Head on down to State Street this Friday for the free event of the fall. “Soul on State” is the latest iteration of the Fresh Friday event series, brought together by the Downtown Improvement District of Sarasota and Next-Mark Digital Marketing. This Friday’s free block party, which takes place on State Street between Lemon Avenue and the State Street parking garage and runs from 7p.m.-10p.m., will feature live music from the soul/funk band K-Luv and the United Funk Federation as well as streetside food and beverages.

“The big thing with these Fresh Fridays, is that it's a chance for us to create a sense of place in the downtown area. Our goal was to pick a venue that has convenient parking and could be an entertainment venue as well. People love to come out – we’ve been getting over 1,000 at each event across all ages, from people with babies in their arms to 90 year olds,” says Joseph Grano, Next-Mark founder and event organizer. “It’s our contribution to the city – we just felt that it’s important to have a place for people to come together with no charge. Doesn’t really matter what your socioeconomic status is, it’s there, it’s for you to come out and enjoy yourself. The Downtown Improvement District's vision of this was to create something really spectacular, that highlighted what downtown Sarasota has to offer.”

“Soul on State” celebrates the one year anniversary of the Fresh Friday event series, which launched a year ago in November of 2021. The free event series initially came out of the Downtown Improvement District’s response to the pandemic – the organization wanted to create a safe, free, outdoor space that all could enjoy in the wake of the COVID-19 lockdowns. “Now, It’s grown into a lot more than that – it’s about having a place where people can meet up and participate and do this all for free,” says Grano. “This event will focus on the rhythm and blues. There will be live music, dancing , jenga and cornhole games, along with five different restaurants participating in food and drinks – Brick’s Smoked Meats, State Street Eating House + Cocktails, Art Ovation Hotel, and Tsunami.”

Soul on State will take place Friday, November 4th, 7-10p.m., State St between Lemon Ave and the State St Parking Garage. 

To learn more click here.

On Wednesday and Thursday of last week, California-based playwright Bernardo Cubría was in residence at Florida Studio Theatre (FST) conducting interviews with individuals from Sarasota’s Hispanic and Latinx communities as part of an ongoing collaboration between FST, Milagro Theatre in Portland, OR, and Cubría himself. The interviews are intended to give Cubría more perspective on the voting experiences of fellow Hispanic and Latinx people since their unique points of view are a central topic of his new play. This collaborative project is being funded by the National New Play Network (NNPN) who awarded FST $10,000 to support the theater and Cubría’s interview process. Additionally, Lydia Baxter, FST’s Public Relations Manager, stated the Theatre will work with a representative from UnidosNow, a local organization dedicated to elevating the quality of life of the growing Hispanic/Latino community in Manatee and Sarasota, in order to amplify Hispanic and Latinx voices locally. In fact, FST’s own Hispanic and Latinx staff members were invited to participate in the interview process.

With amplification in mind, Cubría affirmed FST’s intention, saying “…FST has set me up with so many interviews with wonderful community members this week. I texted my wife last night, ‘God, I love Latino people’ because I've gotten to spend so much time with them this week.” With the word “Latino” in mind, Cubría hopes to educate his audience on the false monolithic phrase “Latino Vote” which was first popularized during the 2016 election. Cubría further explained “The idea that every single person from Tijuana to Buenos Aires should agree on every single human issue is a deeply misguided notion” which breaks down the perception of Latin America as a monolith and allows for a more dynamic view of the Hispanic and Latinx voting experience in the U.S.

As with any political phrase, discourse is necessary to understanding its nuance which is why interviewing and engaging with local Hispanic and Latinx community members is a necessary step in Cubría unpacking the “Latino Vote.”

He added that one of the best ways to support Hispanic and Latinx communities in general, but specifically those involved in the arts, is through funding. “Florida Studio Theatre clearly has given money to a Mexican writer to write a play for this community, and I made it very clear and was so excited by how genuinely and aggressively Florida Studio Theatre wants to reach their Latino audience.” Big picture, this project will impact the Sarasota Hispanic and Latinx community on a greater scale than by the interviews alone, it is giving a voice to a largely underrepresented demographic in theater and creating a safe space for audience members of that same demographic to see themselves on stage.

Florida Studio Theatre, 1241 N Palm Ave, Sarasota, 941-366-9000. 

Pictured: Playwright Bernardo Cubria in residence at Florida Studio Theatre. Photo by Wes Roberts

To learn more click here.

Confession: I had never read Cormac McCarthy before. Sure, I saw the film Old Country for Old Men (with my eyes squinted shut for the scary scenes) and I heard about how depressing The Road (his Pulitzer Prize winning novel was), but Stella Maris, his most recent novel, is the one for which I finally screwed up my courage.

And guess what? No violence. I won’t spoil any other specifics for you, but this book is obviously by ‘the Grandpa who’s finally mellowed out’ and that’s said with zero ageism and 100% respect and revelry.

Here’s the plot’s skeleton: a young female mathematician checks herself into a Wisconsin psychiatric hospital. Stella Maris details weeks of her conversation with an older male psychiatrist. Counseling plots are my jam (Listen to the Marriage being another of my staff picks and most of the reason I bought into the Sopranos with the great Lorraine Branco as Tony’s shrink). So, it’s not for readers hell bent on action, but rather those who enjoy the slow burn of questions: is she or isn’t she mentally scrambled in combination with why did the therapist say that?

