SRQ DAILY May 13, 2022
Friday Weekend Edition
"We could not be more thankful for the county commission’s strong leadership on helping to alleviate our housing crisis. These findings confirm that our commissioners took the right steps in moving forward to break through this issue."
This Monday on May 16th, Derric Gobourne Jr. of the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe (WBTT) will take the stage in the first showcase of the year for WBTT’s Young Artist Program - an initiative in its ninth year designed to propel the careers of young black artists. The show, titled SH!NE, after Gobourne’s latest album which will be dropping the same day, will pay homage to the music-collective Parliament Funkadelic’s frontman George Clinton.
“One of George Clinton’s most famous was Starchild, the savior of Funk. Our tribute to Parliament Funkadelic is Starchild’s national museum of Funk - a virtual museum. We have Starchild, the guide of the museum, taking you through these virtual spaces and the history of funk music. We’re recreating these songs from James Brown, Michael Jackson, and Prince which is the first half of the show. The second half is more of my personal life and relationship with new jack swing - my album SH!NE will also be dropping the same day and we’ll be playing some tracks from that as well as some tracks from my debut album,” says Gobourne Jr.
The show will feature multiple guest artists as well as dancers from the WBTT. Gobourne produced the music tracks for the show and plays most of the instruments and artist Fancy Karema will play the drums. The production is an undertaking that requires rigorous preparation.
“I’ve been working on it before they even confirmed the show since this past September. For me and everyone else in the WBTT it’s been tough sometimes managing 2-3 shows at once,” attests Gobourne Jr.
Gobourne Jr. is a new jack swing artist - a genre originating from the late 1980s that blends hip-hop with R&B. Some of his biggest influences include Stevie Wonder, Parliament Funkadelic, Prince, and Michael Jackson.
Dubbed by his peers as “The new King of New Jack Swing”, Gobourne Jr. has found much of his success internationally, especially in Japan, where his debut album Supremacy was re-released by the P-Vine label in 2018. Although COVID-19 nixed plans to tour in Japan in 2020, Gobourne Jr. hopes that the self-released SH!NE will find similar international success and lead to a small tour in Japan.
Young Artist Program showcases take place in The Donelly Theatre at WBTT (1012 N. Orange Ave., Sarasota). Tickets are $27/general admission; sponsor tickets, which include reserved preferred seating and playbill recognition, are $102 (prices include ticket fees). For more information call: 941-366-1505 or visit westcoastblacktheatre.org.
Pictured: Derric Gobourne Jr. at WBTT's "The Greatest Entertainer". Photo by Sorcha Augustine.
“LIT”—The show where all things glow! This six-week show all about illumination will be one not to miss. The Gallery will be "LIT" immersing the viewer into a glowing ambiance and colorful
experience. Artists have created works in neon, plasma, glow paints, lighting and other illuminating materials for this unique show. Atelier de SoSi is excited that this vibrant show will be on exhibit during “Pride” month in St. Petersburg. Artists have been encouraged to use Pride as inspiration for this “LIT” show. “Every color, every hue, is represented by me and you.” Atelier de SoSi is excited to partner again with Lauren Dufault to bring you another hysterical comedy show on June 18th. This show will be inspired by “St. Pete Pride" and our current “LIT” show. A portion of the proceeds from this show will go to a local non profit focusing on supporting the LGBTQIA+ community.
Pictured: Chris Lang “Walking toward/away from you” Color changing stained glass. Photo courtesy of Atelier de SoSi.
The Van Wezel Foundation is pleased to announce that Sara Robinson will join the Foundation as executive director of advancement on June 1, 2022. Robinson will be responsible for creating and implementing innovative development programs for the campaign to build a new Sarasota Performing Arts Center.As executive director of advancement, Robinson will work closely with the campaign cabinet to plan and implement development programs to achieve the campaign goal. Robinson has over 25 years of fundraising leadership and management experience, including campaign leadership. From 2019-2022, she served as chief advancement officer of The Sarasota Ballet, where she created and implemented a strategic development plan that significantly grew patron engagement and contributed revenue. Prior to her position at The Sarasota Ballet, Robinson led annual and capital fundraising programs for Celebrity Series of Boston and Palm Beach Day Academy. Robinson is a member of the board of directors for the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Southwest Chapter. She served on the board of directors of AFP Massachusetts, AFP Membership Services Committee, MASSCreative’s Leadership Council and several Tessitura TLCC Planning Committees. She holds a CFRE certification, a certificate in Fundraising from Boston University, a DEI in the Workplace Certificate from University of South Florida Muma College of Business, and a Bachelor of Arts from Pine Manor College.
