This week, check out the new gallery space of international artist Jorge Blanco, located in Sarasota’s Burns Historic Court District. The gallery space, titled Jorge Blanco + Andrew Ford Fine Art, showcases Blanco’s print work and sculptures.

“Recently my friend Andrew Ford offered me a little space in a great location in the city to show my work,” says Blanco. “I’m very happy with this opportunity. We did a little opening a week ago and will have a bigger opening in February. I’m showing my sculptures and prints – it’s a beautiful smaller space, so I’m not showing my biggest pieces there but I’m still super happy with it and grateful for the space.”

Blanco, who originally hails from Venezuela and emigrated to the United States in 1999, specializes in abstract sculpture crafted from different types of metals that span the range from colossal public works made on commission to various sizes of collectible sculptures. His art aims to embrace positivity, by highlighting the brilliant moments of everyday life. Although rooted in the abstract, his work is far from unrecognizable – his 2005 sculpture “In the Swim”, which can be found in Fort Pierce, Florida features an abstract, yet identifiable portrayal of three people swimming. Much of his sculpture work is heavily influenced by minimalist, geometric design as he explores planes and angles in his art.

“You draw from the tribulations of your experience and your environment,” says Blanco. “I’ve been working in art from the time I was a teenager. In 1974, it became my profession with my first piece to show to the public and in 1975 I did my first solo exhibition of sculptures and drawings – I’ve been at it for almost 50 years. I studied industrial design, which is very close to architectural and sculptural work and has also been a big influence on my art.”

Jorge Blanco + Andrew Ford Fine Art, Hours: Wednesdays and Thursdays 10am-3pm, 502 Pineapple Ave, Sarasota, 941-953-7776, https://www.jorgeblancosculpture.com/ 

Embracing Our Differences celebrates the start of its 20th anniversary with a free Grand Opening Celebration on Sunday, January 22, noon-3 p.m., in Sarasota’s downtown Bayfront Park. The event features live performances by Jah Movement, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe and spoken word poets. Local arts and education organizations will have booths featuring interactive, kid-friendly activities. Miss Susie’s Newtown Kitchen, Big Blue Grilled Cheese, Kilik's Kitchen, and Krewe Du Snoball food trucks will be stationed at the event. EOD will also recognize many of the artists and quoters who had their works selected for display as well as honoring Best-in-Show award winners, including Best-in-Show Student Artist Alexis Lee, a 10th grade student from Irvine, CA. For more information, visit www.embracingourdifferences.org. 

Pictured: Beauty of the World by Laura Makaltses. Courtesy of Embracing Our Differences.

Bijou Garden Café, an iconic downtown restaurant offering fine dining with an intimate and inviting ambiance in the heart of Sarasota’s theatre and arts district since 1986, will feature local performers for its January Bijou Broadway Brunch event. The popular monthly Broadway Brunch continues this month on Sunday, Jan. 15 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will be hosted by Joey Panek and feature Dr. Joseph Holt at the piano. Panek and Holt will be joined by singers Kevin Steele, Danielle Talamentes and Kerry Wilkerson. The performers will entertain guests as they dine on a delicious menu designed specifically for the event. Dr. Holt is known to the local arts community having served as artistic director for both Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota and Choral Artists of Sarasota. Before Panek started working in local media and television, he was a professional stage actor who performed in regional theaters and on national tours. Steele spent 14 years as a professional actor working in productions in New York City, at regional theaters and on national and international tours. Talamentes has an extensive singing career, including performances with the Metropolitan Opera, the National Philharmonic and onstage at Carnegie Hall. Wilkerson has sung with the Jacksonville Symphony, the Pacific Symphony and onstage at Carnegie Hall. Guests will be able to order from a special menu prepared by executive chef Christopher Covelli and his culinary team. The menu will feature freshly baked quiche, eggs Benedict, salads and lunch fare. The restaurant is currently accepting reservations for this month’s Broadway Brunch. To make a reservation, visit BijouGardenCafe.com or call 941-366-8111. 

 The Suncoast Black Arts Collaborative, a nonprofit organization that uses the unifying power of the arts to nurture inclusion and diversity across the regional arts and cultural landscape, announces the winners for its “2023 Visions in Black” initiative. This juried exhibition celebrating the work of talented artists of African descent who live in Florida, will be presented in three different galleries in Sarasota and Manatee counties, February 2-25. Jurors Alyssia Lazin and Paul Toliver selected the work of 54 artists to exhibit and awarded three first place, three second place, and three third place winners—and two honorable mentions. Tim Yaeger and Marlon Tobias served on the curatorial submission committee and Mark Ormond, curator, will select which works will hang at each of the three galleries.  

Pictured: 2023 Visions in Black, Birth of a Child by Frederick Woods, First Place. Courtesy of The Suncoast Black Arts Collaborative.

