SRQ DAILY Apr 23, 2021
Friday Weekend Edition
"When you see us all as a whole, we're the second or third largest employer in the region, and that was really important when we were lobbying local government for funding. But the most important thing is safety."
As a return to normal shines bright and hopeful at the end of some dark existential tunnel, the reality of the pandemic still weighs heavily in the decisions of arts leaders. Experts continue to warn of new waves of infection even as the most vulnerable have attained a measure of protection from an aggressive vaccination effort. Across the region, theatres and halls must balance their eagerness to reopen with the reality that we’re close, but not quite there yet.
To safeguard against an onrush of arts patrons eager to shed their cabin fever and fill the region’s theatres and performance halls, nine of the area’s biggest organizations banded together to launch #SafeArtsSarasota. The initiative, which came out of the deepened inter-organizational relationships precipitated by the pandemic, serves as a unified response to the gradual reopening of performing art venues. By incorporating the latest science-based guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control along with the various stipulations of artist unions, these nine organizations have provided the region with a baseline framework with which to alleviate any uncertainty and anxiety in wary patrons.
Masks (covering nose and mouth) and social distancing remain central to these protocols, but throughout the shutdown, each organization put their heads together to share other ideas for best practices. The result is a broadly informed standard for; disinfecting performance spaces, the implementation of touch-free ticketing, daily health checks for staff and performers, temperature checks for patrons, no concessions or playbills, and single entry and exit points to minimize the crush of guests before and after a performance.
Over the next nine weeks, SRQ will unveil commentary from each of the nine originators of the safety initiative, beginning today with Sarasota Opera’s executive director, Richard Russell:
“When these conversations started, we talked about how we were getting the gamut of responses. Some felt we shouldn’t open at all, others thought we shouldn’t make them wear a mask. So it became clear that we needed a plan and then we just thought, ‘hey, why don’t we get together and promote our safety measures?’ When you see us all as a whole, we’re the second or third largest employer in the region, and that was really important when we were lobbying local government for funding. But the most important thing is safety.” 
Photo Credit: Cliff Roles.
A year after the Suncoast Black Arts Collaborative (SBAC) received its nonprofit status, the BIPOC community and its allies continue to grapple with issues of systemic inequality. SBAC hosted the third of a four-part series of panel discussions in which a group of Black luminaries—led by journalist and civil rights activist, Charlayne Hunter-Gault—talked about the current state of inclusion in media and the arts.
The four panelists included novelist and writer Sarah Ladipo Manyika, playwright and children’s book writer Calvin Alexander Ramsey, founder and director of Black Classic Press E. Paul Coates, and former star football player turned filmmaker Dorian Emerson Munroe.
After introductions from each panelist, the conversation quickly turned to the current state of affairs when Hunter-Gault asked whether the rise in racial justice conversations precipitated by the death of George Floyd feel more actionable than in previous decades following the Civil Rights Movement of the 60s.
“In my observation, appreciation of Black culture ebbs and flows,” says Coates. As someone quite literally on the front lines of the 60s activist movements, Coates saw the political and social will for racial equality wax and wane through the 70s and 80s. Today, he says he can track the rise and fall of the movement through book sales from his publishing house, which publishes primarily rare or out-of-print books by forgotten or underappreciated Black writers. “Amidst the pandemic, there was a big swell of interest in Black literature,” he says.
“Especially after what happened, there seems to be an awakening in which folks want to know more,” Ramsey says, “but I just don’t know if this level of interest will last.” Like Coates, Ramsey says he has been around for long enough to have seen the ups and downs. He recalled that when he first transitioned to writing children’s books, most children’s books about Black characters weren’t even written by Black authors. “I was really surprised by that,” he says, “and I felt like it was something that needed to be addressed.”
Munroe questioned whether the current rise in awareness is here to stay or just a short-term publicity stunt on the part of many organizations. He also expressed the most optimism. He remembers hanging up his cleats and transitioning to film in Miami, where hardly any films are produced at all. “I had to work even harder to get noticed,” he says, “but there are lots of grants solely for BIPOC creators. Ultimately, I feel like any demographic has pros and cons; I just have to navigate the cards I was given.”
“How can your whole institution be reflective of our country?" said Manyika. "You have to think institutionally and remember that issues of race affect all of us as the human race.”
The fourth part of the panel series comes in the Fall of 2021 and will explore higher education.
Pictured: Top row from left to right: Charlayne Hunter-Gault, E. Paul Coates, Sarah Ladipo Manyika. Bottom row from left to right: Dorian Emerson Munroe and Calvin Alexander Ramsey.
