SRQ DAILY Jan 17, 2020
Friday Weekend Edition
"African American heritage is a common thread, but not all of it deals explicitly with social issues surrounding blackness."
As historical narratives continue to evolve and become more attuned to the contributions of the disenfranchised, African American art has found itself increasingly at the center of appreciation. Whether it’s contributions to music by way of blues, jazz or hip-hop, or with the rediscovery of Harlem Renaissance greats like Zora Neale Hurston, there have invariably existed many Black artists that produced work deserving of the same merit as their white contemporaries. And RCAD extends this appreciation with a special exhibition called, “Spectrum: A Celebration of Artistic Diversity.”
The exhibition features celebrated African American visual artists across a broad scope of styles and mediums, including paintings, quilts, prints, sculpture and drawings. Artists that rose to prominence in and around Harlem feature prominently throughout, with pieces that capture a slice of the Black NYC experience during the prodigious outpouring of arts during the 1920s. The flagship piece is a collage by Romare Bearden titled, “Jazz II Deluxe.” With its absurdly exaggerated figures of musicians and frenetic composition, one can almost hear the ambling virtuosity of a saxophone solo or the sporadic cymbal crashes of a drumbeat in odd time signatures.
While many of the featured artists were making explicit comments on the issues surrounding racial equality in the US, others simply sought to paint for the sake of painting. “African American heritage is a common thread,” says Tim Jaeger, “but not all of it deals explicitly with social issues surrounding blackness.” Landscape paintings from Edward Mitchell Bannister, a Black Canadian-American tonalist painter, evoke the pastoral magic of the French Barbizon movement, while brightly colored, surreal landscape works from Richard Mayhew belie his strong ties to the Civil Rights movement.
Jaeger is most excited for the collection of works from Jacob Lawrence, whose Cubist portrayals of African Americans at work was one of the first of its kind to spotlight the everyday Black experience. “If I had to steal a piece from the whole exhibition,” says Jaeger, “it would be Builders #3.” He and any other aspiring art thieves will have until February 6th to do so. There will also be a reception from Newtown Alive on January 18th to commemorate the exhibition. 
Photo by Andrew Fabian, “Jacob Lawrence’s Builders #3 celebrates the figurative and literal industriousness of the everyday African American experience.
Focused on nature and aesthetics, Dominika Zabczyk of DominiqArt developed her senses and techniques by chasing the wind and soaking in the salty. Her acrylic paint and layered resin splash onto mediums of wood and canvas—creating wave-crashing motifs from a drone’s eye view. Inspired by the “new-age perspective” of drone footage and photography, the local designer and artist often uses sky point photos to emulate in her art. And to get it as close to the real thing as humanly possible, she’ll often spend hours scouring the shoreline of Lido to gain visual insight on how the waves unfold and roll onto the beach. “I go to study the water, I watch the foam and the sand as the waves come in; I study every detail so that I can recreate it in my art,” Dominika says. After creating the different colored pigments of her resin from the ink of markers, she pours layers of the viscous substance—in whatever varying shade of blues she chooses to show clarity and depths of the “water”—onto her hand-painted medium. “With 15-20 minutes to play,” before the resin solidifies, Dominika uses her fingers to organically spread the flow of the pour, as well as a heat gun to create lacing and air bubbles that mimic the ebb and flow of waves crashing ashore.
While a good bit of Dominika’s collection can hang on the walls as alluring artwork, many of her other pieces also act as daily-use products. Whether a cutting board, serving tray/platter, dish bowl, longboard or skateboard, the freeform waterscapes are artful reminders to never move to a state that is landlocked. “My mission is to show you the beauty of nature—contemplate its colors, motion, texture and how it affects you,” she says.
Dominika is also an ambassador for organizations Clear Blue Sea and 5Gyres, who work to bring awareness to the dangers of ocean pollution and remove waste from our coastlines. Every sale donates 10% to support their missions. Find DominiqArt featured throughout the upstairs of Green Zebra’s new downtown restaurant, as well as at Tampa Indie Flea & Green Market—this coming Sunday, January 19 at Armature Works.
Photo courtesy of Dominika Zabczyk.
