“I’ve been doing this for 40 years and I’m always learning,” says Howard Stevens. Stevens, a native of Philadelphia and resident of Sarasota, is a man in possession of two identities: by day, he is Dr. Stevens, practicing physician, but by night he is Howard Stevens, the magician. Stevens has played these dual roles for the entirety of his professional career–both in the medical and theatrical fields–working as an apprentice in magic shops throughout his time in college and medical school, eventually taking his act to the next level as he became a full-time physician by day and professional magician by night.

Now on the Gulf Coast, Stevens is bringing his magic to Sarasota with his latest show, Classic Conjuring, an intimate performance of parlor magic and illusions held at the CMX Cinebistro Siesta Key on April 29th. “We did sort of a premier showing with two shows about two weeks ago and those sold out which was great. I did this show a few years ago, but then COVID hit and things got delayed, so I’ve switched it up to make it a brand new show,” says Stevens. “I’m looking forward to bringing it to the public–there are no public magic shows in Sarasota and haven’t been for a long time.”

Even though Stevens is a veteran, he insists that he’s always developing new techniques and illusions. “There’s always something new out, with new magicians coming up or younger acts bringing in new material. It’s an amazing art form because it entails many different types of things: you’re writing your own script, you're basically your own director and producer and you’re performing on stage,” he says. “It’s a very incredible performance art unlike any of the other ones because people don’t really realize all that goes into it–and you can’t tell them because that’s the secret. Every other art form people realize how much training it takes to be a great dancer, actor, or painter, but when you’re doing magic, you have to be clandestine with what you do and that becomes very special.”

Classic Conjuring, 8p.m. on April 29th, 2023, Cinebistro Siesta Key, 3501 S Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. 

Photo courtesy of Barrie Cohen Public Relations.

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A new trend has burst onto the scene in Sarasota. It’s called permanent jewelry and people of all ages have been lining up at Motel Therapy Boutique every Saturday to get “zapped”. Permanent jewelry is a new and fun experience and here’s how it works: When you walk into the store, you’ll see a sampling of silver and gold chains in different styles. Options include solid gold, gold-filled and sterling silver. Next to the chains sits a velvet tray with an array of charms like birth stones, angel numbers, initials and more. You can choose a bracelet, necklace, anklet, ring or a combination. The jeweler will walk you through the details to help you create your new forever piece. You can keep it simple and classic with just a chain or add charms and connectors for an elevated look. It’s also common to create a “stack” where you choose multiple chains for a layered look. Once you’ve made your selections, the chain is custom fit and welded on making it “permanent” and clasp-less. The welding process is super quick and painless. It’s commonly called getting “zapped” due to the quick zap of the welder. The permanent jewelry at Motel Therapy is professionally welded by LINK X LUXE, a new local company owned and operated by Sarah Seay. I asked Sarah why she thinks permanent jewelry has become so popular. “Permanent jewelry is perfect for so many occasions and the process makes it feel memorable and special. It’s perfect for mothers and daughters who want matching pieces, best friends on vacation, bridal parties and more. We’ve even zapped husbands and boyfriends! Women love wearing the jewelry. They can get up and go and feel put together without fussing over jewelry.” LINK X LUXE also does private functions such as bachelorette parties, Galentine’s events, grand openings and more. You can also find them popping up at Farmer’s Markets in Lakewood Ranch. Head over to Motel Therapy any Saturday–no appointment needed!

Motel Therapy, 532 S. Pineapple Ave Sarasota, 941-960-2277, @moteltherapy. 

Pictured: Photo Caption: Best Friends with matching bracelets. Photo from @LINKXLUXE Instagram

Join us on Lakewood Ranch Main Street from 6 – 9 pm for Music on Main, a free concert series and block party for the public! The street is lined with food vendors, beer trucks, and sponsor booths, as well as rides and activities for the kids. Proceeds from the event will benefit a local non-profit organization each event. April: Kettle of Fish will fill the air with rock, blues, reggae and New Orleans soul music and the event will benefit Ability to Include. 

Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College of Art and Design and the Hermitage Artist Retreat are pleased to announce an expansion of their existing collaboration that will culminate with two full-scale art exhibitions at Sarasota Art Museum in the spring of 2024. While the Hermitage and the Museum have partnered on previous community programs featuring award-winning Hermitage artists across multiple disciplines, these will be the first major exhibitions of Hermitage alumni artists at Sarasota Art Museum. Dan Cameron has been selected to curate an exhibition of multiple Hermitage artists spanning the past two decades. Cameron is a longtime member of the Hermitage’s National Curatorial Council, and he will work in collaboration with Sarasota Art Museum’s Senior Curator Rangsook Yoon to shape an exhibition of works focused on the impact of 10 Hermitage artists, tracing the trajectory of their artistic journeys — from their residencies at the Hermitage to the return of their work to Sarasota. Sarasota Art Museum will simultaneously present a solo exhibition featuring new work and a site-specific installation by Hermitage Fellow Anne Patterson. Patterson is a multidisciplinary artist based in Brooklyn. Her body of work consists of paintings, sculptures, and large-scale multimedia installations that combine sculpture, architecture, lighting, video, music, and scent. 