To say that Jordan Peterson is a prophet may sound like hyperbole, but when a writer can conjure ancient Roman and Greek parables, biblical passages, and more modern geniuses like Freud, Rogers and Nietsche to emphasize his points in an eloquent rattle akin to what you had for dinner last night, well, sage soothsayer is apropos.
And that’s what you get with Peterson’s new book Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life, a book equivalent to human vitamins in literary form. For instance, his chapter with the rule: Carefully and completely write about bad memories that haunt you, not only contains three successful therapeutic case studies, but an adage of simply handling problems as a linebacker would run at his opponent. Again, Peterson uses the highest caliber vocabulary mixed with compassionate tough love that will entice you to do the same. And much like the most effective minister can inspire anyone to walk through temporary pain in order to reach well thought out solutions, even more importantly, Peterson makes you believe in a higher evolutionary state.
Each of the twelve rules are so jam packed with gorgeous reasoning that the book is terribly hard to describe, but other rules such as Abandon Ideology may very well be the solution for world peace. Again, not exaggeration, so much so that I sincerely and gently challenge anyone to read this essential guide and argue otherwise.
An intellectual equivalent to Jen Sincero (You are a Bad Ass), Peterson demands much more of your mind, but in return, embodies you with a calm, committed perseverance to make a better life.
The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall announces Celtic Woman: Postcards from Ireland on Thursday, March 3, 2022 at 7pm. The Grammy-nominated global music sensation returns to Sarasota with this all new show on the main stage, bringing the beauty of Ireland to life. Tickets are $53-$173 and go on sale Tuesday, April 27 at 12pm.
The Sarasota Ballet’s Director, Iain Webb, announces today the Company’s 2021 – 2022 Season and the return to full in-person theater programming. The Season also marks Webb’s 15th year heading the Company, and will feature seven programs that showcase not only the range of the Company’s choreographic repertoire, but also its artistry and athleticism.
Pictured: Marijana Dominis & Daniel Pratt. Photography Matthew Holler.
Sarasota Concert Association (SCA) celebrates its 77th season with a dazzling lineup of acclaimed classical artists and ensembles. SCA’s 2022 Great Performers Series season, which runs January 20 through March 15, features the Detroit Symphony Orchestra with cellist Alisa Weilerstein, pianist Emanuel Ax performing an all-Chopin program, the Russian National Orchestra with 19-year-old piano sensation Alexander Malofeev, violinist Benjamin Beilman and pianist Yekwon Sunwoo and the Takács Quartet with pianist Joyce Yang.
Comedian Bill Maher returns to Sarasota for a socially-distanced performance on the Van Wezel’s Main Stage on Sunday, June 20, 2021 at 7pm.
Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College today announced that the current ‘Janaina Tschäpe: Betweenthe Sky and the Water’ exhibition will be open to the public through Sunday, May 2, 2021. “We encourage our community to experience ‘Between the Sky and the Water’ before the exhibition closes,” said Museum Co-Interim Executive Director Stacey Corley. This visually stunning exhibition, filled with fantastical worlds created by Janaina, has been a welcome and inspirational experience for visitors of all ages.”
Venice Presbyterian Church’s concert series brings together Key Chorale’s Chamber Singers and the Stephen Lynerd Group for a virtual evening that celebrates the best and brightest of gospel music and spirituals. The concert premieres April 23 and runs through May 23. Tickets to watch the 70-minute online streaming video are $15 per household; patrons will receive a viewing link that can be activated any time during the streaming run from April 23, 7pm – May 23, 8:30pm.
Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium’s coral reef research and restoration efforts in the Florida Keys are highlighted in one of the feature stories of the May 2021 issue of National Geographic magazine, titled The Ocean Issue. The story “How coral reefs might survive climate change”, featuring photography from David Doubilet and Jennifer Hayes, addresses the issues coral reefs face worldwide, but also the solutions that scientists are looking for to solve them. One major solution: Mote’s innovative microfragmentation and reskinning methodology that has allowed Mote to grow thousands of coral fragments on land before planting them onto the reef, stimulating rapid growth and recovery. To date, Mote has planted more than 100,000 fragments of coral along Florida’s Coral Reef. Also featured in the story is Mote’s latest breakthrough: the first restored massive corals spawning in the wild in Florida or the Caribbean.
