530 Burns Gallery and local artist Katie Cassidy have joined forces for a special program uniting art and wellness, dubbed “Art & Yoga: Joining the Mind, Body & Spirit.” Debuting last night, the program combines art exhibition with chair yoga, seeing the artist lead an introductory course while surrounded by art inspired by the process.

Clearing the main room at 530 Burns Gallery, staff can fit at least 20 chairs, with enough space on either side for freedom of movement. On the walls at every side, large-scale works by Cassidy evoke sea, sky and land, in great atmospheric canvases that simultaneously intrigue and soothe the viewer. At the front, a lone chair for Cassidy.

The introductory course lasts about an hour, with special focus on breathing. And it’s a yoga discipline accessible to most, says Cassidy. Not only is it an introduction, but chair yoga, by its very nature, democratizes the activity to a certain extent. Yoga poses and stretching remain integral part of the exercises, but staying seated throughout means different poses and eliminates the need for constant getting up and down, which can be tough on creaky joints or stiff backs. Flexibility and strength will improve with time, but, at least for an introduction, Cassidy focuses on the meditative aspects, especially the breathing.

A Registered Yoga Teacher, Cassidy has been practicing yoga “for longer than I’d like to admit,” she says, and never gets tired of sharing it. “It goes through your whole being,” she says, and, for her, has become an integral part of her artistic process. “I can get my mind focused, my mind calm,” she says, “and be able to paint.” In a centered state of mind, Cassidy picks up her paints and hits the canvas—oils, always, so she can layer to “tremendous” depth. “I like viewers to be able to travel through the canvas for miles and miles and miles,” she says, “and get into that state of calm and peace.”

For those interested, Cassidy will be leading another session in 530 Burns Gallery next Tuesday, July 24. Call the gallery to reserve a spot. 

Pictured: "Hallowed Pause" by Katie Cassidy. Image courtesy of 530 Burns Gallery.

The Our Sarasota Fund shows its pride by making significant impacts on local non-profits with a focus on the LGBTQ community. A Giving Circle of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, Our Sarasota Fund’s main game improves the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people by supporting those organizations with a mission specifically geared to embracing the diversity of sexuality and gender identity-based cultures. Currently, it is made up of a number of individual members in the community who collectively care about LGBT causes. Since started five years ago, the Our Sarasota Fund has awarded more than $51,000 back into the community. 

How it works, is the funds are collected and administered by Our Sarasota Fund members, then deposited with the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. By pooling resources together under a 501(c)(3) umbrella offered by the CFS, a greater bandwidth for change becomes possible. “A Giving Circle enables individuals to achieve a more significant impact with their charitable giving than they can achieve on their own,” says Manager, Communications and Marketing of CFS Murray Devine. The applications for grants are sent only to identified non-profits with programs/activities in Sarasota County which benefit the LGBT people. After applications for grants are received and administered, members vote on which organizations or projects they will fund—where the dollars then get dispersed based on the decisions made by the Giving Circle on an annual basis.

Grant amounts range anywhere from $500 to $5,000 and go towards causes such as providing safe housing/food, improving and expanding educator inclusivity, HIV/AIDS education and prevention, young adult support groups, promoting unity and social justice, sponsoring events, funding student scholarships, strengthening performing arts programs and more. If you’re interested in becoming a member or would like to see grant recipients thus far, visit the link below.

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.  

Our Sarasota Fund

On Tuesday evening, the Sarasota County School Board moved to approve Paul Grohowski as the new Chief of Police for the Sarasota County Schools Police Department. Grohowski released the following statement: “I am thrilled to receive the School Board’s approval and humbly accept the honor of protecting our community’s students. As a father of four and a seasoned law enforcement professional, I am acutely aware of the rapidly changing climate that is school security. Each student, teacher, staff member and visitor has the right to learn, teach and grow in an environment that is safe. The Sarasota County School District is at the forefront of implementing increased safety measures, establishing more robust security protocols, and installing state-of-the-art technology and materials to heighten security on school campuses. I look forward to leading a law enforcement team of highly-trained and dedicated professionals whose sole purpose is to provide an exceptional level of service, dedicated to safeguarding our children.  It is a true honor to oversee the Sarasota County Schools Police Department and serve the families of this great community.” 

Sarasota County Schools

The CareerEdge Funders Collaborative is putting up a “help wanted” sign for local insurance companies, looking specifically for help identifying the jobs and skills local businesses need to grow their organizations. The results will inform the Insurance Skills Gap Study, which will contain data retrieved from employer roundtables and telephone interviews with local insurance industry leaders. Training resources available in the region will be compared to the feedback and needs that employers mention in these interviews. The goal is to identify whether training currently exists and, if not, what must be changed or added by training partners to help insurance companies fill the skill gap, hire employees, and grow their companies. The survey is being conducted by Stephanie Kempton of Kempton Research and Planning. CareerEdge Funders Collaborative joined The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce earlier this year to expand workforce development initiatives like this to more industries. Commitment and participation from local employers during the research phase of this project is crucial, and CareerEdge requests that local organizations who are interested in joining this discussion should contact, Lauren Meyer, CareerEdge Program Coordinator, for further information. 

CareerEdge Funders Collaborative

Associates and teams from RE/MAX Alliance Group have placed in the REAL Trends list of America's Best Real Estate Professionals. Agents Michael Bridges in the Sarasota office and Stephan Scalera in the Bradenton office made the list of best real estate individuals. Placing among the best teams are the Travis Group in the Bradenton office; the Brewer Team, Glenn Brown Team and Al Dumas & Team, all in the Sarasota office; the Finney Team in the University Park office; and the Stiver Firth Group, Kathy Damewood Team and Sandra Newell Team, all in the Englewood office. For the fourth consecutive year, the RE/MAX network had more agents than any other brand in these annual rankings. With 3,146 agents (more than 600 over last year), nearly one in four agents in the rankings are RE/MAX agents. The rankings are based on 2017 residential transaction sides and sales volume. To qualify, an individual must have closed 50 transaction sides or $20 million in sales volume and a team must have closed 75 transaction sides or $30 million in sales volume last year. 

RE/MAX Platinum Realty

The Florida Swimming Pool Association (FSPA) once again has provided support to a Gulf Coast Community Foundation initiative that offers free water-safety training to public-school second-graders in Sarasota and Charlotte counties. FSPA’s statewide Swimming Pool Education and Safety Foundation and the organization’s local Manasota and Charlotte Harbor chapters recently contributed a total of $4,000 to support the Kids SWIM (Safe Water Instruction Matters) program through Gulf Coast. Kids SWIM funds and coordinates a week’s worth of free swimming lessons for second-graders at participating schools in the two districts. The donations include $2,000 for lessons in Sarasota County and $2,000 for lessons in Charlotte County during the upcoming school year. Through Kids SWIM, Gulf Coast partners with the Sarasota and Charlotte school districts and several youth-serving nonprofit organizations to provide transportation, pool time, and certified instruction in basic water safety. Second-grade classes that participate go to a nearby pool facility for an instructional period each day for an entire week during the school year. Thousands of area students have benefitted from Kids SWIM since it launched in Sarasota in 2013 with the support of Gulf Coast Community Foundation donors Keith and Linda Monda. In 2016, with additional donor support, the program was expanded to Charlotte County. 

Gulf Coast Community Foundation