Opening last week, three new exhibits at Art Center Sarasota invite audiences into the galleries for three wildly different experiences. Explore the mammoth installation art of visiting artist Abhidnya Ghuge, which dominates the entirety of Gallery 3 with one continuous piece, and dive into the world of figurative art in Gallery 2’s Intimate Observation: Looking Past the Future, but don’t leave without stopping by Gallery 1, where the latest exhibit from Art Center Sarasota curator Nathan Skiles offers a look into ephemeral landscapes and possibly a glimpse at the inner workings of the curator himself.

Entitled Last Stop Before Utopia: The Liminal and Ephemeral Landscape, all of the works selected come from Skiles’ own personal collection, giving the exhibit something of a voyeuristic feel. Eschewing traditional landscapes, each of the pieces tackles what Skiles calls temporal spaces—ephemeral landscapes determined by more than geography. A piece by former Ringling College student Miles Goscha, which appears almost indeterminate, Skiles reveals to be created by taking images from ISIS beheadings and removing all of the horrific aspects. What’s left is nearly indistinguishable. “This is really phenomenal work,” says Skiles. “Something’s haunting about the image because it seems to lack a subject, and it’s that lacking which is the subject.” A photograph by Andrew Atkinson, taken in the middle of a snowstorm in Iceland, captures a more pleasant version of a temporal space, as the sky and land merge into one fantastical question.

But Skiles’ arrangement blurs the lines between curation and creation. Featuring the work of 17 artists, all are displayed on the single far wall of Gallery 1, almost challenging the viewer to enter the space. But in a departure from traditional curation, wherein each piece is given room to breathe and stand on its own, Last Stop presents all 20 pieces at once, as something more akin to the curator’s collage. “I cannot recuse myself from the exhibition,” admits Skiles. “But the jury’s still out whether or not it’s revealed much about me.”

Curated by Art Center Sarasota Curator Dustin Juengel, Intimate Observation: Looking Past the Future highlights the figurative work of five separate artists in Gallery 2. Featuring drawing and painting, the exhibit demonstrates differing modes and manners for capturing the figure, allowing each to stand by itself but also work in conversation. From illustrative to photorealism, large-scale to small-scale, Intimate Observation brings technique to the forefront.

Slow Turbulence, Ghuge’s site-specific installation in Gallery 3, presents as a massive pinkish-purplish form wending around the space, seemingly growing out of the room like some great organic protuberance. The result of a chicken-wire frame and 6,195 paper plates, Ghuge builds the frame and carves a wood block to print her henna-inspired designs on each dyed plate, but from there it becomes a community effort, with volunteers helping to fold and attach the plates to the frame. Art Center Sarasota saw 13 volunteer installation assistants come out for 12-hour days to put the whole thing together.

All shows run through Dec. 1 at Art Center Sarasota. 

Pictured: "Last Stop Before Utopia," curated by Nathan Skiles. Photo by Phil Lederer.

The READ UNITED Reading Room opened June 19 at La Mirada Apartments in Manatee County. Staffed for the summer with teachers and teachers’ aides (thanks to an investment by the Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading partners) and equipped with books, audio books and Launch Pads loaded with literacy games, the room brings learning opportunities to those who need them most. The 150 children living at La Mirada don’t typically have access to summer learning activities so the room stayed open from 9am-1pm this summer, helping children avoid summer learning loss.

Just a few months ago, the community room at La Mirada was not a place anyone would want to spend time. The room was home to a mop bucket and a rolled-up carpet. But, thanks to the vision of United Way, along with support from the Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County, Manatee County Public Libraries, Manatee County Public Schools, local businesses, and a lot of hard work by dedicated volunteers the room has been transformed into a bright, cheery place for kids to improve their reading skills or be exposed to reading for the first time. 

Early literacy is a key pillar in United Way Suncoast’s mission to break the cycle of generational poverty. We know that children who aren’t reading at grade level by 3^rd grade are 4 times more likely to drop out of high school, so we seek every opportunity to prepare our youngest residents for future success.

For more information, or to join the fight for the people in our community, contact unitedway@uwsuncoast.org or call the United Way Suncoast office nearest you. 

Manatee Area | 941.748.1313            

Sarasota Area | 941.366.2686           

Tampa Bay Area | 813.274.0900 

United Way Suncoast

The laboratory at Doctors Hospital of Sarasota has just earned accreditation from the College of American Pathologists (CAP). The results came after a rigorous on-site inspection. The accreditation process is designed to ensure the highest standard of care for all patients. During the accreditation, process inspectors examine the lab’s records and quality control procedures for the preceding two years. CAP inspectors also examine the laboratory staff qualifications, equipment, facilities, safety program and overall management. According to CAP, the federal government recognizes the CAP Laboratory Accreditation Program as being equal to or even more stringent than the government’s own inspection program. 

Doctors Hospital of Sarasota

Pines of Sarasota Rehabilitation and Senior Care Community has welcomed Dr. Charles Stewart to serve as the Medical Director of Rehabilitative Services Programs. Stewart’s focus in his practice is performing complex reconstruction using state-of-the-art procedures to maximize short and long-term function. Stewart received his Doctor of Medicine degree from The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He is a board-certified, Johns Hopkins fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon. He participated in Project Medishare, an effort to determine the orthopedic needs of the people of Haiti and in Operation Walk, a surgical team performing joint surgeries for patients who typically had no access to surgical services. Stewart has medical appointments and admitting privileges at Sarasota Memorial Doctors Hospital of Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, Intercoastal Medical Group Ambulatory Surgical Center Advanced Surgery Center and Doctor’s SameDay Surgical Center. 

Pines of Sarasota

The law firm of Blalock Walters has welcomed attorney Gregory S. DeMeuse to its firm. DeMeuse focuses his practice in real estate, land use and local government law. His real estate practice focuses on commercial and residential transactions, commercial leasing and residential real estate. In the areas of local government and land use law, DeMeuse serves as counsel to a wide variety of local government entities, including municipal, school district, community development district and interlocal government. He also represents private clients in all aspects of the permitting and development process. DeMeuse received his Juris Doctor from Stetson University College of Law. 

Blalock Walters

There is no “we” in tacos. No, really! The title of Best Local Tacos is one we take very seriously here at SRQ Magazine so we are on the search for best tacos in town. Weigh in below and live everyday like it’s Taco Tuesday! 

Vote Here!