SRQ DAILY Sep 11, 2020
Friday Weekend Edition
"We're just trying to keep fulfilling our mission to support bold, new artists and we're doing our best to hang in there."
As theatres continue to seek new footing on uncertain terrain, many have turned to new technologies. Smart phones and video conferencing platforms make it a simple enough task to create some sort of content that can be shared with audiences. But for Brendan Ragan of Urbanite Theatre, it just does not feel right. “Zoom theatre just isn’t very interesting to me,” he says. So, Ragan turned to an old form that finds itself in a bit of an upcycled resurgence.
Radio shows like Amos ‘n Andy or Captain Midnight once accounted for a large slice of family life. But as moving pictures came to dominate the entertainment industry, radio shows either became adapted for the screen or disappeared altogether. With podcasts on the rise, however, Ragan saw an opportunity to try his hand at something a little retro. “We just put the finishing touches on our first radio play,” he says. The one-man play, titled Conceal and Carry, was written by up-and-coming playwright and director Sean Christopher Lewis and explores the culture and psychology of gun ownership. Urbanite’s production sees Ragan perform the play using only his voice, with sound design and score written by Sean Ragan.
The result is a 50-minute production in which Ragan employs all the emotive dynamics of his actor’s voice to give life to a script that was meant for the stage. Written in first-person and with all the quirks of contemporary lexicon, the final product feels like a cross between a dramatic reading and an exquisitely voiced audiobook. More importantly, there is a level of intimacy absent from the now-common Zoom format that lends itself to a story that seems more real. “It’s an artform that worked forever,” says Ragan, “and I think you can suspend disbelief a little more with it.”
Urbanite Theatre hopes to build on this first, one-person audio drama with increasingly complex audio productions. The format allows actors to perform remotely by recording their parts in their own homes, while the audio-only work means Ragan is bound by SAG-AFTRA rather than Actors’ Equity, the latter of which has only given the green light to a small handful of theatres to produce work.
It’s just one way Urbanite has tried to keep some momentum through the pandemic. With audiences unlikely to return to theatres in numbers that translate into solvency, creative theatre minds can only hope to keep busy by creating. “We’re just trying to keep fulfilling our mission to support bold, new artists,” says Ragan, “and we’re doing our best to hang in there.” 
Urbanite Theatre, 1487 2nd Street, 941-321-1397. Photo courtesy of Urbanite Theatre.
As thousands of people are demonstrating across the world against racism, Florida CraftArt is presenting a dynamic exhibition, “Artists as Activists – A Sneak Peek.” As artists are often the harbingers of community problems, the ones to sound the alarm of danger to our democracy or bring a crucial awareness to a social issue. This exhibit features artists who create socially engaged art and inspire dialogue within the community. The current “Sneak Peek” is being offered because many artists had created outstanding works of art that are tied to current events. The exhibit is curated by Rolando Barrero, artist and owner of The Box Gallery in West Palm Beach, Florida. “Artists as Activists is more than an exhibition, it a series of visual commentaries of the impact that current cultural climate has had on artists,” says Mr. Barrero. “The works included explore the unique and independent voices of artists as activists and questions the efficacy of the artist to create change in society.”
Jorge was selected by a Florida based group to design two sculptures for a Central Florida 5-star convention hotel and luxury condos. Jorge created two beautiful maquettes which have been approved and used in the conceptual renderings of the project. Jorge continues to work on private commissions and creating new works, more updates coming soon.
Andy Sandberg, Artistic Director and CEO of the Hermitage Artist Retreat, recently confirmed the organization is moving ahead with plans to hold its signature fall fundraising event, The Artful Lobster: An Outdoor Celebration. Now in its 12th year, the Artful Lobster raises valuable funds for the Hermitage’s nationally and internationally renowned artist residency program. The event, which takes place outdoors beneath a large tent on the Hermitage’s environmentally pristine beachfront campus, is scheduled for Saturday, November 14, 11:30am -2pm, at 6660 Manasota Key Road, in Englewood, Florida. Guests will enjoy a luscious lobster feast by Michael’s On East and a performance by a celebrated Hermitage Fellow.