In December, cadets from Sarasota Military Academy (SMA), a local, public charter school, received an opportunity from a donor, Ms. Phyllis Siskel, to earn $50,000. Siskel, a long-time supporter of SMA, announced plans to match all contributions to the Academy up to $25,000. However, when $41,000 was collected, Siskel decided to match the additional funds for a total of $82,000 raised.
When Siskel brought this unique opportunity to raise $50,000 with her $25,000 match, SMA staff and cadets began raising awareness through social media and email campaigns. The original goal of matching Siskel’s donation was achieved before the end of 2019, and as the goal was quickly surpassed, Siskel responded with an update to her original match.
“Being involved with Sarasota Military Academy has been an incredible blessing, and I’m proud of the impact this Academy has in our community,” said Phyllis Siskel. “It is so important that we give back to organizations we believe in. Whether it is time or money, find a cause that you believe is worth supporting and do your best to help them succeed. My hope through this gift is to teach others about giving, while supporting the wonderful staff and cadets at SMA.”
"A woman of gold always leaves a trail of glitter; Ms. Siskel shines of all colors, especially gold!" said cadet Ghermyia Anderson, a sophomore at Sarasota Military Academy.
Throughout her involvement with SMA, Siskel has donated her time and energy, along with generous funds, to the Academy’s high school and Prep middle school campuses. Her donations have assisted in providing classroom materials, opportunities for extracurricular activities, cafeteria equipment, and more, and she is known to staff and cadets for serving lunch in the cafeteria and assisting around the school.
Photo: SMA Col. Christina Bowman & Cadet Ghermyia Anderson
Iglesia Nueva Esperanza in partnership with HOPE for North Port invites you to bring help to those people of Puerto Rico who think they have lost everything. Operation Hope for Puerto Rico will be collecting needed items now through January 25th to fill a shipping container with overlooked supplies to be distributed to areas of Puerto Rico that are struggling to receive relief. On Saturday, January 25 from 8am to 5pm at 5600 South Biscayne Dr. items donated will be inventoried and loaded for shipment to Puerto Rico. They are currently accepting: hygiene products (including all but not limited to), diapers for children and adults, baby wipes and baby care items, deodorant - toothpaste & toothbrush-soap-sunblock, air mattress - sleeping bag, blankets, camping tents - lighters - camping equipment, solar lights and tarps.
Donation are being accepted on Monday and Fridays from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Tuesday and Thursday from 11:00 am - 1:00 pm, Saturdays from 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm, and Sundays 7am-11 am. Individuals wishing to volunteer or having questions can contact Angela Berard at 941-525-4934 or development@hopefornp.org Spanish speaking individuals can contact Arquelio Ruiz at 941-587-2169. Organization is seeking to raise $15,000 to cover cost. More information is available at www.hopefornp.org/puertorico
Just a few subscription series tickets remain for the 2020 Ringling College Library Association (RCLA) TOWN HALL Lecture Series. Attendees will hear from a retired U.S. Marine Corps general who served as President Trump’s Secretary of Homeland Security and White House Chief of Staff, John Kelly, as well as celebrated photojournalist Annie Leibovitz and travel guru and television series host, Rick Steves. Other speakers include freelance journalist and author of three books, Sam Quinones, renowned neurological disease scientist, Lisa Genova and U.S. International Affairs Ambassador, Wendy Sherman. RCLA’S 2020 TOWN HALL Lecture Series will begin on Monday, January 27,
All lectures will be presented at Van Wezel Performing Arts Center, 777 North Tamiami Trail in Sarasota. Morning lectures begin at 10:30 a.m. and evening talks begin at 7:30 p.m. Call 941-309-5100 to become an RCLA member and subscribe to the 2020 TOWN HALL Lecture Series. Learn more by going online to www.rclassociation.org.
Photo of Annie Leibovitz, courtesy of Ringling College Library Association.
Florida Surgical Clinic is stepping forward to address the challenges that kidney failure patients face by offering a new non-surgical approach to prepare patients for dialysis. In the process they are improving patient care and bringing hope. This past Wednesday, Florida Surgical Clinic’s Jenna Kazil, MD successfully used the new WavelinQ EndoAVF System that allowed her to create this dialysis access with a non-surgical technique. The system uses two small catheters which are inserted into an artery and a vein, magnets help pull them together, and radiofrequency energy creates a connection that can be used for access. This technique avoids some of the risks associated with an open surgery including scarring. “This endovascular, or non-surgical, approach allows us create a dialysis access with patients who have end stage renal disease which requires fewer maintenance procedures, which has been shown to last longer overall. “We are proud to bring this new healthcare technology to dialysis patients on Florida’s West Coast. It reflects our vision of bringing innovation and making it available to our great community,” said Florida Surgical Clinic’s CEO.