FourThought Private Wealth (formerly Pinkerton Private Wealth), a wealth management firm headquartered in Venice, FL, has added team members Anne Buckley as Director of Client Services and Operations and Uri Lafontant as Client Relationship Service Manager. This comes as the firm surpasses $1 billion in assets under management and expands its headquarters.
A group from the Visible Men Academy ventured out to explore Sarasota Bay as part of SBEP’s youth kayaking program in partnership with Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium. The program aims to increase access to the bay for those who may not be able to get out on the water regularly. The tours, led by Brad Tanner, Mote’s Marine Science Educator, launch from Mote's campus to explore the bay, look for local critters, and discuss the importance of estuaries.
Photo credits: Brad Tanner.
Together with partner American Forests, DutchCrafters Amish Furniture is committing to plant one tree for every order. DutchCrafters, the largest online retailer of Amish furniture at www.dutchcrafters.com and daughter company of JMX Brands, is beginning this tree-planting initiative on Earth Day 2021. “Earth Day marks the next step in our journey to sustainability,” said CEO and Founder Jim Miller. “This partnership with American Forests allows us to give back in a way that directly impacts the effects of the furniture industry."
In the crooked line between punk rock and ceramics, Osa Atoe finds a path.
Click here to read the full article in SRQ's April 2021 edition.
The Baltimore Orioles: Storybook Street Drive-Thru Book Giveaway at Ed Smith Stadium. The Orioles have partnered with the Early Learning Coalition of Sarasota County to host a free, family-friendly, drive-thru book giveaway at Ed Smith Stadium on Saturday, April 24 from 9am to 12pm in collaboration with local arts and culture organizations designed to bring books to life. For additional information, please visit EarlyLearningCoalitionSarasota.org/StorybookStreet.
Experience this new, authorized symphonic tribute to the Fab Four featuring Grammy winner Jeff Tyzik's electrifying arrangements, based on the Beatles' original master recordings at Abbey Road on Friday, January 21 at 7:30pm at the Van Wezel and Saturday, January 22 at 2:30pm and 7:30pm at the Van Wezel. Revolution takes audiences on a magical musical journey through the hits that transformed popular music forever.
Three of Broadway's best join Sarasota Orchestra in a concert of songs that garnered Grammys, Tonys and Oscars on Friday, March 4 at 7:30pm at the Van Wezel and Saturday, March 5 at 2:30pm and 7:30pm at the Van Wezel. Vocalist Susan Egan, the original Belle in Disney's Beauty and the Beast, returns to our Pops stage with Phantom of the Opera stars Douglas LaBrecque and Lisa Vroman.
Hear the tunes Nat King Cole was talking about when he crooned, "Unforgettable." Celebrated Pops conductor Sean O'Loughlin leads a program of romantic anthems featuring exciting vocalists on Friday, April 8 at 7:30pm at the Van Wezel and Saturday, April 9 at 2:30pm and 7:30pm at the Van Wezel. Music will include Frank Sinatra's "Come Fly with Me," Etta James' "At Last," and Cole's "Nature Boy."
Enjoy classic ragtime and blues tunes of the 1920s, arranged for orchestra on Wednesday, October 13 at 5:30pm, Thursday, October 14 at 7:30pm, Friday, October 15 at 5:30pm, and Saturday, October 16 at 8pm at Holley Hall. This toe-tapping program includes songs by Irving Berlin, Eubie Blake's "Charleston Rag," and "Sweet Georgia Brown."
Take time to savor the holidays as Broadway conductor William Waldrop serves a program of seasonal favorites, including Winter Wonderland, Festive Sounds of Hanukkah, and Christmas at the Movies on Wednesday, December 1 at 5:30pm, Thursday, December 2 at 7:30pm, Friday, December 3 at 5:30pm, Saturday, December 4 at 8pm, and Sunday, December 5 at 4pm at Holley Hall.
Thirty-five high school seniors and 32 juniors will be applauded Friday, April 23, at the 23rd annual STRIVE awards recognition, presented as a streaming experience for the first time due to COVID-19 restrictions. The community is invited to participate at no charge. Guests can join the streamed event by logging on at noon Friday, April 23, at Facebook.com/educationfdn, the Education Channel (Comcast channel 20 or Frontier channel 33), or youtube.com/TheEdChannel20. The annual event, hosted by the Education Foundation of Sarasota County, celebrates juniors and seniors who have demonstrated resilience and determination in overcoming academic and personal challenges to make significant improvements and stay focused on their goals. Students were nominated by counselors, teachers, and principals at Sarasota County Schools’ seven district high schools, and seniors completed interviews with an Education Foundation committee. During the interviews, seniors selected as STRIVERS provided clear and compelling answers about how they are applying lessons learned after overcoming obstacles, and they demonstrated a drive, passion, and plan to complete their educational journey. Each senior STRIVER will receive a laptop and cash award of $1,000 to help them pursue education after high school. Junior STRIVERS will receive award certificates and gift cards. Participants in the streaming award celebration will include SCS Superintendent Brendan Asplen; Vigne; and high school principals Rachel Shelley (Booker), David Jones (Sarasota), Brandon Johnson (North Port), Steven Covert (Pine View), Eric Jackson (Venice), Erin del Castillo (Riverview), and Jack Turgeon (Suncoast Polytechnical).
