The Ringling Museum has announced the creation of a new curatorial position, the Keith D. and Linda L. Monda Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, and the first person to hold the title, Ola Wlusek, who officially joined the museum on March 19. With a master of arts in contemporary art history from Goldsmiths, University of London and a pair of bachelor’s degrees in art history and cultural anthropology from McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, Wlusek’s career has taken her from England to Italy and most recently back to Canada, where she served as curator of contemporary art for the Ottawa Art Gallery and as public art program coordinator for the City of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. As she takes the reins of Ringling Museum’s modern and contemporary collections, exhibitions and collaborations, SRQ took a moment to see what’s in store.

As the first Keith D. and Linda L. Monda Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, what kind of precedent do you want to set for the position? Ola Wlusek: The Mondas’ gift signifies a desire to discover meaningful and thought-provoking artistic voices by our community. The gift allows for ongoing contemporary exhibition programming and it carves out a crucial space for current art practices at the Museum, while promoting a dialogue within visual arts culture. I embrace exhibition-making as a way to encourage collaboration and cross-disciplinary practices, and support accessibility and participatory opportunities for a wide audience.

What excited you about joining The Ringling Museum? I’m thrilled to be joining such an established institution, which is beloved by the local community and also has an international reputation. The Museum is an amazing landmark for cultural production through its rotating historical and contemporary exhibitions, scholarly contributions, community outreach and public programming designed for diverse audiences. The Museum also makes space for emergent and meaningful artistic practices of today.

Having officially joined last Monday, what's your first week impression? My first impression was that my brilliant curatorial colleagues are doing a fantastic job at bringing important artists working today into the forefront of exhibition programming. I’m very much so looking forward to working alongside the brilliant team of curators and in the professional environment of the Ringling.

Though Ringling Museum is famous for its collection of Old Masters, why is it also important to give space and attention to modern and contemporary art as well? Some of the most exciting artists working today recognize the importance of confronting the past in order to make sense of the present. Housing such a complex and trans-historical collection is a perfect opportunity to invite artists and scholars to reactivate it and respond to it through their art and research, in order to situate it in a relevant-to-us context.  The Museum offers a tremendous resource with its collection, library and history, all which are great opportunities to be reinterpreted through contemporary artistic practices. Contemporary art has the ability to acknowledge our oftentimes-fraught past and make sense of it in the context of the present, while transforming our preconceived notions and beliefs.

What would you like to explore moving forward? I’d like to focus on creating a platform for diverse and marginalized voices by working with artists and cultural producers who reflect our societal conditions and approach history, and the present, with a critical lens. I’m also really excited at the prospect of working collaboratively with institutional partners and organizations across Florida and internationally. 

Pictured: Ringling Museum Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art Ola Wlusek. Photo courtesy of The Ringling Museum.

On this day last March, President Trump signed the Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017, passed with unanimous consent. The law establishes every March 29th as the official National Vietnam War Veterans Day, stating that the flag of the United States be raised to thank and honor Vietnam veterans for their service and sacrifice. The VIetnam War holds the dubious distinction as arguably the most controversial war in our nation's history, as well as the longest—with over 15 years of military involvement. At the height of the war, the scene on home soil grew ugly with mass public anger for the U.S. government’s escalating role. A social movement immersed over several years, inevitably shaping the vigorous and polarizing debate for our involvement. The U.S. admits its first defeat, and President Nixon withdrew the last remaining American troops in 1973. But upon their return from duty overseas, troops failed to receive a welcome home—instead unjustly shamed, scorned and ridiculed by protesters.