On Wednesday, January 22, from 5:30-7:30 pm, the community is invited to visit Sarasota Opera House for a wide variety of free activities and offerings. Visitors can enjoy art songs, ensembles, refreshments, and arias sung throughout the opera house, raffles, backstage tours, wig and makeup demonstrations, a display from the recent acquisition of approximately 30,000 historic opera costumes, special ticket offers, and complementary refreshments. Artists appearing in the upcoming Winter Opera Festival productions of La bohème, Romeo & Juliet, The Elixir of Love, and La Wally will be on hand to share the excitement of the season, themed “Love is In the Air.” The festive event will conclude with a special performance on stage. For more information, visit SarasotaOpera.org, call 941-328-1300, no tickets required for open house.
In collaboration with the Gulf Coast Builders Exchange (GCBX), SouthTech has organized a fireside chat moderated by fellow members that will discuss the fundamentals of cybersecurity planning for small businesses. SouthTech COO, Nathan Bailey, will be joined by David Karins of Karins Engineering and GCBX Chairman. The chat will be framed around the NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) Framework, which is considered the gold standard of cybersecurity protocol for both government agencies and the private sector.
GCBX is a trade organization whose members represent the commercial contracting industry, and businesses in this industry have specific cybersecurity concerns. Some of these concerns include securing the mobile devices used by field crews, training office workers to recognize phishing attacks, and prevent the theft of executive credentials.
“In our increasingly digital world, cyber risk is an important issue for contractors to understand and manage. Firms should be taking some key proactive cybersecurity steps now, because those steps can end up being the difference between a brief inconvenience and a total crisis,” said Bailey.
“GCBX members have become increasingly concerned about cybersecurity issues, so we felt it was imperative to provide this type of educational event to assist the membership. We anticipate that this may be the first in a series of cybersecurity educational symposiums,” said Mary Dougherty, Executive Director of GCBX.
Kicking off the 13th Annual Forks & Corks Food and Wine Festival is a series of culinary adventures during the delectable winemaker dinners, January 23-25. Taking place at participating Originals’ member restaurants across Sarasota, Manatee and Venice, the 2020 Winemaker events will feature extravagant multicourse dinners with top wineries such as Rombauer Vineyards from Napa Valley, California, Champagne Collet from Champagne France, Graham Beck from Western Cape, South Africa and Marchesi di Barolo from Piedmont, Italy.
“The Forks & Corks Winemaker Dinners and Events present a rare opportunity to not only meet face-to-face with world-renowned winemakers but also support your favorite local restaurants,” said Sarah Firstenberger, executive director of the Sarasota-Manatee Originals. “Our member restaurants are incredibly creative and these events allow them to really have fun building unique menus and one-of-a-kind experiences.”
For reservations, guests are encouraged to contact participating restaurants directly. For more information about Forks & Corks dinner pairing events, visit here.
Zodiac LEGO (2018) is a series of individual works that is constructed of Lego bricks to represent the following animals: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Ram, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. The Ringling is the first museum in the United States to show this traveling exhibition. These colorful works are made entirely of small LEGO pieces and demonstrate the artist’s continued interest in the zodiac animal concept.
The Ringling Museum of Art, 5401 Bay Shore Rd., Sarasota
Born and raised in Mexico City, where he spent most of his career, Manuel Álvarez Bravo (Mexican, 1902-2002) was one of the most important figures in 20th century Latin American photography. Although he took art classes at the Academy of San Carlos, his photography was mostly self-taught, but he was savvy to the emerging international artistic avant-garde. Considered to be one of the founders of modern photography, his work extends from the late 1920s to the 1900s. He was a key figure from the period following the Mexican Revolution—often called the Mexican Renaissance—in which arts and literature flourished. This “Renaissance” owed to the happy—though not always tranquil—marriage between a desire for modernization and the search for an authentic national identity with Mexican roots, in which archaeology, history and ethnology played an important role. Support for this exhibition has been provided, in part, by the Ringling Endowment at the Florida State University Foundation. Paid for in part by Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax Revenues.
