Quietly receiving guests since last Monday, the Art Ovation Hotel announced itself loud and proud last night, inviting hundreds from the local arts community out to celebrate the opening of the hotel’s first exhibition—Legacy. Featuring the work of 12 faculty and alumni from the Ringling College of Art and Design, Legacy stands as the first in a planned series of exhibitions, rotating every four months, and, according to hotel officials, a hallmark of the kind of local-focused, art-centric cultural hub Art Ovation Hotel aims to be. Says Larry Abbo, CEO of Prime Hospitality Group, “We’re just here to show the world what Sarasota is all about.”

With 12 artists to show, the hotel itself transforms into a towering gallery. In the lobby, beginning from one end, find a nook dedicated to the work of Joe Fig, Ringling College’s recently hired head of the fine arts department, whose digital prints capture artists in their natural habitats—their studios—and mixed-media sculptures recreate their workspaces. Turning the corner, a massive wall the length of the lobby showcases the large-scale paintings of Tom Stephens—abstract and full of marks, sometimes almost verging on science fiction—and those of Douglas Higgins, full of muted, earthen tones and indecipherable symbols, like bizarro playing cards or atom bombs.

In the middle of the space, a sculpture from George Snyder looking like disco bamboo, and another from Vicky Randall. By the elevators, photographs by Sally Pettibon and prints by Thomas Carabasi, and around the corner work from Nathan Skiles.

In all, that’s at least eight artists on display before one leaves the lobby. Exploring the rest of the hotel, from the rooftop on down, stopping for a glance on every floor, guests will find art from the likes of Steven Strenk, Cynthia Mason, Jason Aponte, Jill Taffet and Jeff Schwartz, associate vice president of academic affairs and dean of graduate studies at the college. “I can’t tell you how excited we are,” says Schwartz of the opening. “It’s been a great journey.” And with two Ringling alum already hired by the hotel, and sketchbooks in every room with sketches from Ringling students and faculty, he looks forward to a growing and rewarding relationship moving forward.

Angus Rogers, founder and president of Floridays Development Company and one of the prime movers behind Art Ovation Hotel, agrees. “This is just the beginning,” he says. 

Pictured: Artist Joe Fig discusses his work with guests in a quiet nook at the Art Ovation Hotel opening of "Legacy." Photo by Phil Lederer.

Tune in, turn off, drop in, drop out, grab some popcorn and explode—the 20th annual Sarasota Film Festival has arrived. Kicking off this evening with an opening night party at the Sarasota Opera House, audiences will first gather inside for the opening night film—Class Rank, a whip-smart comedy about high school outsiders jockeying for position post-graduation, directed by Eric Stoltz (Pulp Fiction, Madame Secretary)—before spilling out into Five Points Park for a block party till midnight. And while Stoltz is scheduled for the screening, only time will tell if he stays to party. Tickets to the party are $25.

The festival continues throughout the week and through next weekend. With hundreds or films (narrative and documentary, short and feature-length) slated for this year, the majority will screen in the newly renovated theaters of the Regal Hollywood 11 Cinemas on Main Street. The newly opened Art Ovation Hotel will play host to a handful as well, right across the street from Florida Studio Theatre, where the festival will once again host In Conversation events with various festival guests, including Stoltz, writer/actor Steve Guttenberg, documentarian Rory Kennedy and Oscar-nominated actor Virginia Madsen. Sarasota Opera House will host the closing night films—Love Means Zero, a documentary about tennis legend Nick Bollettieri, and Above and Beyond: NASA’s Journey to Tomorrow, the latest documentary from Kennedy.

Screening begin tomorrow at 10am, with the final showing of the day at 10pm. The In Conversation event with Stoltz is also on Saturday, scheduled to begin at noon at FST. The first film in the narrative competition will screen as well, with Don’t Leave Home showing at 8pm at Regal Hollywood 20.

For those interested in the annual Through Women’s Eyes selections (a sort of mini-festival within the festival and focused on women filmmakers) the majority will screen throughout this weekend, including RBG, the documentary about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, on Saturday, and the award-winning drama August in Berlin on Sunday.

Tickets for all showings and events are currently on sale. Depending on the film and occasion, tickets run from $10 to $20. For a full listing of films and events, complete with descriptions, showtimes and prices, follow the link below to the Sarasota Film Festival guide. 

Pictured: Block party from Sarasota Film Festival 2017. Photo courtesy of SFF.

Sarasota Film Festival Film Guide

Two exhibitions open simultaneously tonight at M. Chapel Projects, an alternative arts space on Princeton Street with a community and progressive focus, founded and operated by local artist Marianne Chapel. A solo show, Evolving/Revolving, will highlight the work of award-winning multi-media and interdisciplinary artist Elizabeth Sher, whose world travels serve as the basis for her continued artistic explorations. The second, a group show entitled Making Place and curated by local artist Sarah Viviana Valdez of Art Center Sarasota, unites the work of six regional artists for a meditation on art as agency, healing and safety.