For more info, 941-475-2098
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will be bringing back the Free Summer Meals program for all children, 18 and younger, through December 31, 2020. This program will allow the School District of Manatee County’s Food and Nutrition Services to serve free meals to all children into the fall months helping to ensure that children have access to nutritious food as Manatee County recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Starting Monday, September 14th, all students who attend school five-days-a-week can get a free breakfast and free lunch every day at school through December 31st. No meal benefit application is needed during this time. Students attending on a Hybrid schedule can receive free breakfast and lunch on the days they are in school and take-home free breakfast and lunch for the three days they are out of school.
Starting Monday, September 14th, eLearning Manatee students and all children, 18 and younger, can receive free breakfast and lunch for the school week available for curbside pick-up at any school on Mondays between 9:30 am – 10:30 am. Parents/guardians do not have to register for these meals they can simply drive up and pick up. These meals will contain frozen and refrigerated items. For cooking and heating instructions please visit www.ManateeSchoolFood.net. For locations of pick-up, please contact the school’s cafeteria manager.
The health and safety of all students is a primary concern for Food & Nutrition Services. All Food & Nutrition Service workers follow strict health and safety regulations including wearing masks and face shields, frequent handwashing and wearing gloves. Meals will be prepackaged and delivered to cars without contact with the receiver during curbside meal distribution. During school, students are served their food in closed containers.
As families grapple with the uncertainy surrounding the new school year, the local Girl Scout council is reassuring parents that Girl Scouting is alive and well, with fun, learning and safety in mind. To introduce girls and their families to their programs, Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida is offering dozens of free virtual programs now through December. Programs include Experience Girl Scouts, an interactive series featuring fun and educational activities for girls in grades K-5; an imaginative Animal Dance Party and hands-on Robot Bulding Party for girls in grades K-3; virtual series exploring a variety of topics for girls in grades K-1, 2-3, and 4-5; and two series just for Kindergartners, Make New Friends and Daisy Launch.
Parents and caregivers are also invited to partricipate in one of the Discover Girl Scouts virtual open houses to learn more about the powerful impact of Girl Scouting. Girl Scouts is open to all girls in grades K-12, with program scholarships available to those in need. For the safety of their members, volunteers and staff, the council suspended in-person acivities in March, quickly pivoting to online program alterantives. Council officials recently announced that in-person troop meetings and programs have resumed, following recommended social distancing and safety guidelines from the CDC and Girl Scouts of the USA.
To register or learn about free virtual programs, call 800-232-4475.
Ringling College of Art and Design recently received a gift in the form of a scholarship donation from Certified Guaranty Company (CGC). The donation of $25,000 will provide funding for two Ringling students from underrepresented communities and is also the first donation of its kind for CGC. “We’ve had the great fortune to be a part of a comic book industry that has been fueled by the creative brilliance of illustrators and writers,” said Mark Salzberg, Chairman of CGC. “Starting the CGC Scholarship Fund at a world-class institution like Ringling, which is right here in our backyard, is a way for us to give back and make a difference in the lives of young creators.”
For more information about giving to Ringling College, please contact the Ringling College Office for Advancement, at giving@ringling.edu.
Mayu Fielding, Board President of the Manatee Literacy Council (MLC), recently announced the appointment of four new members to their Board of Directors. Julia Marcano hails from Venezuela and has been living in Bradenton since December. Julia is a chef and a baker, introducing her native food to our area through her catering business. She came to MLC as a learner to improve her English. Alfredo ‘Fred’ Zayas was born in Trinidad, Cuba where he worked as a medical physicist in the National Oncology Institute. Fred moved to Bradenton two years ago to be closer to his children and was looking for a way to learn English. Both Fred and Julia will act as liaisons with the organization’s learners. Carl Williams, Jr. is currently assistant principal at Sarasota School of Arts and Sciences. Carl was born and raised in Sarasota and now lives in Manatee County. He has worked for the school system for the past 23 years and currently serves in the role of middle school administrator. Meagan Morales-Correa was born in Puerto Rico, but has lived all over the United States as an Army Brat. She holds two degrees from SUNY Purchase in New York and a Master’s degree from USF. She currently teaches English at Bayshore High School.
