As the summer months encroach in all their boiling fury, more and more artists and cultural institutions are standing up to the notion of “off-season” with programs and offerings for their year-round supporters. This includes the members of Art Central, a burgeoning collection of local artists looking to grow in the community, which hosts its monthly Open Studio session this Saturday, June 30, from 11am to 4pm.

“The people who live here all year like to go out and involve themselves in the culture,” says Wayne Eastep, a professional photographer and member of Art Central. Alongside painters Lucy Barber and Kathy Wright—the other two members of Art Central living in Sarasota full-time—the trio will open their studios and showrooms on Central Avenue this weekend, allowing any and all to wander or stumble in, ask questions or just peruse as they please.

In preparation for these monthly open studio sessions, participating artists strive to prepare new work and new collections (in addition to cleaning up a wee bit, laughs Eastep). For Eastep, that means printing and framing a new series based on finding art in architecture, which means much more than just looking for pretty buildings. “They happen to be connected to architecture,” he says of his subjects, “but they are abstract, and isolated out in a way that celebrates shape, form, line and all the ingredients artists use to make art.” A professional photographer who retired from globetrotting on assignment to recently open a studio, Eastep has photographed in 125 countries, and mines all of those, as well as recent work, for his exhibitions.

Importantly, says Eastep, all members of Art Central are working, professional artists, not hobbyists, and visitors will see a studio set up for real production. But while the open studios might contain a certain necessary marketing component, that’s not what the day focuses on. “We’re not out there selling,” says Eastep, who prefers to let the art, the price tag and the consumer work out that equation on their own. “We’re just available,” he says, for conversation or a question or even just a nod and a handshake. “Here we are,” he says. “This is where we work, this is what we do and we’re glad you came by.”

Art Central Open Studios with Lucy Barber, Wayne Eastep and Kathy Wright is this Saturday, June 30, from 11am to 4pm at the artists’ studios at 1330-1340 Central Avenue, between 13th and 14th streets. 

Pictured: "Shaker Spiral Staircase" by Wayne Eastep.

This month, four Florida public school arts teachers will be spending three weeks in Sarasota County working on their own artistic endeavors, as the winners of the 2018 State Teacher/Artist Residency program (STARs), presented by the Hermitage Artist Retreat and the Florida Alliance for Arts Education (FAAE). This year's recipients include three visual artists and a composer. The four receive a three-week summer residency, July 2-22, at the Hermitage in Englewood, where they live and work as artists, without any expectation, schedule or demands. The chosen four are Marissa Flint, a visual arts teacher from Edgewood Junior/Senior High School (Brevard County); Rosemary Shaw, a visual arts teacher from U.B. Kinsey/Palmview Elementary School of the Arts (Palm Beach County); Travis Damato, a music composition teacher at Muller Elementary Magnet School (Hillsborough County); and Laura Tan, an art teacher at Southside Elementary Museum Magnet School (Dade County). Florida arts educators apply for the Hermitage summer residencies through FAAE. Applications are open to all Florida music, visual art and creative writing teachers. Residencies last for three weeks and culminate with a free community program on the Hermitage’s beachfront campus. This year’s program is scheduled for Friday, July 20, at 7pm, and is open to the public. 

Hermitage Artist Retreat

Christine Alexander, longtime comedy improv performer and instructor with Florida Studio Theatre has obtained her Florida Auctioneer License and joined Zan Auctions, one of the leading auction services in California, and the National Auctioneers Association (NAA) to bring a new kind of auction service to Sarasota. Combining improv comedy with classic auctioneering, Alexander looks to create an immersive experience that turns a standard auction into a theater event. Currently, Alexander performs weekly with the FST Improv Team at Florida Studio Theatre, where she’s been a member of their ‘A’-Team since 2001, and maintains her regular schedule of “Laughter Workshops” with various local groups, such as the Cancer Support Group, the Parkinsons Café, the Boys and Girls Club, PACE Center for Girls and much more. 

Florida Studio Theatre

Motorworks Brewing won a Gold Medal for its V Twin Vienna Lager (Oktoberfest/Marzen category) and Bronze Medal for its Kumquat Bizarre Gardening Accident Florida Weisse (American-Style Sour Ale category) in the 2018 Can Can Awards. The Can Can Awards is the premier beer competition focused solely on canned craft beers. In its 3rd year, 350 beers were entered from across the globe. Judging took place over two days near Atlanta, GA and the competition was sanctioned by the BJCP. Motorworks Brewing’s V Twin Vienna Lager and Kumquat Bizarre Gardening Accident are currently available in cans to-go at the Motorworks taproom and in local retailers like Total Wine and ABC. 

Motorworks Brewing

Susan Kirk has joined RE/MAX Platinum Realty as a Realtor in the downtown Sarasota office. She has 12 years of local real estate experience, last serving with Keller Williams Classic Group. In addition to extensive market knowledge, Kirk brings strong customer service and negotiation skills. She is well versed in vacation properties, relocation and the particular needs of buyers. Likewise, she is a successful listing agent, drawing upon her background in marketing to sell client properties. Kirk holds the Graduate Realtor Institute (GRI) designation and has a bachelor's degree in General Studies from the University of Connecticut. 

RE/MAX Platinum Realty

Get to know our Transformative Philanthropy Keynote Speaker, Julie Henry. A skilled facilitator, consultant and dynamic keynote speaker, Julie brings 20 years of experience to her global clients through Finish Line Leadership - a company dedicated to helping leaders influence change and make it stick. She knows what it takes to get across the finish line, both personally and professionally, and values embracing the inevitable change and challenges faced along the way. 

What qualities in a leader are important in a world that is continually transforming?

Leaders who lead with respect and recognition for past organizational success in balance with a willingness to take risks and try new things will succeed in this fast paced world. It requires surrounding yourself with people who understand that accomplishing the mission and making an impact may, at times, look different than it has in the past but can be exciting and revolutionary. 

Could you share an experience you had working with a nonprofit that really impacted your thinking?

I recently led the Seattle Aquarium through a 6-month process to identify a new vision and direction for their conservation work. For this to succeed, it was imperative that we acknowledged past success and built off of this solid foundation rather than frame the process as if we were starting over. Many members of the staff have spent many years dedicated to learning about the animals and habitats of the ocean and teaching people how to keep them safe. I facilitated a two-day off-site meeting to really dig into what the vision and impact could be. It was exciting yet exhausting work, full of passionate ideas and commitment, but by the end of the first day, I could feel the breakthrough start to happen. One by one, I watched each person in the room as their what ifs started to coalesce, the energy started to rise and smiles broke out until they collectively came to one strong, unified idea.

The following night I attended a fundraiser for the Aquarium. The CEO approached me and apologized that he had to be out of town. He didn't know the actual outcome of our work at that point but a long-serving member of his team had come into his office in tears because she felt like they had rediscovered the reason they had been working so hard for so many years. 

I will never forget standing in the Aquarium, surrounded by octopus, sea stars and rockfish, watching the CEO's face light up as he talked. His excitement was palpable and I knew that he truly valued his people and how they worked together for collective positive impact on the ocean. Of all the organizations I work with, nonprofits are near and dear to my heart because people are driven by their passion for the mission and desperately want to make a difference. This is what makes change both so challenging and so integral to nonprofit success.

Tickets for SB2 Transformative Philanthropy are $45/per person, which includes a mouth-watering plated lunch provided by The Francis. Reserve your spot online at SRQSB2.COM 

SRQ SB2