Though technically based in California, where her studio lies, the entire world serves as Sher’s inspiration. An avid traveler and firm believer in the importance of the artist residency, Sher uses her frequent travels and experiences outside of the United States to fuel her art, utilizing everything from film and metalworking to classic collage, painting and drawing to reimagine and recombine the sights, sounds and smells of her adventures into the audience’s own. This latest exhibition draws primarily from the artist’s experiences in Spain, near Barcelona, and on the north island of New Zealand.

Opening alongside Evolving/Revolving, the group pop-up exhibition, Making Place, presents a similarly broad representation of media, but all thematically linked through Valdez’ curation for an inspired conversation about the power of art and the need for safe, accepting spaces. From the pointillist figures and self-portraits of Kieran Castano to the photography of Andrea Soldner and the feminist nail art from Erin Hart, founder of Nail Pop, each artist uses their medium and art to examine everything from the place of the individual to the junction of fashion and identity. Also featuring the work of Ava Zelkowitz and Jesica Glas, new music and sound art from Onirologia will permeate the space as one more uniting element.

“The reason it’s important to talk about making safe spaces for creating and exhibiting art is because of the political climate,” says Valdez. And as part of a community of artists where diversity in gender, race and thought represents the norm, concern over a national discourse that has a tendency to turn ugly or even violent when addressing issues of oppression and marginalized peoples and voices, emerged as a natural through-line for artists exploring their space in society. “It is a very vulnerable process to make art and to share it,” says Valdez. “There is something in each of the artworks that shares a personal experience about their body, their community, the past or present.”

Evolving/Revolving and Making Place open tonight at M. Chapel Projects with a reception at 6pm, free and open to the public. The shows will then be on display through the month of April, from 11am to 3pm, on each Saturday, Monday and Wednesday. 

Sarasota Contemporary Dance (SCD) has named Norbert Donelly, a prominent local businessman, to its board of directors. Donelly has strong roots in the local business economy as chair of Tervis, a family owned local manufacturing company that he joined in 1988. Donelly has also for many years devoted himself to the Sarasota community—both in the arts and other not-for-profit organizations. Among the many organizations he has supported, Donelly was a former board member of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, where he chaired several committees. He has been a board member and/or supporter of many other nonprofits including: the Sarasota Ballet, the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, VMA Academy, Embracing Our Differences, Unidos Now, as well as the Booker High School Film Academy. Prior to joining Tervis, Donelly worked for several firms in banking finance and real estate based in NYC. He graduated from Brown University with a degree in economics. 

Sarasota Contemporary Dance

The Talent4Tomorrow Partnership, a collective impact team of local organizations focused on increasing college and credential attainment in Sarasota County, announces that the Sarasota County School District has been recognized as having the highest FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) completion rate in the state, according to the Florida College Access Network (FCAN). This is the third year in a row that Sarasota County has been named number one in the state for “Large Districts” in FCAN’s annual Florida FAFSA Challenge. Completing the FAFSA is the first step to accessing financial aid for college, as well as a leading indicator of college attendance. But research indicates that Florida high school graduates leave behind over $100 million in federal Pell Grants alone by not completing the form. Through targeted efforts developed by Talent4Tomorrow in partnership with the school district, 47.8% of Sarasota County high school seniors completed the FAFSA as of March 31, 2018. According to FCAN, the incremental increase in FAFSA completion over the last two years has resulted in approximately $800,000 in additional Pell grants available for Sarasota County graduates to pursue their higher-education goals, with the average student award approximately $4,000. 

Sarasota County Schools

Duane and Rhonda Finney of The Finney Team at RE/MAX Alliance Group have earned the distinguished RE/MAX Chairman’s Club Award, which recognizes the highest producing RE/MAX associates based on performance.  In 2017, the Chairman’s Club Award was presented to fewer than 2 percent of all active RE/MAX agents worldwide. With more than 25 years of full-time real estate sales and marketing experience, the Finneys specialize in residential resales and new-home construction located in Bradenton, Sarasota, Anna Maria Island, Lakewood Ranch and Longboat Key, Florida. RE/MAX Alliance Group has been ranked the #1 RE/MAX franchise in Florida. The company also made the REAL Trends Top 500 list of the largest residential brokers in the United States, as well as RISMedia's Top 500 Power Brokers list. With more than 300 agents and staff, RE/MAX Alliance Group offers residential and commercial real estate solutions throughout Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties. 

RE/MAX Alliance Group