As part of the club’s ongoing efforts to serve and strengthen the community during the current pandemic, the Orioles announced today that they have partnered with All Faiths Food Bank to host a series of mass food distribution events at Ed Smith Stadium. The events will take place on the second Saturday of each month from September through December, with the first event being held on September 12. Future events will be held on October 10, November 14, and December 12. Each distribution event will take place in the East Lot and is first-come, first-served, beginning at 9am and continuing until food runs out or 11:30am. All the events will be staffed by All Faiths Food Bank volunteers and staff, and several of the events will also be staffed by Orange & Black Gives Back, the Orioles employee volunteer program. "Many of our neighbors in the Sarasota and DeSoto counties are continuing to experience food insecurity as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” said Jennifer Grondahl, Orioles Senior Vice President, Community Development and Communications. “It is our hope that, in partnering with All Faiths Food Bank, we will be able to provide relief and stability to those families who are most in need.”
Kerkering, Barberio & Co., Certified Public Accountants, is pleased to announce that Samantha Rudolph has passed the exam to obtain the designation of Certified Public Accountant. Samantha graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Central Florida and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of South Florida. Samantha’s primary area of practice is audit and assurance.
Manatee Memorial Hospital has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines® Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award for the twelfth year with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus for the fourth year. These awards recognize the hospital’s commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence. “Our staff at Manatee Memorial Hospital are dedicated to improving the quality of care for our stroke patients by implementing the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Stroke initiative,” said Kevin DiLallo, CEO. “The tools and resources provided help us track and measure our success in meeting evidenced-based clinical guidelines developed to improve patient outcomes.”
Sarasota family, criminal, and appellate law attorney Elisabeth G. Whitmire, a senior associate with the law firm of Syprett Meshad, has been awarded an AV Preeminent® rating by the Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™. The AV Preeminent® rating is the highest level of Martindale-Hubbell ranking that an attorney can give to another attorney, and reflects the opinions of members of The Florida Bar and members of the judiciary in terms of her ethics and abilities in the areas of legal knowledge, analytical capability, judgment, communication, and legal experience.
Trendsport: Online Shopping.
Click here to read the full article from SRQ's New September 2020 edition.
Glass Artists from the Duncan McClellan Gallery in the Conservatory and the Gardens. Selby Gardens and the Duncan McClellan Gallery (DMG) in St. Petersburg presents the third annual summer glass show. This year we are featuring the nature-inspired glasswork created exclusively by Duncan McClellan and his studio artists which will be displayed in the Conservatory and in the Gardens against a backdrop of lush flowers and plants. The beautiful botanically-themed glassworks will be for sale with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Selby Gardens’ mission.
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens Downtown Sarasota, 900 S Palm Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236
Yoga Instructor Ashley Stewart will lead a yoga session the front lawn of Ca' d'Zan. With your health and safety as a top priority, these classes are limited to 50 participants and at least 7 feet of distance will be maintained between people. Class size is limited, tickets must be purchased in advance
The Ringling, 5401 Bay Shore Road
Nostalgia can be a powerful trigger of emotions and memories, sometimes even invoking forgotten past events, places, and moments. Nostalgia also sells. Products replicating or calling back to the 1980’s and 1990’s have seen a surge (resurgence?) of popularity recently. These products are often marketed to younger generations who are fascinated with the decades, right along with the adults who actually owned the original items - or still do.
Dean photographs both the popular and old toys he still has from his childhood. Well-known toys that evoke nostalgia in others, the obscure tokens, and the items made by companies that no longer exist; all have histories which have been lost to time. In doing so, Dean found himself pondering the origins of the objects, who might have designed and created them, how many of them were made, the persistence of similar colors, and how many still exist. Over time, each object also picks up its own unique set of bumps and scratches, becoming tiny fragments of years that only grow more distant. Dean creates new art out of the mass-produced trinkets. He makes new memories out of the old, playing with color and shape; creating something for the viewer to enjoy looking through. Perhaps connecting with them as well by unlocking a buried snapshot of a distant time and place.