Fast forward to today, the recent presidential proclamation recognizes the 50th Anniversary of the war, and expresses what the U.S. has learned from our Vietnam veterans’ experience—replacing the negative stigma of Vietnam with renewed gratitude for the role of our nation’s military. Americans across the country will unite in national solidarity tomorrow to publicly honor these unsung soldiers, marking the second annual observance of National Vietnam War Veterans Day. Dialing closer to home, the Community Foundation of Sarasota County and Manatee Community Foundation partner with Tidewell Hospice, who have been caring for our local veterans and their families with end-of-life services for almost 40 years. Together, they’ll host a regional celebration called “Welcome Home, Southwest Florida” at Patriot Plaza here in Sarasota. Vietnam veterans in attendance will receive a special 50th Anniversary commemorative pin, “A Lasting Memento of the Nation’s Thanks!” issued by the U.S. State Department. The event will feature keynote speaker General Hugh Shelton, who received a Bronze Star for his service, as well as Secretary for Veteran Affairs for Memorial Affairs, Randy Reeves presenting. With hundreds of these events celebrated throughout the country on this dedicated holiday, Tidewell Hospice, Community Foundation of Sarasota County and Manatee Community Foundation are proud to marshal their combined resources to have these special guest officials here to speak and host a ceremony of this magnitude for our community.

Patriot Plaza, a 2,800-seat ceremonial amphitheater at Sarasota National Cemetery, features commissioned art installations honoring veterans, inspiring patriotism and embracing freedom for generations to come. Dedicated and donated to the National Cemetery Administration by The Patterson Foundation, it strongly promotes burial services for eligible veterans and their family members. The Patterson Foundation worked closely with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Cemetery Administration on the construction of Patriot Plaza, collaborating with the agency to design its beautiful facilities, and fully funding it to completion. The foundation’s invested donation to Patriot Plaza is meant to not only recognize the service of all veterans, including the Patterson family’s history of military service, but also strengthen the way our local region honors those who served in our nation’s armed forces. The $12 million space is an exemplary model for other national cemeteries as it stands as a symbol of peace and reflection, and proudly exists for our community to decorate the heroes with unfathomable valor in their final resting place—especially the 9 million military personnel on active duty during the Vietnam Era and the 2.7 million Americans who served our country in the Vietnam War. Of those combat troops still living, approximately 500,000 reside in Florida—

We thank you for your service.

“Welcome Home, Southwest Florida” begins at 9:30am and is free to the public thanks to Tidewell, the Community Foundations, and in-kind support from Military Officers of America Association, Sarasota Chapter and AC Vietnam Brotherhood.

The Community Foundation of Sarasota County is proud to partner with SRQ Media Group to highlight stories about community impact powered by philanthropy in our region, thanks to the support of donors and our local nonprofit partners. The Community Foundation is a public charity founded in 1979 by the Southwest Florida Estate Planning Council as a resource for caring individuals and the causes they support, enabling them to make a charitable impact on the community. For more information, visit www.CFSarasota.org 

The Patriot Plaza, 9810 State Rd. 72, Sarasota, 941-922-7200

People can experience many changes in a career, including a promotion into a leadership role.  Without proper training or preparation, employees are often thrust into management positions feeling lost and unable to meet leadership expectations, resulting in high turnover and organizational instability.  With input from employer partners, CareerEdge has discovered the many challenges new leaders face and developed a training program for “Emerging Leaders.” 

Over the last five years, CareerEdge has offered Leadership Training Program, in partnership with State College of Florida and local trainer Larry Face of Next Level Achievement, for emerging leaders in the healthcare sector.  Organizations with employees in the tuition-free program have immediately seen results.  The “Emerging Leaders” have brought back skills such as conflict resolution, communication and accountability.  One employer explained in a recent feedback survey that, “Being a new leader is not easy, but having the tools to do the job is very helpful.”   80% of the participants reported that they saw positive change in themselves as communicators, coaches, mentors and leaders. And 100% of the class would recommend the program to others.  

After learning about the success of this program, CareerEdge manufacturing partners have now asked for assistance in developing their new leaders and building a stable workforce. Through collaboration with these employers, a new Manufacturing Emerging Leaders Training Program will kick-off in 2018. 

