop, 1505 Ken Thompson Pkwy., Sarasota, 941-388-3050.

In order to care for the natural world, one needs to know about the treasures found in even the most remote locations. In Sarasota, botanists from Selby Gardens travel the Tropics of the Americas, including Florida, to discover and document the rich biodiversity of this part of the world. The scientific teams work with universities and international governments to assist with the preservation of plants. 

Back at home, that team shares research findings and their expertise with students from school-age through university-age and help raise the next generation that will support our environment. By creating beautiful plant displays on the grounds of Selby Gardens, the hope is to inspire visitors to advocate for nature and the environment, advancing the mission to further the understanding and appreciation of plants.  

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

Sarasota-based investment advisory firm Path Financial, founded by President and Chief Investment Officer Raul Elizalde, has named Oxana Saunders as vice president. Saunders will focus on business development, client relations and portfolio management. She holds a NASAA Series 66 Investment Advisor Representative license and joined Path in early January 2017. Together, the two senior executives provide clients with 47 years of investment expertise honed during their respective careers on Wall Street. Saunders will work with new clients to provide investment advice based on their life goals and personal circumstances. She is available to speak to individuals and organizations on a variety of investment-related topics, including helping clients better understand family investments and how individuals can protect assets in times of life transition. A graduate of Baruch College with a degree in Finance and Investments, Saunders enjoyed a successful career on Wall Street prior to relocating to Sarasota in 2016. 

Path Financial

The Patterson Foundation gave $250,000 in catalytic funding to the Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s (CDP) Global Refugee Crisis Fund. This latest contribution continues the Foundation’s support for CDP’s efforts to facilitate smart funding for programs serving the 65 million displaced people worldwide. The CDP Global Refugee Crisis Fund connects funders with expert insight and opportunities to collectively address the issues refugees and displaced people face daily while building solutions to their long-term challenges. Since its inception in 2015, CDP’s fund has focused primarily on capacity-building efforts to protect people forcibly displaced within Syria. The fund has been used to strengthen community-based protection initiatives for women and adolescents struggling through the ongoing conflict, as well as programs to improve adolescents’ psychological wellbeing through leadership training, education services and trauma support. The Patterson Foundation was one of the earliest supporters for the Global Refugee Crisis Fund, contributing $550,000 in catalytic funding and strategic communications support since 2015. The Foundation has provided nearly $2 million to CDP since 2012 in recovery support for major disasters such as Hurricane Sandy. 

The Patterson Foundation

Armor Correctional Health Services will subcontract the Sarasota County Jail's mental health services to Centerstone of Florida. Centerstone of Florida is an established community partner with the sheriff's office, notably serving as a collaborator in the opiate dependency treatment initiative using VIVITROL that Sheriff Knight announced in August 2016. The transition of mental health services from Armor Correctional Health Services to Centerstone of Florida comes after great consideration and research into what would be most efficient and effective for inmate patients and their families. Armor Correctional Health Services will remain the contracted medical authority in the jail and continue its partnership with the sheriff's office in all aspects of its current contract. The provider change will reduce the time needed to verify inmate patient mental health history as well as enable a smooth transition for patients upon discharge from the facility. Centerstone has intrinsic involvement in Mental Health Court, Drug Court and other community services frequently utilized by former and current inmates. Mental health care providers are available to inmate patients 24/7; however, Centerstone will also offer additional days of on-site coverage in order to provide the most comprehensive mental health care possible. 

Sarasota County Sheriff's Office

What do an artographer, an ethnobiologist, a social media expert, a Harvard professor and the founder of a submersible company have in common? We catch up with all of the innovative speakers from the 2016 PINC conference in PINC Mind Meld. Read about the commonalities between humans and bears, the science of sexual connection and the need for hands-on classes in schools—all in February's PINC feature. 

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