John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota
Concealed and Revealed offers a unique selection of paintings by the artist, along with numerous objects from the Solomon Archive on view for the first time. Syd Solomon (American, 1917-2004) described himself as an “Abstract Impressionist” alluding to the fact that his work infused impressionism into the processes, scale and concepts of Abstract Expressionism. Solomon moved to Sarasota in 1946 with his wife Annie. His was the first work of contemporary art to be collected by The Ringling in 1962. His paintings were greatly influenced by climatic factors and reveal a fascination and concern for Florida’s aquatic environment. Solomon incorporated his experience as a camouflage designer during World War II into his painting. It is not well-known that he was also an accomplished graphic artist, who in his early years designed commercial signage for prominent hotels and businesses in Sarasota. Like his work in camouflage, Solomon’s calligraphic skill was essential to the development of his later gestural abstraction.
Syd Solomon: Concealed and Revealed is presented in partnership with the Estate of Syd Solomon and is accompanied by a 96-page publication with essays by former curator at The Ringling Michael Auping, George S. Bolge, Dr. Gail Levin, and Mike Solomon. The exhibition will include artworks from private collections and The Ringling’s permanent collection.
John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota
Dabbert Gallery presents the exhibition "Local Color, Florida Style" to open at the First Firday Gallery Walk on Friday, January 3, 2020 and continues through January 31, 2020. Featuring six of the gallery's Florida artists including Arnold Desmarais, Martin Dunn, Bill Farnsworth, James Griffin, Joe Palmerio and Luke Steadman. Open from Tuesday to Saturday from 11am to 5pm.
Dabbert Gallery, 46 S. Palm Avenue, Sarasota, FL
Enjoy a one-of-a-kind display of native Borucan Art at the annual Rainforest Masks of Costa Rica exhibit and sale. The Opening Reception on January 4, will give attendees the first chance to purchase the masks of their choosing before the exhibit opens to the general public on January 5. The hand-carved and painted, vibrant masks will be on display in The Museum of Botany & the Arts. Members of the Borucan tribe will be at the exhibit on select days for mask carving demonstrations.
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 900 S. Palm Avenue, Sarasota
Ringling Reflections programs are designed specifically for people with memory loss and their care partners. They are relaxed, conversation-based gallery tours in the Museum of Art. The tour routes will be wheelchair accessible. Wheelchairs are available for use free-of-charge on a first-come, first-served basis. Listening devices, including induction loops for t-coil hearing aids, will be provided. Portable stools will be available for all participants. Tours take place on select Sundays. Please plan on arriving to the museum’s Visitors Pavilion at 10:00 to check in. The tours are free of charge, however, advance registration is required and space is limited.
The Ringling Museum of Art, 5401 Bay Shore Rd., Sarasota
Created and choreographed by Yin Mei, an artist of the Chinese diaspora who has been part of the New York dance scene since the 1990’s, this new dance theater piece for five dancers melds themes from the iconic Chinese literary work The Peony Pavilion and Yin Mei’s own life experience as a teenage government dancer during the Chinese Revolution. Highly visual and referencing a dense collection of letters she wrote to her family over two decades, the work is a dance painting that occupies the space between truth and dreams.
Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota, FL 34243
Choral Artists of Sarasota continues its 41st season with “Celebrating Sondheim,” Saturday, January 18, 4 pm, at Riverview Performing Arts Center, 1 Ram Way, Sarasota. This tribute to Stephen Sondheim, who is celebrating his 90th birthday this year, features his music from such acclaimed Broadway shows as A Little Night Music, Company, Sweeney Todd, and Sunday in the Park with George. Renowned musical theater artists Ann Morrison, Amy Jo Connours, Michaela Ristaino, Ben Pattison, and Matthew Nall will join the 40 singers of Choral Artists of Sarasota in this concert. “In celebrating Sondheim in his 90th year, this performance allows us to present a retrospective of his most iconic works alongside some musical gems that will touch a chord in all of us,” says Joseph Holt, artistic director. “Sondheim has the gift to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary.” Tickets are $28 to $45; $5 for students. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.ChoralArtistsSarasota.org or call 941-387-4900. A free Concert Insights event, which offers audiences the opportunity to learn about the artistic director’s insights about the program theme and music—and a chance to meet soloist Ann Morrison —is Tuesday, January 7, 10 am, at Center for Arts and Humanity, 1226 N. Tamiami Trail. The event is free but please register online or by phone as seating is limited.