CareerEdge has helped employers to see the correlation between quality of supervision and employee satisfaction, as well as bottom-line impacts.  Research has shown that supervisors that establish high levels of positive interaction and support for their subordinates will increase employee productivity. These opportunities for growth and advancement directly affect an organization’s long-term success. CareerEdge Funders Collaborative continues to work with local employers to solve workforce challenges and drive economic prosperity for the region.

For more information contact Deborah Chapman, 941-328-6985.  

CareerEdge

The children and families served by Children First, Inc., Sarasota County’s exclusive Head Start provider often face challenges most people couldn’t imagine. One of the goals of Children First’s recent Raise Your Hand Campaign was to help families overcome these behavioral and mental health challenges by offering on-site professional care. Children First introduced its first licensed mental health professional, Dr. Robert Nolan, to the team in December 2015 and added its second counselor, Sultanna McCormick, in 2017 because of the community’s support of the Raise Your Hand Campaign.  Since then, Nolan and McCormick have provided guidance to children, parents, and staff, creating an emotionally healthy environment for learning. One parent, Latasha, says having that access to a mental health counselor has been a critical component of reaching the personal and family goals she has established while working with Children First’s family advocates.

“We’ve become pretty close, as far as her being someone to talk to in my times of need.  She has really helped me through my situations,” said Children First parent Latasha.

With 13 sites across Sarasota County, it became clear Children First needed to seek ways to expand the scope of services.  That led to the acquisition of affiliation agreements with Argosy University and the University of South Florida, allowing six master’s and doctoral-level interns to enhance their hands-on experience while providing that extra support needed to reach more children and families. In January, Children First secured a new agreement with Nova Southeastern University to bring on six more master’s level students.

“Having the interns allows us to serve more children, particularly those who may not meet the requirements for services elsewhere,” says Children First Child and Family Services Manager Dr. Robert Nolan.

The master’s level interns have played an integral role in providing behavioral supports in the classroom and assisting with the Sunbeams groups; volunteers who work with identified 4-year-olds who are experiencing grief/loss issues.  Doctoral students assist the Sunbeams and are also available for individual and family sessions.  For more information on the services offered by Children First, visit childrenfirst.net. 

Children First

Selah Vie Boutique has announced its new location inside of The Rusty Cricket, at 615 15th St. W, Bradenton, beginning April 17th. Selah Vie Boutique, the upscale resale boutique benefiting Selah Freedom’s mission to end sex trafficking and bring freedom to the exploited, specializes in upscale designer brands and has a selection that continually includes new, beautiful items such as women’s clothing, handbags, shoes, jewelry, furniture and survivor artwork. The boutique will be open Monday through Saturday, 10am–5pm, and accepting donations during those times. All proceeds fuel Selah Freedom’s programs for survivors of sex trafficking. Volunteers are also needed at Selah Vie Boutique. To get involved and learn more, visit the website below. 

Selah Freedom

Sarasota Opera is set to launch a new program this spring with a series of summer concerts entitled Sarasota Opera House PRESENTS. This series will bring Sarasota audiences musical performances of American standards, jazz, rock, bluegrass, country and more. Sarasota Opera will debut this new series on Friday, May 4, at 7:30pm with Tony Danza, who will offer an unforgettable evening with his cabaret show entitled Standards & Stories. Combining timeless music with wit, charm, storytelling and a dash of soft shoe and ukulele performances, Danza is accompanied by his talented four-piece band. Danza performs a selection of his favorite standards from the Great American Songbook, as well as selections from the hit Broadway musical Honeymoon in Vegas (which he also starred in), while interweaving stories about his life and personal connection to the music. Tickets for Tony Danza: Standards & Stories range from $39 - $89 with a limited number of VIP seats at $125, which include a post-show meet-and-greet with Danza. On Saturday, August 18, the Sarasota Opera House PRESENTS series continues with Ricky Nelson Remembered, starring Nelson’s twin sons, Matthew and Gunnar Nelson. 

Sarasota Opera