Despite the City still tearing up the parking spots out front, Allyn Gallup Contemporary Art Gallery is very much open for business this First Friday, with the unveiling of a new exhibition, Exquisite Color, just in time for tonight’s Art Walk on Palm. Curated by Mark Ormond, Exquisite Color presents as the name suggests, featuring the work of one Sarasota legend, three gallery regulars and the Allyn Gallup Contemporary debut of one new artist. The show opens tonight with a reception at 5:30pm.

On one wall, work by Syd Solomon announces its presence in rich blues and greens, large-scale and bold, and, farther down the line, find the work of Susan Klein, whose vivid imagination translates to an electrifying color palette that would make Willy Wonka jealous. Along the back wall, two grand new abstract works by internationally known artist and Ringling College instructor Hugh Davies command their space with an almost kaleidoscopic brilliance that manages to feel both familiar and alien. Opposite Klein’s canvases, see four minimalist works dubbed Assemblage from Daphne Gamble, an American artist currently living in Paris but sending her work back to Sarasota.

But it’s Sven Mohr who makes his Allyn Gallup debut tonight, showcasing four abstract paintings created within the last year. Growing up in Denmark, Mohr always had a talent for drawing, and “Oh, Sven can draw that” quickly became a common refrain. He attended the Copenhagen Art School and tutored under the Danish impressionist Erik Clemmensen. Moving to New York City in 1970, he served as art director for an advertising firm and taught at the School of Visual Arts. Mohr painted all his life, but it would take retirement to bring him into the Sarasota gallery scene.

Today, Mohr likens the act of creation to a wrestling match. “I stand in front of the canvas, kind of having fun,” he says, “and getting frustrated.” Each canvas contains a multitude of questions, each image its issues. And sometimes the artist can’t make up his mind. “Suddenly they are terrific,” he says, “and 10 minutes later they’re horrible. It’s a constant back and forth, but, for me, that’s the exciting part.”

And so the bout goes on, round after round, with Mohr never quite sure when to put the brush down, never knowing when the painting is finished. “I don’t,” he says. “But sometimes the painting tells you.”

Exquisite Color opens tonight at Allyn Gallup Contemporary Art Gallery with a reception at 5:30pm. 

Pictured: Three works by Sven Mohr, hanging at Allyn Gallup Contemporary.

With the imminent arrival of PINC 2018 on December 6, once again promising a day full of passionate speakers covering a broad and varied range of topics, SRQ went behind the scenes with a few of these incoming artists, activists and entrepreneurs for a quick taste of what’s to come. Author, inventor and entrepreneur Sanford Greenberg has been advisor to presidents and world leaders, but comes to PINC Sarasota to talk a longtime passion—the coming cure for blindness.

SRQ: Why did you want to come to Sarasota and spend time with this audience in particular? Greenberg: Schopenhauer wrote that, “Every person takes the limits of their own field of vision for the limits of the world.” The blind don't have that problem. Because we live in a world without horizons, we get to envision what might otherwise seem impossible. That’s the essence of the End Blindness by 2020 Prize. By its very nature, PINC attracts an audience that I think will be willing to go there with me.

Why does blindness have your attention, and why should we all be paying more attention to it? Almost 300 million people worldwide have great difficulty seeing even with the best correction. Of those, 40 million are, like me, totally blind. There’s also the injustice of blindness. We humans were meant to see. God gave us sight so we could appreciate the beauty of nature, study the faces of our newborns, watch the sun rise and set. Finally, there’s my own story. I was lying in a hospital bed, newly blind at age 19, when I made a sacred vow—a tikkum olam in Hebrew—to help end blindness forever. Sacred vows are meant to be delivered on.

Are we really that close to a cure? Is 2020 a realistic goal or rhetorical motivation? When my wife, Sue, and I first announced the End Blindness by 2020 Prize in 2012, we hoped that it would incentivize researchers, groups, and institutions to advance vision science for human patients. To that extent, the prize did have a rhetorical dimension, but from the very beginning, we meant the prize literally as well: to end blindness for all mankind, period. And, yes, we are tantalizingly close to achieving that. 

Pictured: Sanford Greenberg. Photo courtesy of PINC Sarasota.

Sarasota celebrates its newest addition to the gallery scene this weekend with the opening of GAZE Modern on Saturday. Located within the ARCOS development at the corner of Central and Fruitville Avenues, and under the direction of local artist Tim Jaeger, GAZE makes its exhibition debut this Saturday with Color & Content: Taylor Robenalt and Polly Johnson.

Featuring the work of two ceramic artists, curated into conversation by Jaeger, Color & Content will be the first time these two sculptors present together—which is actually a large part of what drew Jaeger to the project. Not Johnson and Robenalt in particular, though he will sing their praises and those of the intricacy and depth of their work, but the opportunity to build creative connections within the artistic community. Creation begets creation, and what better way to spark that than by curating shows for the community and bringing artists into each others’ orbits, he says.

“The opening Saturday of GAZE is exciting because I love what an art gallery does,” says Jaeger. “It connects and encourages dialogue, people and ideas.”

Color & Content: Taylor Robenalt and Polly Johnson opens this Saturday, November 3, at GAZE Modern with a reception at 5pm. Both artists will be in attendance. 

Pictured: "Artemis In Her Element" by Taylor Robenalt. Image courtesy of GAZE Modern.

All Faiths Food Bank recently worked with several students through The Lazarus Internship Program at Ringling College of Art and Design to create a video and mural that help illustrate and communicate the work the food bank does. The Lazarus programs offer selected students engagement in an immersive service-oriented experience providing leadership, project development, and collaborative opportunities; allowing students to reflect on their role in the community, connect their community experiences with their art and education, and to stand out when applying for a job post-graduation. The goal of the projects with All Faiths was to help raise awareness on the issue of hunger in the community and encourage others to get involved.
The video was created by Jithesh Beeharry, Rita Seixas and Ro Maiti for general use across All Faiths’ various communication platforms. The mural was created by Matti Wenger at Alta Vista Elementary School, where the food bank runs a School Pantry and a Mobile Pantry. The students also volunteered and attended food distributions.

To view the video, follow the link below. 

All Faiths Food Bank Video

Mattison’s Forty-One is once again hosting its Gingerbread House Decorating Workshop, scheduled for Sunday, November 25th, 1pm–4pm at Mattison’s Forty-One. Mattison’s Pastry Chef Ray Lajoie will be leading the workshop, demonstrating fun and creative ways to decorate the pre-constructed gingerbread houses. All materials such as tubes of icing, trays of colorful candies and treats will be provided. Mattison’s will take care of the set up and clean up as well. Holiday cookies and beverages will be provided. Up to three people can help with each house. Space is limited. Tickets for the event are $50 per house with a portion of the proceeds going to All Faiths Food Bank. Tickets are available by calling 941-921-3400 or visiting the website below. 

Mattison's Forty-One

The Career Resource Center at State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota (SCF) gave students an opportunity to explore their futures during a Career Forum at SCF Venice this past October. Representatives from local companies presented stories of student interns and employees who stood out in the workplace and offered tips on finding a career that matters to them.

Businesses and agencies included the Braves spring training facility, Kerkering Barberio Group, Premier Sotheby’s International Realty, SKY Family YMCA, Suncoast Business Technologies and Venice Regional Bayfront Health. Nearly 50 students attended the event concentrated on career readiness competencies developed by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). Most of the students recognized the importance of internships and took time to network with representatives after their presentations. 

State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota