SRQ DAILY Feb 5, 2020
Wednesday Philanthropy Edition
" We are so close to making this extraordinary conservation project a success, and we now ask the community to help put it over the goal line."
Paying homage to the lush, forested greenery and clear, blue waters of Florida’s gulf coast, the annual 2020 Palm Ball - Forever Green, Forever Blue was celebrated this past Saturday, benefitting the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast. This year’s gala marked 13 years of bringing together 300 conservation-minded guests to support the nonprofit’s eco-mission to save the surrounding natural land and engaging locals on the hot topic of environmental conservation. The proceeds from the elegant evening on the shores of Little Sarasota Bay go towards supporting the Foundation’s vital land protection initiatives—much like the recent campaign launch for Orange Hammock Ranch.
Quickly following the success of Palm Ball, the nonprofit announced this week its campaign to raise $1.5 million by June 1, 2020, in order to permanently protect the 5,777-acre Orange Hammock Ranch. Conserving this particular rural area has been a major priority for the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast for more than a decade. In 2013, the Foundation was successful in getting this property added to the Florida Forever list and has worked to build public and political support since then. The Florida Cabinet voted yesterday to purchase Orange Hammock Ranch, contingent on Conservation Foundation’s pledge. Florida Forever funds will contribute $19.5 million toward the purchase.
Orange Hammock Ranch is located on the north side of Interstate 75—within the City of North Port—connecting RV Griffin Preserve with the Longino Preserve through about six miles of shared boundaries. The ranch increases the 120,000-acre buffer surrounding the Myakka River and strengthens the connection between the Myakka and Peace Rivers. According to the Foundation, immense volumes of rainfall collect within it and feed the Snover Waterway and RV Griffin reservoirs—both of which are critical sources of North Port’s clean drinking water.
The near-pristine property of vast greenscape and wetlands also inhabits natural areas considered in better condition than many public lands. Given its location, and exceptional natural condition, the Foundation says the conservation of Orange Hammock Ranch will have sweeping benefits for regional connectivity, water quality, public recreation and wildlife habitat. The land is currently home to quail, indigo snake, the Florida black bear and even the elusive Florida panther has been spotted in this expansive hidden gem.
“We are grateful for the many people and organizations that elevated this project, keeping it in the spotlight. We are so close to making this extraordinary conservation project a success, and we now ask the community to help put it over the goal line,” states Christine Johnson, president. “I am proud of our board and staff’s tenacity for this project, which has the trifecta of benefits - drinking water, rare habitat, and unique public access.” 
Photo courtesy of SRQ360 Photography
AdFed Suncoast is calling for scholarship applications, having partnered with DreamLarge to recognize the best and the brightest students of the year who are pursuing degrees in the areas of advertising, marketing, and digital, motion, graphic, social media, or web design. In addition to winning two payments of $500 for Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 semesters, they will also receive a 10- to 15-hour a week internship at DreamLarge and its affiliated sister company, ATLARGE, in Sarasota. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, February 12, 2020. To qualify, students must be enrolled in a college, university, technical or vocational institute located in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, Desoto, Hardee, or Highlands Counties; returning to classes in the fall of 2020, and have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
More details about how to apply can be found online at adfedsuncoast.com/scholarships. During the AdFed Suncoast ADDY Awards at Cinebistro in Sarasota on February 23, the recipient of the Ad Student of the Year scholarship will be announced along with this year’s ADDY Award winners. Tickets are available online at adfedsuncoast.com/events.
Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida recently received $15,000 in grants to support their programming in Sarasota County. The Bank of America Client Foundation, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee, awarded $10,000 to provide program scholarships for girls whose families are facing financial challenges. The scholarships cover all basic program costs. The Harold C. and Jacqueline F. Bladel Foundation awarded $5,000 to support the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, which encompasses all program offerings in the county. Girl Scouts offers a variety of age-appropriate, girl-led activities that are cooperative and hands-on, preparing girls to take on challenges big and small in their lives. Guided by supportive adult volunteers, girls practice everyday leadership as they earn badges, go on exciting trips, explore the outdoors, participate in STEM activities, develop valuable life skills and entrepreneurship, and more. Membership is open to all girls in grades K–12.