CreArte Latino Cultural Center is launching Nuestra Música, a Latin music workshop for Latino/Hispanic youth between 9 and 16 years old—with an emphasis on students who come from low-income families. The eight-week pilot program, mainly funded by the Manatee Community Foundation, will be taught in Spanish by two local professional musicians, Jairo Hernandez and Gian Carlos Cepeda Mantilla, and will explore folk music from the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. Participants will learn how to play the basics of one or several instruments of their choice, including percussion (bongo, conga, güira, maracas, marimba and timbal), strings (guitar, banjo, tiples, cuatro) and keyboard, to interpret traditional tunes. The Nuestra Música workshop is for 15 Spanish speakers. Classes begin Wednesday, January 18, 6-8 p.m., and continue through March 8, culminating in a performance open to the public. The cost is $185, and scholarships are available. To register and for more information, visit www.creartelatino.org. 

Pictured: Jairo Hernandez, one of the two teachers of Nuestra Musica. Photo courtesy of CreArte Latino Cultural Center.

The Sarasota Concert Association presents pianist Awadagin Pratt at the Riverview Performing Arts Center in Sarasota on February 15 at 7:30 p.m. Acclaimed for his musical insight and intensely involved performances, Mr. Pratt performs a varied program of piano works to audiences worldwide.  The Boston Music Intelligencer describes Pratt’s diversity as “An enormous dynamic range encompassed grave quiet to immense thunder.” His upcoming program includes Glassworks by Philip Glass, Prelude in D, Op. 23, no. 4 from Rachmaninoff, and Chopin’s Nocturne in B, Op. 62, no. 1 as well as selections from Couperin, Vasks, Hersch, Tchaikovsky, and Liszt. As a strong advocate of music education, Mr. Pratt participates in numerous residency and outreach activities wherever he appears. This season, in conjunction with Sarasota Concert Association’s new mentoring program, he will present a master class and conversation with students at Booker High School, following his February concert. An experienced conductor, Mr. Pratt has conducted programs with the Toledo, New Mexico, Vancouver WA, Winston-Salem symphonies, the Concertante di Chicago and several orchestras in Japan. Mr. Pratt has performed three times for The White House and is currently a Professor of Piano at the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. He also served as the Artistic Director of the World Piano Competition in Cincinnati and is currently the Artistic Director of the Art of the Piano Festival at CCM. Single tickets are on sale now at www.SCAsarasota.org or by calling the Sarasota Concert Association Box Office at 941-966-6161. 

Back by popular demand, Hamlet’s Eatery is hosting monthly Sunday Brunches. The first one is this Sunday, January 15, from 10 am - 2pm. Enjoy delicious brunch food including vegan options, Mimosas, Bloody Marys, and World Music with Zooey Seraphine and guest guitarist Enrique. Zooey is a vibrant violinist and songwriter whose performances draw from a colorful palette of styles. Her covers and original music will enchant guests and take them on a sultry journey around the world. From folk to jazz guests will be enchanted. Joining her on guitar is Enrique. Located at 821 Apricot Ave in the courtyard of The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime. There is plenty of seating under the covered patio. For more information visit www.Hamletseatery.com or call 941-445-1398.  

Pictured: Zooey Seraphine. Photo courtesy of Hamlets Eatery.

The 6th annual Hospital Gala hosted by Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation was held at The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota on January 7, 2023, with 700 guests in attendance. The event raised a record-breaking $1,500,000 in support of Cancer Care Services at the Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute at Sarasota Memorial. The evening was hosted by the Healthcare Foundation’s Board of Trustees, with Jonathan and Michelle Mitchell/Joel and Gail Morganroth as the Premier Sponsor. Sarasota Memorial announced plans to break ground on a new Cancer Pavilion on the Sarasota campus this year that will offer a full complement of outpatient services to the inpatient, surgical and radiation oncology services the Jellison Cancer Institute brought to the community during the past two years. Services housed in the new outpatient Cancer Pavilion will include mammography and ultrasound diagnostics, oncology clinic and infusion, surgical oncology clinic, radiation oncology and infusion, outpatient operating rooms, integrative care and multidisciplinary clinics. 2023 Hospital Gala Premier Sponsor: Jonathan and Michelle Mitchell / Joel and Gail Morganroth; Helicopter Sponsor: Brian and Sheila Jellison Family Foundation; Florida Cancer Specialists; Sunset Automotive Group; Ambulance Sponsors: Ambitrans Ambulance; Maria Bradley and Martin Pfister; Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation; Ariane Dart; Deb Kabinoff Fund; In honor of Helene Kosloski and Kosloski Family Foundations; Barbara and Gary Rodkin. Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation is the philanthropic partner that helps Sarasota Memorial Health Care System bring world-class healthcare to our community. For over 45 years, the Healthcare Foundation has provided grants to enhance patient care, facilities and technology, and support for ongoing clinical education and medical research. smhf.org. 

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