Pictured: Hermitage Fellow and visual artist Anne Patterson speaks with Andy Sandberg at Sarasota Art Museum. Photo courtesy of Hermitage Artist Retreat .

Expect heavier-than-normal beach traffic and crowds over the upcoming Easter weekend. With tens of thousands of residents and visitors taking full advantage of Manatee County’s world-famous white sands and refreshing Gulf waters, additional law enforcement and first responders will be stationed on Anna Maria Island to keep their time at the beach safe. Additional public port-a-lets will be strategically placed near the public beaches and will be serviced daily over the weekend. In addition, trash will be removed from public beach areas more frequently. As a reminder, alcohol consumption is prohibited on public beaches. While the Palma Sola Causeway Park is pet friendly, pets are prohibited on the other public beaches. Beachgoers should expect heavy traffic on island roads and on the Manatee Avenue and Cortez Avenue bridges. Motorists may experience significant delays when traveling to the Island and should note that public parking areas will likely reach full capacity. Barricades will be placed along Gulf Drive in several locations to assist with traffic control and to help prevent illegal parking. Drivers cannot save parking spaces for other vehicles, double park or park in undesignated lots or spaces. Harris pointed out that MCAT is maintaining its hourly schedule of buses to the beach along Route 3 (Manatee Avenue) and Route 6 (Cortez Road). Riders are encouraged to board at the Desoto Station and ride to the beach along Route 6 or park and ride from the Beach Way Plaza at Manatee Avenue and 75th Street on the Number 3 bus. The Anna Maria Trolley will run every 20 minutes, carrying passengers from Coquina Beach to the Anna Maria Pier. County Government offices will operate with normal business hours. Manatee County-owned golf courses will be open. The G.T. Bray Recreation Center will operate with normal hours Friday and Saturday and will be open from 7:00 a.m. to Noon on Easter Sunday. The G. T. Bray pool will operate on normal hours Friday; Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Sunday from 9 a.m. to Noon. Blackstone Skate Park and G.T. Bray Skate Park will be open. Manatee County’s publicly owned natural preserves will also remain open through the holiday weekend. For more information on Manatee County Government, visit mymanatee.org or call (941) 748-4501. 

With 97 adoptable dogs available at the Palmetto Adoption Center, Manatee County Animal Welfare (MCAW) is reaching a critical population level for dogs. Since the new year, the shelter has accepted an average of 300 pets per month. To help encourage more pet adoptions, MCAW is waiving all adoption fees through Sunday, April 30. During this challenging time, MCAW is asking citizens to help by fostering dogs. They are also seeking help from local shelters and rescues to transfer adoptable dogs into their care. Dog fosters are urgently needed. A highly-populated shelter creates a stressful environment for the dogs at the Palmetto Adoption Center. Fostering benefits pets in a variety of ways: to decompress and relax, to socialize with people and other pets and to learn how to live in a home. Time away from the shelter allows a pet's true personality to shine, giving the staff better information to help find them a forever home. Most importantly, fostering also opens up kennels in the shelter, allowing MCAW to help more incoming homeless pets. MCAW provides fosters all the supplies and needed training. To sign-up to become a dog foster, go to mymanatee.org/fosteradog. For questions or to learn more about the program, please email lauren.tryon@mymanatee.org or call 941-742-5933, ext. 8314. Pet adoptions include spay/neuter, microchip and rabies certificate (a value of over $300). Manatee County residents are required to license their new pet for an additional $20. The Palmetto Adoption Center and Shelter is located at 305 25th Street West in Palmetto. MCAW can be reached at 941-742-5933.  

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The Southwest Florida Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP-SWFL) invites you to its April presentation, Making Your Development You’re your Fundraising Superpower presented by Saras Leonard, MBA, CFRE, Sarasota Leonard Group on Tuesday, April 11, Michael’s On East. Doors open at 11:30 am, program runs from 12:00-1:00pm. A development plan should be more than a list of ways you plan to raise money that sits on a shelf. A workable development plan will lead to higher productivity; increased participation from staff, board members and volunteers; and greater peace of mind for you as a fundraising professional. In other words, it should be your fundraising superpower – helping you raise more money with more help. A 30-year fundraising veteran, Sara founded the Sara Leonard Group to provide consulting, coaching and training to fundraisers, CEO’s and nonprofit board members. She leads The Patterson Foundation’s Fueling Dynamic Fundraising initiative. She created the Fund Development Academy at the Nonprofit Leadership Center. She is a solutions-oriented advancement professional with experience fundraising for healthcare, educational and cultural organizations. She a Past President of the Tampa Bay Chapter of AFP. Grab your best cape and join us for this interactive session and see your development plan in a whole new way. If you don’t have a development plan, join us and learn how to build one. If you already have a development plan, join us to learn how to strengthen it so it works for you. This presentation is open to all AFP Members, nonprofits CEOs and staff. RSVP today for AFP Southwest Florida Chapter’s April presentation at www.eventbrite.com/e/making-your-development-plan-your-fundraising-superpower-tickets-590411385347. To join or learn more about AFP Southwest Florida Chapter, go to https://community.afpnet.org/afpflsouthwestchapter.