To learn more about Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida, program opportunities, and volunteering
As the oldest blood bank in the state of Florida, and one of the oldest nonprofit blood centers in the entire country, SunCoast Blood Bank continues to cultivate a close-knit community of donors to treat critically ill patients. Celebrating their 71st Anniversary this month, its mission has evolved over the decades. Not only does it collect and distribute a safe supply of blood products, it now participates in cutting-edge cancer treatment and bioresearch. Formerly known as Lower West Coast Blood Bank, in February 1949 its founders planted the seeds of a humanitarian idea that would blossom over the next seven decades. Tens of thousands of dedicated volunteers have helped provide the critical lifesaving gift of blood to local hospitals and patients. The majority of blood products it collects is used to treat cancer patients. In its inaugural year, the blood bank collected 551 pints of blood, now called “units.” Today, more than 1,000 blood drives are held in the region annually, and more than 40,000 units are collected. But what really sets SunCoast apart from other blood banks is its local presence—blood bank board and management live in the communities it serves, and focuses on personalized and sincere interactions with every donor. The backbone of the nonprofit remains its continued support from blood donors, financial donors and volunteers. Its success has, and continues, to rely entirely on the generosity of its loyal and steadfast donors.
Nonprofit organization SRQ Strong is bringing nationally-recognized trauma expert Rev. Paul Abernathy, CEO of Pittsburgh’s Neighborhood Resilience Project, to the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens’ Community Room 900 South Palm Ave., Sarasota on February 25, from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm, for a community presentation, “Building a Community of Hope and Healing; Addressing Trauma, Building Resilience.” Rev. Abernathy, whose work is informed by both a personal and collective experience of trauma, will discuss the framework he has developed in Pittsburgh’s Hill District to promote resilient and healthy neighborhoods by creating opportunities and support for residents to reach their full potential. SRQ Strong is a growing group of Sarasota County residents committed to learning about trauma and responding to its impact on our community. Its mission is to promote community-wide trauma awareness through healing, education, action and leadership; its vision is to create a community that cares for itself. This event is free to the public, but space is limited. Please RSVP to reserve your seat at EventBrite.
To learn more about Rev. Paul Abernathy and his work, you can view his latest video here or visit neighborhoodresilience.org.
Florida Studio Theatre (FST) presents its annual fundraiser, the Dangerous Ladies Shindig, on Monday, February 24 in FST’s Hegner Theatre Wing. In support of FST’s Suffragist Project, a city-wide artistic celebration of the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, attendees are invited to don their finest 1920-inspired garb, best cocktail attire, or dress as their favorite “Dangerous Lady.” The evening kicks off with a cocktail reception featuring jazz and swing, performances by FST’s resident improv troupe, and more. Guests will then assemble in FST’s Gompertz Theatre to watch exclusive live performances by some of FST’s beloved artists. A seated dinner by Michael’s on East will conclude the evening. During the Shindig, FST will present the esteemed Spelman Award. Named in honor of Florida Studio Theatre’s founding Artistic Director, Jon Spelman, the Spelman Award is presented to a foundation or an individual who has demonstrated extraordinary leadership by providing FST with mentorship, financial, and/or in-kind support.
This year’s Spelman Award recipient is Gaele Barthold, who has shown unwavering enthusiasm and dedication to the art and growth of the theatre as an Underwriter for FST’s Mainstage, Cabaret, and Stage III programs. She has also provided guidance as a member of FST’s Board of Directors for the past four years. The Gulf Coast Community Foundation is the lead supporter of FST’s Dangerous Ladies Shindig.
Tickets are $250 per person. To reserve a seat, please call Matthew Quick, Development Associate at (941) 366-9017 ext. 316. The funds raised during the Shindig will support the artists, events, and programs of FST’s Suffragist Project, which concludes in August 2020.
To learn more about FST or to purchase tickets to this event
As the oldest blood bank in the state of Florida, and one of the oldest nonprofit blood centers in the entire country, SunCoast Blood Bank depends on a close-knit community of givers for those direly in need.
Working daily to save lives, while striving to cultivate a younger and broader generation of active donors, the February SRQ BrandStory focuses on the past, present and future of SunCoast Blood Bank.
A young woman from Israel, Ayelet, reluctantly joins her grandmother on a trip to the United States. Circumstances both absurd and tragic bring Ayelet, who has little command of the English language, together with Josh, a young American man who has little command of romance, on Christmas Eve. Is their inevitable love an accident…or is it destiny, generations in the making?
