The annual conference known as PINC returns to the Sarasota Opera House this December 7, following a three-year hiatus. And in those three years, the minds behind the PINC experience, in conjunction with All Star Children’s Foundation, have taken the opportunity to tweak the formula a bit, still offering a day of varied and inspiring speakers and presentations, but under a slightly different name—and one that speaks to the conference’s renewed sense of purpose. “PINC was built around community,” says Anand Pallegar, founder of DreamLarge, the organization behind the yearly conference. “And we need to use PINC as a platform for advancing unity in our community.”

Since its arrival in Sarasota in 2014, the annual PINC conference (People, Ideas, Nature, Creativity) has dubbed itself the “most creative day in Sarasota,” bringing an eclectic collection of accomplished artists, athletes, innovators and oddballs to the Opera House stage for a day of education and entertainment. The last conference was held in 2019.

Under its new banner—People, Ideas, Nature, Community—the conference will still be that “creative bubble bath for your brain,” Pallegar assures, and still feature that wide variety of speakers from different disciplines and walks of life, but now he hopes some of that energy and creativity can be more actively harnessed, in at least some small way, towards a common cause that can have local impact. “This year has allowed us to really imagine what a more unified, more connected Sarasota could look like,” he says. “And we saw PINC as an opportunity to bring people back together.”

To that end, PINC 2023 will be the first year that the famously horizontal and unpredictable event has a single unifying theme—overcoming trauma. And so this year’s roster of 12 speakers, while ranging from wheelchair racers and muralists to NASA researchers and philanthropists, will all converge, in their own way, on the central question occupying Pallegar’s mind: “How do we, as a community, move forward together in unity and become more informed about how to identify trauma, react to it, and advance as a community?”

The structure of the day will remain the same as previous conferences with presentations in the morning and afternoon, each followed by opportunities for the audience to engage with the speakers. To encourage this engagement, attendance is capped at 450 seats, maintaining a workable speaker-to-audience ratio. And with the return of auxiliary events such as the accompanying Long Table Dinner, a separate ticketed affair held the day after the conference and attended by the speakers, attendees will have ample chance to meet the speakers in casual conversation.

Tickets are currently on sale for the December 7 event and, in the spirit of community, Pallegar says that any who want to attend but cannot due to financial reasons should reach out to DreamLarge about accommodation. “We want the people who want to be there,” he explains. “That’s what PINC is about, and our community wins when these stories are shared and imbued into the fabric of Sarasota." 

Pictured: The audience gets into the act at PINC 2019. Photo courtesy of DreamLarge.

To purchase tickets and to view the speaker list for PINC 2023, click here.

In a time when sea levels are rapidly rising and tropical storms are becoming more destructive with each passing season, Michelle Oka Doner’s work stands out. It stands out, because that’s what Doner, an internationally acclaimed artist and Miami Beach native has always cared about: the flora and fauna of the environment around her. Doner, whose specialties include sculpting and printmaking amongst many other skills, has been creating art centered around the natural world and humanity’s relationship to it since the late 1960s. This November, Doner will be presenting her first solo exhibition at The Ringling Museum of Art with Michele Oka Doner: The True Story of Eve.

“I’ve been talking with Michele for a number of years now, she’s someone that’s really dedicated to the local flora and fauna of Florida,” says Ola Wlusek, the Keith D. and Linda L. Monda Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at The Ringling. “She’s really interested in nature and our efforts to preserve it, however, her work approaches the topic in a more poetic way through the use of sculpture, printmaking and drawing.”

While The True Story of Eve isn’t necessarily a retrospective, it will provide a broad range of Doner’s work in materials like bronze, ceramic, wood and glass from the 1960s until now. “Michele’s really interesting because she uses found materials in the majority of her work–she’ll employ anything from small leaves to sticks to sea shells to Palmetto tree fronds,” says Wlusek. “She also works in almost every medium from sculpture to bronze to silver to mixed media and even glass. Her printmaking ranges from both small scale prints to large scale pieces over six feet high.”

Doner’s artistic range allows for viewers to experience the exhibition in a multitude of ways. Not only will Doner’s work be presented on the walls, but various sculptures and pieces will be presented on the floor in the round as well. It’s a fitting exhibition for Doner at this stage of her career. For an artist who has always been inspired by Florida’s climate, her work may not be any more relevant than it is now.

The Ringling Museum of Art, 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota. 

Pictured: Michele Oka Doner. Image courtesy of The Ringling Museum of Art.

To learn more, visit.

Manatee County families will have a new way to help their children’s love of reading grow through the brand-new Story Book Trail at Lincoln Park, opening November 16. Sponsored by I Am Yes Joyful Projects and Manatee Education Foundation, the Story Book Trail is an interactive instructive adventure that places the pages of a children’s story along a walking trail. Designed and built in conjunction with the School District of Manatee County and Soar in 4, this path will allow children of all levels to enjoy the outdoors and read a book with their family and friends, helping to build interest in reading while encouraging healthy outdoor physical fitness. "The new Story Book Trail at Lincoln Park takes story-time out of the home and brings it into nature and our community,” said Manatee County District Two Commissioner Amanda Ballard. “With colorful illustrations and new opportunities to explore and learn, this engaging activity will go a long way to helping kids at a crucial time in their development and bring Manatee County families closer together." A brief opening ceremony will take place on Thursday, November 16, at 1:30 PM, at 501 17th Street East, Palmetto, 34221. After, people are invited to read the book, A Walk in the Forest by Maria Dek, as they stroll along the panels throughout the Lincoln Park trail. A variety of activities also will be set up until 3 PM. “I am so very happy that my story was chosen for the first Story Book Trail in Manatee County,” said Dek. “It’s a great honor. My hope is that Story Book Trail will enchant families with beauty and peace.” The panels include literacy and activity tips, making it an adventure for learners at every level of education. Additionally, the panels are narrated in English and Spanish to enhance the storytelling experience. For more information about Manatee County Government, visit mymanatee.org or call (941) 748-4501. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @ManateeGov. 