More than two years into the coronavirus pandemic, children still remain affected by the prolonged loss of classroom learning, leading to academic and developmental setbacks. However, local youth-serving organizations like the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties have been resilient champions in reversing these effects. During the beginning of the pandemic, the Boys & Girls Clubs kept their doors open to children of first-responders and other essential employees to allow parents to continue serving the community at its greatest time of need. Since then, the organization has continued to expand its services thanks to flexible funding from the community. A $250,000 grant from Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation was awarded earlier this year towards flexible funding to support the organization’s operations, programming, and scholarships for Club members. With six locations throughout Sarasota and DeSoto Counties, each community has different needs and, with the still present pandemic, things are liable to change throughout the year. Afterschool programs like the Boys & Girls Clubs are now identified as a critical tool to help reverse the setbacks of the pandemic. The organization awards scholarships to students who demonstrate financial need and make up the majority of their members. The benefits of these programs are clear and well-documented, with studies showing that they can help improve educational outcomes, reduce rates of delinquency and violence, and boost overall self-esteem. In addition to the individual benefits of these programs, there are also many positive impacts on society as a whole. Not only can these programs help create more productive citizens for the future, but they also provide communities with a sense of shared purpose by promoting closer ties between youth and adults.
Gulf Coast Community Foundation (Gulf Coast) would like to thank the Sarasota County Commission and Sarasota County staff for their commitment to alleviating our current housing crisis. Gulf Coast recently joined Sarasota community agencies on a statewide webinar hosted by the Florida Housing Coalition to share best practices and local government comparisons on American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding efforts. Sarasota County was highlighted as the second local government in the state with the highest percent of ARPA funding allocated to support affordable housing. The Sarasota County Commission’s approval of $25 million in ARPA funds aligned directly with the Florida Housing Coalition’s best practices. The top three recommendations that validate what our Sarasota County Commission approved are shovel-ready projects that were delayed due to increased costs, labor, or material shortages due to COVID-19, land acquisition for affordable housing, and development costs to produce permanently affordable units. The webinar stated that the best use of ARPA funds was for “bricks and mortar,” “long-term affordable” capital housing projects, again precisely what the County Commission adopted. The bold and community-supportive decisions made by the Sarasota County Commission, and supported by the Gulf Coast led affordable housing advocate group, were validated by this webinar. “We couldn’t be more thankful for the county commission’s strong leadership on helping to alleviate our housing crisis. These findings confirm that our commissioners took the right steps in moving forward to break through this issue,” said Jon Thaxton, Senior Vice President of Community Leadership at Gulf Coast Community Foundation.
Pet parents will soon have a convenient location for day care and overnight boarding in Wellen Park. Bayside Pet Resort has announced its fourth location – a freestanding 16,000-square-foot building on U.S. 41 offering overnight accommodations for 100 dogs and 18 cats, two doggie day cares for large and small dogs, grooming, and obedience and agility training. Complete with a pool, shaded courtyards and a half-acre agility course, construction on the luxury pet resort is expected start by September and be open in February 2023. The building, situated on 2.5 acres, is a new prototype with larger dog runs and outdoor spaces. It will have various-sized kennels, including overnight boarding in 100 air-conditioned dog suites – most with popular indoor-outdoor runs – and 18 kitty condos and penthouses. The kennels are humidity-controlled with fresh air circulated every 10 minutes and are equipped with webcams for owners to check in on their pets. Bayside Pet Resort also provides fresh linens and soothing music. Bayside Pet Resort also accepts turtles, fish, bearded dragons, guinea pigs, rabbits and snakes. A pot-bellied pig is also a frequent guest. Horses, birds and poisonous animals are not accepted. For more information about living at Wellen Park, call 941-960-7805, go to wellenpark.com or visit the Welcome Center at 12275 Mercado Drive in Venice, Fla. The Welcome Center is open Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.