Sarasota Opera is thrilled to announce Sarasota Opera: A Celebration, a virtual event on April 23, 2021 at 7:30pm that celebrates our community. Maestro Victor DeRenzi and Richard Russell will take you on a journey through an extraordinary year and highlight how you—our donors, subscribers, and ticket-buyers—made success possible despite the many challenges. This February we were delighted to welcome small, socially distanced audiences back to the Opera House and to give audiences at home the opportunity to watch online. However, with reduced capacity in the theater, tickets sales will still be 80% lower than usual. During this event, you will have the opportunity to applaud our work on stage, as well as reward the resiliency of the Sarasota Youth Opera with special gifts during the Fund the Mission Drive. You will also be able to bid on jewelry, trips, and local arts experiences in our Silent Auction. Even though we’re apart, we can still come together to celebrate a remarkable achievement by a devoted community and once again raise our voices in support of Sarasota Opera.
The Hermitage Artist Retreat presents “From Creation to Production: Where it All Begins,” a talk with Broadway producer Tom Kirdahy, Friday, April 23 at 6pm on the Hermitage Beach, 6660 Manasota Key Road, Englewood. A Tony Award-winning champion of new work, Kirdahy will speak with Hermitage Artistic Director Andy Sandberg about the inextricable link between theatrical development and production, and the multi-year creative journey from an idea to production. Registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org. (Free with a $5 per person registration fee.)
This Friday, April 23, The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime will open its doors After Hours. Meet the 25+ members of The Bazaar family until 7 pm and check out special guest vendors outside from 4pm to 8 pm with live music by Tyler Vaden. You can even work on an Interactive art project when you’re here! Fun for the whole family, all ages and pets welcome. Come hungry. Hamlet's Eatery will be open. Guest vendors include: MixologyKits, Uncle Phil’s Organic Popcorn, Siesta Key Sea Bee Dee, Haley G’s Bath & Body Treats, and Lost Forest Studio. The event is inside and outside and free to attend. Located at 821 Apricot Ave, Sarasota. For more information visit www.Bazaaronapricotandlime.com or call 941-445-1938.
The Sarasota Ballet's Digital Program 6 features: Sir Frederick Ashton's Valses nobles et sentimentales, Sir Frederick Ashton's The Walk to the Paradise Garden, and Sir Frederick Ashton's Façade. On the morning of April 23, all ticket holders will receive a personalized email containing their private link to Digital Program 6 along with links to the Performance Program Book, our 30th Anniversary Season Program Book, and a tutorial video on connecting your internet device to your television. If tickets are purchased after the morning of the 23, you will receive these links via email several minutes after time of purchase. Tickets for Digital Program 6 will be on sale until Tuesday, April 27 at 6pm. Upon becoming available to watch, Digital Program 6 can be watched as many times as you would like, until Tuesday, April 27 at 11:59pm, at which point the Program will no longer be viewable. Make sure you enjoy it before then.
Greiner's of Sarasota Spring Trunk Show featuring Tori Richard and Zelli Italia will take place on Friday and Saturday, April 23 and 24 at 45 South Palm Avenue, Downtown Sarasota. Drop in Friday and Saturday to see the full line of Zelli and Tori Richard. Balir Salter and Elliot Goodwin will be in the store representing Tori Richard and Zelli Italia respectively on both days. They will be serving refreshments on Friday night.