Patrician Thompson Gallery in the Keating Center, 2700 N Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34234
At the Home Show, our goal is simple: to inspire, motivate and excite you for your upcoming home improvement - whether it's a minor renovation or a major remodel. Our events feature a wide selection of home improvement professionals in a fun, interactive environment. After meeting with and comparing our expert exhibitors, we know you'll be inspired and motivated to start planning with confidence. More importantly, we want you to be excited for all the fantastic possibilities that come with your project. When it's all said and done and you're ready to celebrate your home, we'll do a little celebrating ourselves, knowing we had some part in it.
Robarts Arena at the Sarasota Fairgrounds, 3000 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota, FL 34237
Calling all Scuba Divers, Fisherman and Land Lubbers! This event is for everyone who cares about our shoreline and water ways. This is a "one of a kind" competitive trash collecting event. Bring friends and family. Trash collectors of all ages are welcome. There is NO entry fee. Community Service hours available for groups and students. Over $6,000. dollars in prize money will be spread out over 20 different categories. Categories include: most anchors, most recyclables, chain & other metals, tires, non-recyclable trash, fishing gear, nets, rope, tackle and an award to the most unique item brought in (as determined by judges). We've added a new category this year. There is now a category for Lion Fish. Lion fish are taking over our reefs. They are an invasive species that are killing off indigenous species.
Bradenton Yacht Club, 4307 13th St. West, Palmetto, FL
A Zoom author visit with Susannah Marren chatting about her page-turning, commanding new novel, A Palm Beach Scandal. Registration is needed for participation. The Zoom link will be sent one day prior to the event. A Palm Beach Scandal will be published on September 15th. You can pre-order a copy of A Palm Beach Scandal here and it will be mailed to you after the publication date.
As part of Florida Studio Theatre’s Suffragist Project, an artistic celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the ratification of women’s right to vote, this stellar all-female quartet which includes Artist Series Concerts co-founder Lee Dougherty Ross, performs pieces by Fanny Mendelssohn, Clara Schumann, Amy Beach and Marion Bauer. The concert was filmed in July 2020 at Church of the Palms in Sarasota. Women of Note is hosted by Marcy Miller, executive director of Artist Series, and features cameo appearances by Kate Alexander, Ariel Blue and Meg Gilbert. With Jenny Kim-Godfrey, soprano; Robyn Rocklein, mezzo soprano; Gail Berenson and Lee Dougherty Ross, piano.
Join Yoga Instructor Ashley Stewart on July 16, August 20 and September 17 for a yoga session the front lawn of Ca' d'Zan. Participants can begin entering at 6:30pm. Yoga will begin at 7:00pm and will last for an hour. Participants should bring a yoga mat and water or drink as desired. Participation is limited to 50 to help maintain proper social distancing. Tickets are $15, $13.50 for members and must be purchased online, in advance of the event.
The Ringling Museum, 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota, FL 34243
Welcome to Out of the Blue 2020 – a unique Live Online Event and Costume Contest supporting the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Sarasota and Manatee Counties. Throughout the month of October, you will have the opportunity to enter a picture of your best “BLUE” costume. On October 29th from 6:30-8:00 pm, NAMI will host a Live Online Zoom event emceed by entertainer Jonathan Cortez and featuring local artists and talent all in support of NAMI. Our evening will wrap up by announcing the Costume Contest winners with a “Best in Blue” winner in each category. You don’t want to miss this opportunity to have fun creating a “Bluetiful” costume along with an enjoyable – and safe – evening of entertainment.