Babcock Ranch Water Utilities won three first-place awards for outstanding accomplishments in water reclamation, operational performance and safety from the Florida Water Environment Association. The awards, presented April 26, recognize the BRWU wastewater treatment facility’s excellence in transforming wastewater into reusable water for irrigation. Operated by Town & Country Utilities, BRWU received the first-place Earle B. Phelps Award for maintaining the highest removal of major pollution-causing components from treated wastewater, the Safety Award for its stellar safety program, and the Municipal Utility Operational Performance Excellence Award. Babcock Ranch homebuilders offer more than 50 home designs ranging from 1,120 to more than 4,000 square feet. Homes appeal to young millennials, families, empty nesters and retirees, with base prices ranging from the mid-$200,000s to over $1.5 million. For more information about Southwest Florida’s new hometown, located just northeast of Fort Myers off Babcock Ranch Road/State Road 31, visit the Woodlea Hall Discovery Center at 42850 Crescent Loop in Babcock Ranch, call 877-709-6620, or visit www.BabcockRanch.com.
Asolo Repertory Theatre proudly presents the timely new comedy EUREKA DAY, written by New College of Florida alumnus Jonathan Spector. Directed by Bianca LaVerne Jones, EUREKA DAY begins previews on May 11, opens on May 13 and runs through June 4, in the intimate Cook Theatre, located in the FSU Center for the Performing Arts.
"SCDE Spring Showcase" Featuring works choreographed by SCDE Co-Directors Melissa Rummel and Xiao-Xuan Yang Dancigers, as well as guest artists Kathleen Candales and SCD Company Member Monessa Salley. This performance will take place on Friday May 13th at 7pm and Saturday May 14th at 3pm and 7pm and its Virtual Stream will take place on Saturday May 14th at 7pm.
Musical prodigies have always fascinated. Britten wrote his Sinfonietta No. 1 at age 18, dedicating the ingenious work to his teacher. Mozart's highly dramatic Symphony No. 25, composed at 17, shows extraordinary musical maturity. Teen cellist Ifetayo Ali-Landing makes her Sarasota debut playing Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations, proving that young people of rare talent are not just the stuff of legend and will take place on Saturday, May 14 at 7:30pm at the Sarasota Opera House.
Fogartyville will present the final event in their “Poets Unplugged” Spoken Word series on Saturday, May 14. Doors will open at 7pm as DJ Rozay sets the mood with his musical mix. At 8pm there will be a curated Open Mic featuring some of the best poets from the previous spoken word events. The featured poet this month will be local spoken word artist and series host Melanie Lavender. Tickets are $5 and are available online at www.Fogartyville.org. Food will be available for purchase from C&D’s Sandwich Shop.
The Players Centre for Performing Arts is back with the popular Broadway on the Bay series titled, The Sarasota Divas, at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens (1534 Mound St, Sarasota, FL 34236) May 17-20, 2022. This year some of your favorite Sarasota divas including Kathryn Parks, Alana Opie, Berry Ayers, Jennifer Baker and Eve Caballero will perform some of your favorite Broadway tunes. No food or drink will be sold at this event. Seats are provided. NO TICKETS will be printed for this event. Upon making your purchase your name will be on a reservation list.
May 19, 2022, 11am, Arts Advocates Scholarship Winners – Meet the recipients of our 2022-23 scholarships, which are awarded to Sarasota and Manatee county resident students pursuing degrees in visual arts, performing arts, creative writing, architecture, and related endeavors. Arts Advocates is keeping a close eye on the COVID-19 situation and will decide whether their monthly speaker programs will be in-person luncheons at Bird Key Yacht Club or held via Zoom as each event nears. These programs are open to the public. Visit ArtsAdvocates.org for more information.
Exhibition Spotlight: Metadata will take place on May 19, 2022. Have you ever wondered how images are tracked and used on the internet, what artificial intelligence has to do with art, or what hidden meanings a photograph has beneath the image itself? Explore the exhibition Metadata at The Ringling and discover artists who are asking big questions about what type of information is embedded within an image. During this interactive program we’ll explore the exhibition, discuss art in the context of coding, artificial intelligence, bias in technology, surveillance, and hidden meanings and try our hand at creating metadata works of art all our own. Join us on the third Thursday of each month, for a special day designed just for homeschool families. Tickets are timed in order to avoid over-crowding; please check in at the Visitors Pavilion at the time noted on your ticket. Please note that this is a self-guiding program. Wristbands, a map, and a program packet with activities and information will be provided at check-in and families are invited to explore the museum at their own pace.
Not only do we love our local authors, but we know you'll love them, too. Let us introduce you! On Thursday, May 19 between 11 AM and 4 PM, twenty local authors will be in the loft of our new forever-home on 117 S. Pineapple Avenue for one hour each, to sign books and spend a little time with you.