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens announced that Phase One of its three-phase Master Plan for its downtown Sarasota campus will open to the public on January 11, 2024. The project adds 188,030 square feet of new facilities and amenities, including: A 150-seat ground-level garden-to-plate restaurant, called The Green Orchid, featuring a rooftop edible garden that provides fresh produce and is planned and maintained by Operation EcoVets, a nonprofit that provides opportunities for veterans. A research center that will offer a window into Selby Gardens’ world-class research, with more than 150,000 plant specimens and a library with volumes dating to the 1700s. A solar array that makes Selby Gardens the world’s first botanical garden complex to be net-positive in its energy consumption. 

Pictured: The open-air Jean Goldstein Welcome Center consisting of a ticketing pavilion, welcome gallery, and welcome theater to properly accommodate and orient guests.

To learn more, visit.

Andy Sandberg, Artistic Director and CEO of the Hermitage Artist Retreat, announced today that Madeleine George and Shariffa Ali, the first two recipients of the $35,000 Hermitage Major Theater Award (HMTA), will have presentations of their newly commissioned plays this month in New York at MCC Theater on November 17 and 20. Developed while in residence at the Hermitage in Sarasota County, Florida, these two accomplished theater makers will present workshop readings of their works in New York as part of the commission includes the first presentations in a recognized ‘arts capital.’  Pulitzer Prize finalist and playwright Madeleine George, currently a writer on the hit Hulu series “Only Murders in the Building,” will be presenting her new comedy The Sore Loser to an invitation-only audience on Friday, November 17th at 4pm. Theater-maker and director Shariffa Ali will share an in-process presentation of her newly devised work, Hero, for invitation-only audiences on Monday, November 20th at 4pm. Both readings will take place at MCC Theater in New York. Each of these original commissions are coming to fruition in less than two years of the recipients learning of their award. 

Pictured: HMTA Winner Madeleine George.

Key Chorale and The Sarasota Ballet Studio Ballet Company will partner once again for Wintertide on Sunday, November 26th at the Sarasota Opera House. Wintertide blends Spanish, Mexican and Puerto Rican carols in Conrad Susa’s Carols and Lullabies with John Rutter’s chilly choral cycle When Icicles Hang. Key Chorale and The Sarasota Ballet Studio Company entwine dance and music for this unique program celebrating the blue nights of winter and the magic of the season. Imagine the stage of the Sarasota Opera House filled with 30+ dancers, 100 singers, orchestra, and soloists for this exciting collaboration. The program will also showcase classical guitarist Paul Moeller who will be featured in Carols & Lullabies with percussionist William Brown, harpist John McColley, and soloists Amy Jo Connours, Melissa Simmons, Zachery Stockman, and Jesse Martin. Moeller will also share a virtuosic solo by Issac Albeniz titled Leyenda which captures the spirit of flamenco from Andalusia. In addition, patrons will hear several seasonal favorites from England - including The Sussex Carol, The First Nowell, and Fantasia on Greensleeves by Vaughan Williams, oftentimes associated with the text What Child is This. Also highlighted are What Sweeter Music by John Rutter and a First Snow, a lovely instrumental work by Ola Gjeilo featuring Key Chorale’s Principal Keyboardist Glenn Priest. 

Producer Jeffrey Seller and the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall announce today that single tickets for HAMILTON will go on sale to the public on Thursday, November 16 at 10am ET at VanWezel.org, in person at the Van Wezel Box Office or by calling 941-263-6799. Tickets will be available for performances Tuesday, March 26, 2024 – Sunday, April 7, 2024. There is a maximum purchase limit of eight tickets per account for the engagement. When tickets go on sale, prices will range from $59 to $159 with a select number of premium seats available from $209 for all performances.  There will be a lottery for 40 $10 seats for all performances. Details will be announced closer to the engagement. Jeffrey Seller notes, “It's tempting to get tickets any way you can. There are many sites and people who are selling overpriced, and in some cases, fraudulent tickets. For the best seats, the best prices and to eliminate the risk of counterfeit tickets, all purchases for the Sarasota engagement should be made through VanWezel.org.” A revolutionary story of passion, unstoppable ambition, and the dawn of a new nation. HAMILTON is the epic saga that follows the rise of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton as he fights for honor, love, and a legacy that would shape the course of a nation. Based on Ron Chernow’s acclaimed biography and set to a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B, and Broadway, HAMILTON has had a profound impact on culture, politics, and education. In addition to its 11 Tony Awards, it has won Grammy®, Olivier Awards, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and an unprecedented special citation from the Kennedy Center Honors. HAMILTON features book, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, and musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire. HAMILTON features scenic design by David Korins, costume design by Paul Tazewell, lighting design by Howell Binkley, sound design by Nevin Steinberg, hair and wig design by Charles G. LaPointe, and casting by Telsey + Company, Bethany Knox, CSA. The musical is produced by Jeffrey Seller, Sander Jacobs, Jill Furman and The Public Theater. The HAMILTON Original Broadway Cast Recording is available everywhere nationwide. For information on HAMILTON, visit: HamiltonMusical.com. Follow HAMILTON on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X & TikTok @HamiltonMusical. 

REVIVE, RESTORE | Unleashing the power of ecological restoration, November 2023. 

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