Forty Carrots Family Center announces its 18th annual Free Educational Community Speaker Event, presented in partnership with the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. This year’s event transitions to a virtual platform, broadcasting at 7 pm on Wednesday, Sept. 23rd. The event is free and open to the community, but advance registration is required. Dr. Brackett will present insights from his book; “Permission to Feel” helping parents, caregivers, teachers and professionals understand how emotions influence our lives; cultivate emotional intelligence in our children and develop tools for greater well-being and success. Dr. Brackett is a research psychologist and the founding director at Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and professor in the Child Study Center at Yale University. He has developed a remarkable effective plan to improve the lives of children and adults – a blueprint for understanding emotions and using them wisely to help, rather than hinder, an individual’s success and inspiration in equal parts. Advance registration is required. Click to register online.
Virtual.
Insects inhabit every domain of our daily lives, performing essential functions that balance our fragile ecosystem on Earth — functions that often go unnoticed because of their small size or scale. Now, using cutting-edge technology and custom methods that put tiny insects on a human scale, artist and photographer Bob Sober allows visitors to see the patterns, textures, colors and details that have always been present, but too small to appreciate in The Bishop’s newest special exhibition: Small Wonders: Insects in Focus.
Creating human-scale images of insects, with resolution so high that every hair, dimple and tiny structure is clearly revealed, was impossible prior to the technological advancements of the past 10 years. Now, Sober’s skills allow us to see the intersection of natural science and art in the smooth metallic finishes and heavily stippled textures, strange body shapes, delicate wing structures and beautifully engineered body components in this series of 30 images that will are on display in the Museum’s second-floor Rincon Gallery and throughout the Museum.
Small Wonders: Insects in Focus features 30 of Sober’s spectacular images and viewers will find themselves at the intersection of art and science. The exhibition, which is included in the cost of admission, is organized by ExhibitsUSA, a program of Mid-America Arts Alliance and will be open at The Bishop through October 20.
The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, 201 10th St. W, Bradenton
Temple Sinai will host a special event this Sunday, September 13, open to everyone in the community, all ages, for a special Honey Tasting in honor of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah. Kits will be distributed at 10am in the Temple Sinai parking lot in preparation for the after Honey Tasting on Zoom. The Zoom experience will feature tasting four varieties of honey from Sarasota Honey Company, biscuits from Maple Biscuit Company, cheese curd from Dakin Dairy Farm, and apples from Detweiller's. The kit will also include educational materials about Rosh Hashanah, along with some surprise goodies.
Temple Sinai, 4631 S Lockwood Ridge Rd, Sarasota, FL 34231
Visit the Sarasota Farmers Market in Downtown Sarasota from 7am-1pm, rain or shine. We understand the severity of COVID-19; therefore, we are instituting some guidelines for both vendors and customers to follow as you join us downtown. Customer Code of Conduct: Stay home if you are sick or have been in contact with someone who is sick, Make a shopping list before coming, Pre-order and prepay vendors online if possible, Designate one shopper per household, Leave pets at home unless it is a service animal, Wear a mask, Look with your eyes only touch what you will buy, Maintain 6 feet of space between you and any others, Shop quickly and get everything to go, No gathering keep walkways clear, Hand sanitizer available at all vendor booths and sanitizing stations.
Downtown Sarasota, Lemon Avenue and State Street, Downtown Sarasota
We are excited to announce that Selby Gardens will celebrate 40 years of the annual juried photographic exhibition and sale with a virtual edition hosted in partnership with The Observer Group! The virtual exhibition will be viewable August 27 to September 20 on Selby.org and YourObserver.com. As we pivoted to the virtual photographic exhibition format, we adjusted the photo submission deadlines and details as well as the dates of the exhibition. Please review and mark your calendar with the new dates below: Online Photo Submissions: Sunday, August 9 to Friday, August 14. Winners Announced: Thursday, August 27. Virtual Exhibition: Thursday, August 27 to Sunday, September 20. To minimize person-to-person contact, photos must be submitted digitally. Please stay tuned for more step-by-step details on how to submit your photos. Entry is open to all amateurs, but photos must have been taken at either Selby Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota or Historic Spanish Point campuses. Please refer to the entry details below for more information.
Selby's Museum of Botany & the Arts, 900 S Palm Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236
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