Venice Presbyterian Church’s concert series brings together Key Chorale’s Chamber Singers and the Stephen Lynerd Group for a virtual evening that celebrates the best and brightest of gospel music and spirituals. The concert premieres April 23 and runs through May 23. Venice Presbyterian Church has garnered a wonderful relationship with Key Chorale over the last four years. Having seen much of the choir world go dormant over the last year, Key Chorale has found many ways to virtually bring world-class choral music to the community. As their season comes to a close, the Venice Community Concert Series is excited to present this virtual concert, “Let Everything That Has Breath.” Not only will you be clapping your hands and tapping your toes to the lively sounds of the choir, Hammond B-3, and gospel band, but you might even shed a tear as the rich and dark tones of the chorale as they present spirituals of pain, grief, and triumph. From jazz and blues, to driving gospel, to passionate and powerful simplicity, this concert showcases the variety of style and expression of the African-American spiritual. Memorable solo performances by Amy Connours, Ellen VanDolah, and Minister of Music and Worship Jamal Sarikoki capture the essence and the spirit of this American artform. Tickets to watch the 70-minute online streaming video are $15 per household; patrons will receive a viewing link that can be activated any time during the streaming run from April 23, 7pm to May 23, 8:30pm. To purchase, go to https://www.venicepres.org/vccs-concert.
The exhibition features over a dozen projects that exemplify Abbott’s unique climate and site-based perspective on living in harmony with one’s environment and will run from November 8, 2020 through April 25. Using his Bayou Studio as the epicenter of Abbott’s creative inquiry, the exhibition shows how key concepts developed in the experimental atelier space find physical form in his built projects, whether commissioned or conceived with a prescribed program. Nature is at the heart of Carl Abbott’s creative practice. All of his gestures — however small or grand — exemplify Abbott’s committed ethic and aesthetics, his site-based perspective on living in harmony with one’s environment. While some belief systems posit a “man” v. “nature” sensibility, Abbott’s cosmology understands human beings to be of nature. He thus shapes space, physically and conceptually, to serve nature’s—our—needs, in terms of comfort and shelter, but most importantly, in terms of one’s enrichment and enhancement of life. This exhibition aims to elucidate the art of architecture, examining origin stories, early influences and how the visual environment shaped Abbott’s “ways of seeing”. We hope to bring alive the practice of architecture as an artistic pursuit, a humanistic discipline, and a way to reunite with nature. The exhibition arrays over three areas on the Museum Campus: La Musa Azul – a site-responsive meditation grove located in the Marcy & Michael Klein Plaza, Exant/Extinct – a spotlight exhibition in the historic portion of the Wendy G. Surkis & Peppi Elona Lobby, and The Bayou Studio – a mini-retrospective in the Claire H. Rusen Gallery.
Hop aboard our trolley or van tour to learn about the vibrant Amish and Mennonite cultures here in Sarasota. Learn about the beliefs, traditions and differences between these two religious orders from our knowledgeable and passionate tour guide, Kendra Cross. Visit the Pinecraft community, a small working neighborhood that attracts many members of the Amish and Mennonite orders. Many families travel to this Sarasota haven during the winter months to escape the harsh weather in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and several other northern states. Slow down and enjoy the small pleasures in life on our tour of this rustic and charming neighborhood. Enjoy the tour stops at Alma Sue’s Quilt Shop, The Carlisle Inn and Der Dutchman Amish Kitchen Cooking Restaurant for a sample of their delicious pie. Gain a new appreciation for the rich culture of Sarasota’s Amish and Mennonite communities on this informative trolley or van tour. Book your tickets online today. Tours with fewer than 10 guests will travel in our comfortably air-conditioned high-top van. Tour tickets are $34.99 and include FREE Parking.
Fill your shopping bags for the week every Sunday, November through April, 10am to 2pm at the Farmers’ Market at Lakewood Ranch. Located in the parking lot of Lakewood Ranch Medical Center. Available products include seafood, milk, cheese, bread, butter, cold-pressed juices, jams & pickled deliciousness, fresh pasta, ready-to-eat foods, honey, soap, truffle oils, mushrooms, popcorn, gulf sea salt, and knife sharpening.
Lakewood Ranch Medical Center
Welcome to the 30th Anniversary Season at the Sarasota Polo Club beginning Sunday December 13th, 2020 thru Sunday April 25th, 2021. Sunday Polo matches are open to the public every Sunday at 1pm beginning December 13th, 2020 through April 25th, 2021. Gates open at 10am. Fieldside general admission tailgating, reserved midfield premium seating or VIP midfield boxes are available for Sunday Polo. Children 12 and under are free, (general admission tailgating). Exciting polo action, opening parade, live national anthem, theme weeks, half-time entertainment, food, drinks, and divot-stomping. Dress comfortably and for the weather. Remember, you will be walking on the grass. Well socialized dogs are welcome on a leash.
Sarasota Polo Club
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