Here's how it works: Read their bios, check out their book blurbs, and place an order online for whatever strikes your fancy. You can pick up your order in-store on the day of the book fair (or sooner), or you can have them delivered right to your home. Find out when your favorite local authors will be here, and drop by to say "hi"!
Remember: These author's books are available for pre-order only; there will be no books available to purchase in-store and take home same-day unless you've placed a pre-order. You can, however, place a special order in-store to be picked up at a later date.
Join The Ringling Art Library for Literati, a book group that discusses books about art and subjects reflecting the Ringling collections. The May 20 book club will take place at 10:30am: ArtCurious: Stories of the Unexpected, Slightly Odd and Strangely Wonderful in Art History by Jennifer Dasal. This program will be virtual via zoom until further notice. This program is free. For further information, contact the Art Library at 359-5700, ex. 2701 or elisa.hansen@ringling.org.
The most ambitious and expansive exhibition to date of contemporary artworks created with augmented reality (AR) technology will premiere at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, opening on September 25, 2021 and ongoing through August 31 2022, as one of 12 participating gardens across six countries. Seeing the Invisible features works by more than a dozen international artists such as Ai Weiwei, Refik Anadol, El Anatsui, Isaac Julien CBE, Mohammed Kazem, Sigalit Landau, Sarah Meyohas, Pamela Rosenkranz, and Timur Si-Qin—including several artists’ first work in AR. Visitors will engage with Seeing the Invisible via an app designed for the exhibition downloadable to smartphones and tablets. Forging new links between botanical gardens located in diverse biomes around the globe, the exhibition fosters collaboration between institutions, artists, and audiences, highlighting the power of art to connect people around the world.
This winter, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens (Selby Gardens) will spotlight the work of Robert Mapplethorpe, one of the most significant photographers of the 20th century, together with the poetry of legendary singer-songwriter and poet Patti Smith in a special exhibition on view throughout the garden’s 15-acre Downtown Sarasota campus. Marking the sixth edition of the Gardens’ annual Jean & Alfred Goldstein Exhibition Series, which explores the work of major artists through the lens of their connection to nature, this immersive exhibition puts a selection of Mapplethorpe’s photographs of orchids, hyacinths, and irises, and excerpts of Smith’s poems and lyrics on flowers and nature, in dialogue with new horticultural installations inspired by the two artists’ work. On view from February 13 through June 26, 2022, Robert Mapplethorpe and Patti Smith: Flowers, Poetry, and Light is curated by Dr. Carol Ockman, Selby Gardens’ Curator-at-Large and the Robert Sterling Clark Professor of Art History Emerita at Williams College. The Gardens will host an Evening with Patti Smith, on Tuesday, February 15, a lecture and performance with Smith that will shed new light on this body of work.
For the first time since its founding in 1969, Arts Advocates has its own gallery to display works from its collection of Florida artists. Located in the Siesta Mall, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 119, in Sarasota, the opening exhibit features works by Sarasota Art Colony artists. Docent-guided tours of the exhibit are open to the public from 11am to 11:45pm on the first Wednesday of each month: November 3, December 1, January 5, February 2, March 2, April 6, May 4, and June 1. Tours are $10 per person, or $5 per person for Arts Advocates members, and can be booked below. Attendance is limited to 10. Group and special tours can be arranged by contacting Stephenie Frasher, docent team leader, at docent@artsadvocates.org.
A city tour led by one of Sarasota’s Founding Women: Rose Wilson, Mable Ringling, Marie Selby, and Bertha Palmer, as portrayed by actress and guide Kathryn Chesley. History comes to life on this Sarasota City Tour led by Rose Wilson, Mable Ringling, Marie Selby, or Bertha Palmer, as portrayed by actress and guide Kathryn Chesley. Each week’s 90-minute tour features a different leading founder and focuses on her contributions to Sarasota. Tour ticket includes FREE Parking.
The Farmers’ Market at Lakewood Ranch is home to more than 90 curated vendors of the region’s best food and flavors, located at Waterside Place in Lakewood Ranch. It takes place every Sunday from 10am to 2pm at Waterside Place. It’s your weekend destination for organic produce, meat, poultry, seafood, bread, pasta, juices and prepared foods. Stay up to date on vendors and events by visiting TheMarketLWR.com.
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