Sam Alfstad, founder of Alfstad& Contemporary, may not be in the gallery this week, but that doesn’t mean he’s on vacation. While the gallery has, since its inception, worked to bring national and international artists to Sarasota, this year sees Alfstad and his crew working the festival circuit in an effort to bring Sarasota artists and art to the world. Earlier this year, that meant taking some of Christophe Von Hohenberg’s photographs and prints to festivals in New York City, this week it means hitting the road, Miami-bound with prints, paintings and more from 10 of the gallery’s artists, for simultaneous exhibitions at the SCOPE Miami Beach 2017 and Aqua Art Miami 2017 art festivals.

“We always want to get Sarasota artists seen in Sarasota,” says Alfstad. “This is a way to get them more on the international and national scene.” And with yesterday’s opening, SCOPE visitors have already marveled at an installation from ribbon artist Anne Patterson and paintings and prints from Sarasota artist Alain Huin and Ringling Professor Michael Wyshock. Throughout the course of the festival, more than 55,000 visitors will join them, not including the 140 exhibitors from 25 countries across the globe.

Opening today, the exhibition at Aqua is a bit more expansive, featuring work from nine artists, both local and those who have visited and made work in the Alfstad& printshop. Hosted inside a repurposed old art deco hotel, each exhibitor at Aqua receives its own room in the hotel. Devoid of furniture, they can decorate and arrange the space as they wish. “It’s a much more funky, fun venue,” says Alfstad, favoring prints, probably his favorite medium. Alongside Wyshock and Huin, fellow local artists Dasha Reich, Mike Solomon and Jorge Blanco show with Alfstad& visitors like Bruna Stude and Zimoun. Alfstad& joins only 51 other international exhibitors in this more intimate, but "funky" and relaxed festival for young and emerging artists and collectors.

On the flipside, Alfstad himself is also on the lookout for artists that he can bring to Sarasota. Last year, he was impressed by the work of Heather Hutchison, and this February she’ll be showing at Alfstad&. Says Alfstad, “We’re committed to figuring out this arts scene.” 

Pictured: Anne Patterson's ribbon art and painting from Michael Wyshock on display at Alfstad& Contemporary's booth at SCOPE Miami Beach 2017. Photo by Annie Alfstad.

Editor’s Note: This is part 49 of an ongoing series documenting the flights of active-duty US Navy Pilot Ryan Rankin on his journey to fly 52 planes in 52 weeks through the year 2017.

Climbing into the cockpit of a Piper Archer, Rankin isn’t expecting any surprises. A variant of the Piper PA-28 that he flew earlier this year with his friend Lindsay Locke, the Archer generally differs in minor ways—an extra five inches to the fuselage here, a few extra horsepower there—but what Rankin finds is a completely different flying experience. “Especially the way Chris [Reilly] has his configured,” he says.

A fellow Navy pilot, and a detail-oriented, technologically sophisticated one at that, Reilly’s Archer sets the standard for the integrated and overwired cockpit. Whereas as the PA-28, used primarily for flight instruction, presents as something “barebones” and lacking in the creature comforts, Reilly’s Archer is custom-designed for the pilot who wants as much information at his fingertips as possible. Even compared to some military craft, says Rankin, Reilly’s Archer is impressive. Military craft definitely have more sophisticated weapons systems, for sure, but less emphasis on comfort and extra bells and whistles.

Completely gutting the interior and rebuilding the cockpit from the ground up, Reilly’s looks like a full-on control center equipped with all the avionics and digital readouts—“glass,” in aviation parlance—that can fit. In addition to the traditional instruments, the Archer sports a Garmin 696—a combined GPS and large-scale digital map for easy navigation. Punch in airport A and airport B and then just keep the craft along the designated path. “That’s as simple as it gets,” says Rankin. But not content with just  the 696, Reilly also installed an additional GPS and ADS-B transponder in the Garmin GTX 345, for a completely separate video readout showing all other air traffic in the area. Without the transponder and GPS, pilots have to rely on communication and guidance from air traffic controllers; with the new equipment, every pilot can be aware of how busy the skies around them really are. “It’s a great tool to have,” says Rankin. “It’s really going to cut down on that mid-air collision risk.” By 2020, the setup will be required in most, if not all, aircraft.

“[Reilly’s] cockpit is an interconnected system,” says Rankin. “There’s this wild network of info going back and forth.” And to top it all off, an iPad attached to the yoke and connected via Bluetooth to the rest of the instruments in his reach. So while the flight itself was pretty straightforward from a mechanical sense, the real lesson was being up-close-and-personal with Reilly’s heavily tech-oriented piloting style.