Florida Studio Theatre, 1241 North Palm Avenue Sarasota, FL 34236
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
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
Sarasota Institute of Lifetime Learning (SILL) is preparing for its 49th year of extremely popular global issues lectures and musical conversations. In 2020, these programs will begin in January and continue through the end of March. Speakers of global issues lectures are well-known, highly experienced experts, and guests on musical conversations are internationally renowned musicians, singers, and performers. SILL is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization. In its 49th season, its programs will include 96 lectures and musical conversations presented in Sarasota, Venice, and Lakewood Ranch. SILL audiences mostly consist of highly educated and intellectually curious seniors living on the Suncoast year-round or during winter months. SILL also simulcasts some of its lectures to selected senior communities. Last year, attendance at SILL events exceeded 40,000. Single tickets to SILL events are only $10 at the door when available, and a season ticket for 12 same-day lectures cost just $85, which represents substantial savings. For program schedules, venues, speaker bios, and ordering season tickets visit sillsarasota.org
First United Methodist Church, 104 S. Pineapple Ave.
Guests can “step back in time” to see an in-depth history of both Ferrari and Porsche, and the incredible cars that were released along the way, at Sarasota Classic Car Museum’s upcoming exhibit. The exhibit will showcase over 16 Porsche models, from 1951 to 2004, as well as six classic Ferraris ranging in years from 1965 to 2011. This exhibit is included in the price of admission to the museum.
Sarasota Classic Car Museum, 5500 North Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
Rock Star. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductee. Six-time Grammy Winner. Fine Artist. Philanthropist. These are just a few ways to describe Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, who has embarked on a North American fine art tour for 2020. The second stop will be Naples, Florida. The Art of Chad Smith will open at the Mercato in Naples beginning Thursday February 6 2020 and extend through Sunday, February 9 2020. The iconic drummer will be making two live, in-person meet-the-artist appearances at the Naples Pop Up gallery: Saturday, February 8 from 5:00-8:00 pm and Sunday, February 9 from noon – 3:00 pm. All artwork will be on exhibition and available for acquisition. RSVPs are required, naples@roadshowcompany.com. The exhibition as well as the Chad Smith appearances are complimentary and open to the public, however a minimum purchase is required to spend one on one time with the Artist.
Mercato Naples, 9132 Strada Place #5155, Naples
Anyone’s Game is a tabletop game conference that explores Creativity, Design, and Openness in gaming. Here, up-and-coming tabletop game developers can test their game designs with players from the community and industry professionals from around the country. Hosted at Ringling College of Art and Design, one of the world’s premier art and design colleges, the conference will include Game Design Panels, workshops and Playtest new and innovative unpublished games.
Ringling College of Art and Design, 2700 N. Tamiami Trail Sarasota, FL 34234-5895
After the success of the inaugural LECOM Suncoast Classic, the tournament will return to the Korn Ferry Tour (previously the Web.com Tour) the week of February 10-16, 2020. Lakewood National Golf Club in Lakewood Ranch, Florida will again host the 144 professionals competing for a $600,000 purse and a chance to contend against the world’s best golfers on the PGA TOUR.
Lakewood National Golf Club, 17605 Lakewood National Parkway, Lakewood Ranch, FL 34211
The Ringling Museum Store hosts a variety of trunk shows, bringing you the very best from local and international artisans. The Museum Store is located in the Visitors Pavilion and everyone is invited to drop by and shop these unique collections; no Admission is required. Elma_Felix_EbijouEbijou February 12, 10 am-5 pm, ITALIANISSIMO® February 18 & 19, 10 am-5 pm, Sugar, Sand, Silver February 25, 10 am-5 pm.
The Ringling Museum of Art, 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota
A thoughtful portrait of a renowned artist, this documentary shines the spotlight on New York City painter Jean-Michel Basquiat. Featuring extensive interviews conducted by Basquiat's friend, filmmaker Tamra Davis, the production reveals how he dealt with being a black artist in a predominantly white field. The film also explores Basquiat's rise in the art world, which led to a close relationship with Andy Warhol, and looks at how the young painter coped with acclaim, scrutiny and fame
Historic Asolo Theatre at the Ringling , 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota
Few dancers reach the elite level of ballet; of that already small number only a fraction are black women. Misty Copeland shattered those barriers in 2015, making history as the first African-American principal dancer with the prestigious American Ballet Theatre (ABT). A Ballerina’s Tale intimately documents Copeland’s historic rise while shining a light on the absence of women of color at major ballet companies. The film also explores how ballet’s emphasis on waifish bodies impacts the health of ballerinas while sending a negative message to young fans.
Historic Asolo Theatre at the Ringling , 5401 Bay Shore Rd., Sarasota,
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