Riverview Performing Arts Center, 1 Ram Way, Sarasota
Bookmaking taught by Barbara Gerdeman. Students will learn to make two different types of books – a journal/planer and an interesting “Squash” book, both of which can be filled with notes, drawing, photos, etc. This Saturday class is for youth ages 11-17. Each class students create artworks focusing on specific mediums including painting, drawing, sculpture and collage. Art history vocabulary and artists will be discussed. Students will practice art skills such as color mixing, shading, blending, composition and more. Projects are created and taught by our talented summer camp teachers. All supplies included. Students must be pre-registered by the Thursday before the session starts. Sessions will be canceled Friday morning if we do not have enough students registered. Members: $20; Non-Members: $25. Register by January 16 by 3pm.
Art Center Sarsota, 707 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
The 2020 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast and Community Awards celebrates the late Rev. King Jr.’s advances in social equality for everyone. Community Awards honorees are Dr. LaShawn Frost, Principal, Booker Middle School (education), Mr. Ron Turner, Supervisor of Elections, Sarasota County (community service), Suncoast Women of Action (community service), Progressive Sarasota (community service), Mr. Lem Andrews, College and Career Advisor, Booker High School (champion of youth), Ms. Betty Jean Johnson (Dr. Martin L. King Jr. legacy award), and Mr. Jakobie Green, junior student, Booker High School (youth emerging leader). Dr. Edward E. James II will be posthumously awarded the liberty and justice award. Dr. Rachel Shelley, award-winning principal of Booker High School, is the keynote speaker.
Robert L. Taylor Community Complex, 1845 34th Street, Sarasota, 34234
The sermons and speeches of Martin Luther King Jr., comprise an extensive catalog of American writing and oratory – some of which are internationally well-known, while others remain unheralded, and some await re-discovery. In honor of Martin Luther King Day, visitors to the museum may enter the Historic Asolo Theater during regular opening hours to hear recordings and to see videos of MLK's speeches, interviews and sermons.
Historic Asolo Theatre , 5555 N Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
Mote's Special Lecture Series features expert speakers highlighting fascinating ocean topics on Monday evenings. Doors open at 5:30 pm and lectures start at 6:30 pm in Mote Marine Laboratory's WAVE Center, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, 34236. Cost is $10 for members and $15 for non-members (per ticket per lecture). Registration required for all. Jan. 20: Dr. Randall S. Wells—"Insights into the lives of Sarasota Bay's bottlenose dolphins, from 50 years of research"
WAVE Center at Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, 1600 Ken Thompson Pkwy, Sarasota, FL 34236
The third performance series, "Dance Makers" features new imaginative dance pieces by nationally acclaimed contemporary choreographers. This year’s crop includes Terrence Henderson, Bliss Kohlmyer, Maria Bauman-Morales, and Adele Myers. SCD is proud of the caliber of choreographers gathered for this performance. These works are hand-picked by SCD's Artistic Director to present the strength, power, charm, and diversity of the company and its mission of presenting a range of contemporary dance for multi-generational and multi-cultural audience in our community. The choreography is diverse, the impact profound, and the dancers utterly captivating.
Jane B. Cook Theatre, FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trl, Sarasota, FL 34243
A lecture with Andrew Prince. Downton Abbey’s main characters sported a glittering array of tiaras, combs, earrings and necklaces. Prince was the artist behind these exquisite creations. His talk will explore the fascinating intersection of jewelry, fashion and history in the opulent era at the turn of the twentieth century. Tickets are $15. Reservations are highly recommended and can be made at ncf.edu/new-topics, or by calling the New College events hotline at 941-487-4888.
Mildred Sainer Auditorium, 5313 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota
Steve Martin and Martin Short return to the Van Wezel by popular demand on with their latest production, “The Funniest Show in Town at the Moment.” Their celebrated comedy show redefines the form in unexpected and profound ways, from two of the funniest, most influential and acclaimed talents of the past century."
Van Wezel , 777 N Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
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