Given that, it may seem odd that Rankin flew the Archer for roughly five hours—far longer than any other aircraft in the project this year. But that’s because Rankin is up to his usual tricks, seeking out unusual planes—and he thinks he’s found a crown jewel. He’s mum on what it may be, but it’s coming.

For more about the flight in Rankin's own words and a video of the flight, follow the link below. 

Pictured: Ryan Rankin and Chris Reilly fly the Piper Archer. Photo courtesy of Ryan Rankin.

Ryan Flies

New this past summer to JPan is the roll of all rolls. The lobster roll not only incorporates fresh, delicate pieces of sweet and juicy lobster, but is also accompanied with snow crab and conch to really set it apart. The beautiful presentation is topped off with avocado and a delectable lychee honey, making this dish a roll to be reckoned with. This eye catching plate will also not leave you hungry; presented with ten pieces rather than the standard eight. Truly an experience, come down to both JPan locations to try the lobster roll for yourself - a work of art and nothing like you’ve tasted before!

Photo Credit: Wyatt Kostygan.

Jpan is a member of Nosh, the SRQ magazine content marketing program for local restaurants. 

JPan Restaurant, 3 Paradise Plaza, Sarasota; 229 N. Cattlemen Rd., Sarasota, 941-954-5726

Jpan Restaurant

Sarasota-based JMX Brands has made Furniture Today’s 2017 Leading Furniture E-Tailers list. This is the third year in a row that JMX Brands, the largest online retailer of Amish furniture (under the name Dutch Crafters) has made the list. JMX Brands also recently opened an online store for eco-friendly home goods at www.ecofriendlydigs.com. Furniture Today’s list of the 30 top furniture e-tailers is ordered alphabetically and includes retailers that get at least 80 percent of company revenue from online sources. Though primarily a Web-based retailer, JMX Brands understands the importance of building relationships, hence a focus on customer service, including continuously improving website functionality, launching a new video platform and providing furniture specialists who answer detailed questions and help customers with specific requests. 

Dutch Crafters

“Calm Down Kits” to help elementary school students deal with stress and other difficult emotions in more positive ways. Civility training so workers at a local animal hospital can better assist grieving or financially distressed pet owners. “Friend benches” on a school playground where youngsters can go for emotional support from classmates or staff when they can’t effectively communicate their needs. Those are just three of the creative ideas to receive funding from Gulf Coast Community Foundation in its first round of Civility Squad Grants. The $500 mini grants, awarded through the foundation’s Because It Matters civility initiative, are designed to help organizations implement projects or activities that foster civility in their schools, clubs, workplaces, or neighborhoods. The initiative centers on 10 Keys to Civility, such as “Respect Others,” “Make a Difference,” and “Speak Kindly,” which serve as guiding principles for civil behavior. In all, Gulf Coast has approved nine Civility Squad grants totaling $4,500 so far. The foundation has earmarked a total of $25,000 for civility grants through February 2018. The following organizations received Civility Squad grants in November:Alta Vista Elementary School, Bay Road Animal Hospital, Englewood Elementary School, Laurel Nokomis School, Sarasota YMCA/Safe Children Coalition and St. Mary Academy. Applications may be submitted online anytime at the website below.  

Civility Squad Grants

Sarasota Memorial Health Care System welcomed two of Sarasota’s longstanding surgeons into its First Physician Group (FPG) network this week. Dr. John Nora and Dr. Russell Novak officially joined the health system’s network of primary and specialty physicians under the new practice name First Physicians Group General Surgery at Medical Arts. Board-certified general surgeons, Nora and Novak have been in private practice at Sarasota Surgical Associates for 28 years and 31 years, respectively. They specialize in a wide range of minimally invasive laparoscopic, robotic and traditional surgical treatments for diseases and conditions of the abdomen, breast and soft tissues, including gastrointestinal surgery, breast surgery, hernia surgery and thyroid surgery. Both have held multiple leadership positions at Sarasota Memorial over the years. Novak has served on the Medical Executive Committee and as past Chief of Surgery, while Nora helped develop Sarasota Memorial’s successful bariatric surgery program with clinical outcomes that exceed national averages. In addition to scheduled procedures, Drs. Nora and Novak will help provide 24/7 emergency-call coverage for hospitalized patients, providing consults in the ER, performing emergency procedures that are needed and covering for general surgeons in the area. 

First Physician Group