This novel is heavily laden with math theories and a unique way of looking at whose judgment mental illness belongs to, as well as where the origin of mental illness began.

Stella Maris, ISBN#: 9780307269003 is available for pre-sale now at www.sarasotabooks.com and in store on December 6th at BookStore1 117 S. Pineapple Ave. Sarasota, FL 34236. 

Sarasota-based Define Art Gallery and Studio is thrilled to welcome art enthusiasts and collectors to its launch on Friday, November 4 at 6:00 p.m. at 2170 Main Street, Suite 101. Guests are invited to experience an evening of live music, handcrafted cocktails, light bites and original fine art by Sarasota Artists. The art launch and /Ab’ Strakt/ Exhibition of work by Artist Deena King and invited artists Adrienne Watts and Joyce Berger depict the encompassing present experience and culture of Sarasota through conceptual visualization. “Abstract is defined as 'something’ existing in thought or as an idea, but not having a physical or concrete existence,” said Define Art Gallery owner Deena King. “As an abstract artist, my goal is to create the idea into existence with a non-figurative image.”  The two-hour event features artwork taking on all aspects of content and melding them together into a collection of thoughts that speak to the audience. Each piece is bold and edgy. “The most rewarding aspect to creating abstract art is when another person connects with my artwork,” King added. “When they can be emotionally pulled into the concept and image. When they share a personal story, idea or experience that was felt when viewing my artwork. That is the greatest feeling of accomplishment.” 

Pictured: Define Art Gallery owner and professional abstract artist Deena King.

To learn more click here.

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens will open its 2022-23 “Performances at the Point” outdoor evening concert series with Choral Artists of Sarasota on Wednesday, November 9, at the Historic Spanish Point campus in Osprey. Choral Artists will present a one-hour program of songs from “Say a Little Prayer,” the vocal ensemble’s recent season-opening concert, which features meditative music from faith traditions around the world. The event is from 6 to 8 p.m., with the performance starting at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $30 for Selby Gardens members and $35 for non-members, and may be purchased online at selby.org. Advance ticket purchase is required. Dr. Joseph Holt, artistic director of Choral Artists of Sarasota, will conduct the performance, and Susan Versage will accompany on piano. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., and guests will have time to enjoy the area around the historic White Cottage, Sunken Garden, and Pergola overlooking Little Sarasota Bay prior to the performance. Food and beverages will be available for purchase from the Michael’s on East Food Truck that operates at the Historic Spanish Point campus. To learn more, visit selby.org and go to the “Special Events” page. 

Pictured: Choral Artists of Sarasota will perform at Selby Gardens’ Historic Spanish Point campus on November 9. Photo courtesy of Selby Gardens.

The Players Centre is proud to team up with Sarasota Jewish Theatre and the SaraSolo Festival to present Rhapsody for Golda, Nov. 9 – 13, 2022 at Studio 1130 at The Crossings at Siesta Key mall (3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34239.) Blake Walton directs this new musical with book, lyrics and music by Sharon Ohrenstein and music by David Ohrenstein, and choreography by Vanessa Russo. Sharon also stars as Golda Meir. This original one-woman musical tells the story of the rise of one of the greatest stateswomen of the 20th Century, Golda Meir. Meir was an Israeli politician, and teacher, who served as the fourth prime minister of Israel from 1969 to 1974. She was the first woman to become head of government in Israel.Previews take place Nov. 9 at 7:30pm, Nov. 10-12 at 7:30pm and Nov. 13 at 2pm at Studio 1130 – The Crossings at Siesta Key, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Please park and enter the mall at Connor’s Steak and Seafood. Ticket prices: Preview night- $20, all other dates- $25. 

CoolToday Park, the Spring Training home of the Atlanta Braves has set the first pitch times for their 2023 Spring Training games while also announcing that single game tickets will go on sale Saturday, November 12. The Braves are scheduled to begin the 2023 Grapefruit League season on Saturday, February 25, at CoolToday Park against the Boston Red Sox. The team’s 30 game schedule will be played against 11 different teams – Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Minnesota Twins, Tampa Bay Rays, New York Mets, Houston Astros, Detroit Tigers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Baltimore Orioles, and Philadelphia Phillies – as well as a World Baseball Classic game played at CoolToday Park on March 8. All games will be played at 1:05 p.m., except for March 7 vs. the Boston Red Sox, and March 18 vs. the Philadelphia Phillies, which are scheduled for 6:05 p.m. starts. Season and group tickets, as well as hospitality spaces are on sale now, with individual game tickets going on sale on Saturday, November 12, at 8 a.m. Tickets can be purchased at the CoolToday Park Box Office or by visiting www.cooltodaypark.com/tickets. For more information, please contact the CoolToday Park Box Office at 941-413-5004 or visit cooltodaypark.com. 

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced Wednesday it will open a Business Recovery Center in Venice on Friday, Nov. 4, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., to assist Floridians with their SBA disaster loan applications. The SBA Business Recovery Center will be located at theVenice Community Center, 326 Nokomis Ave. South – Room E, and its regular operating hours will be from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Sunday. “Our Business Recovery Centers are one of the most powerful resources at SBA’s disposal to support business owners in the midst of a disaster,” said Francisco Sanchez, Jr., Associate Administrator, Office of Disaster Assistance. “Business owners can meet in-person with our specialists to apply for SBA disaster loans and get information on the full breadth of our programs designed to help them navigate their recovery.” 

To learn more click here.