The counterculture movement of the 1960s and ‘70s is alive and well at Florida Studio Theatre. Catch the organization’s hit summer cabaret, The Music of Laurel Canyon, this weekend before it closes out on Sunday, September 1. The hit rock revue, which was extended back in July, was created by Michael Visconti back in 2022 for the Casa Mañana Theatre in Texas and features his band, Buffalo Rome, which has been performing for nearly 20 years.

The show is in many ways a time machine to a unique period in American history. In the mid-60s and ‘70s, the Laurel Canyon neighborhood of Los Angeles became a hub for the counterculture movement of the era, a place where legendary rock musicians would call home and go on to write some of the most legendary music in the rock and roll canon. Members of bands such as Buffalo Springfield, the Eagles, Crosby, Stills & Nash congregated with musicians like Jim Morrison and Joni Mitchell, creating music that expressed the attitude of the era and would live on long after the careers of its creators.

“The songs that you’ll find in this cabaret will really hit our audience from that timeframe. They’re gonna know all those songs and they have meaning. They tell you musically and historically where we were in the country and what was happening to us in the world,” Associate Artist and Literary Manager Catherine Randazzo. “They’re gonna start out in 1965 and hit you with all of the songs in which people were looking for meaning. The draft was happening, Vietnam was happening and the Laurel Canyon group created their own little coven of music creation and it just took off. It was like Woodstuck but only on the West Coast.”

Randazzo credits some of the music’s long-lasting impact because of its outward look and interrogation of the world around the musicians. “I don’t listen to pop music as much as I used to, but I find that a lot of pop music today is about the artist themselves. The music they write is about themselves and how they feel the world treats them,” says Randazzo. “Back then, these guys weren’t talking about themselves. They were talking about the world around them.”

June 18 to September 1, John C. Court Cabaret, 1265 First St, Sarasota, 941-366-9000. 

Pictured: from left to right: Mark Schaffel, Michael Visconti and Miles Aubrey. Photo by John Jones.

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The Hermitage Artist Retreat recently announced its 2024-2025 Curatorial Council, comprised of distinguished national arts leaders spanning the fields of theater, music, visual art, literature, and arts education. The newest additions to the Council include two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage; three-time Grammy Award-nominated recording artist and composer Shara Nova; New York Times bestselling author and one of Time’s “100 Most Influential People of 2024” Lauren Groff; the Brooklyn Museum’s Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art Kimberli Gant; New Victory Theater’s Director of Education Courtney J. Boddie; President and Executive Director of Creative Capital Christine Kuan; and founder of Arts Corp and Arts Education Manager for the City of Seattle Tina LaPadula. 

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The Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation is pleased to invite the community to attend one of two town halls on Wednesday, September 18, when exciting updates for the vision of the new Sarasota Performing Arts Center will be revealed. The Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW) design team will share their initial design concepts, offering a glimpse of what’s to come. During the event, attendees will get a first look at the latest ideas for the activities and spaces in this new state-of-the-art center. Following the presentation, the architects from RPBW and Sarasota-based Sweet Sparkman, the project’s architect of record, along with designers from Arup Group, a leading theatre and venue design and advisory practice, will break into smaller groups, giving attendees the opportunity to engage directly with the architects, ask questions, and share their thoughts. Session 1: Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, Grand Foyer, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. , Session 2: Robert L. Taylor Community Complex, 1845 John Rivers (34th) St., Sarasota, 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 pm. Childcare will be provided by Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation teaching artists who will explore arts and architecture. Children will receive a FREE book! Both events will offer ASL interpretation. 

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The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art proudly announces Sumi-e Exhibition: East Asian Brush Painting, presented by the Sarasota Chapter of the Sumi-e Society of America. This exhibition, on view at The Ringling's Community Gallery in the Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Center for Asian Art, celebrates the ancient art form of Sumi-e, also known as East Asian Brush Painting. The exhibition showcases the refined techniques and deep cultural significance of this traditional Japanese art, as practiced by the talented members of the Sarasota Chapter. Sumi-e Exhibition: East Asian Brush Painting is a captivating display that invites viewers to explore the harmony and balance inherent in this art form. The exhibition features 44 beautifully painted shikishi boards, each curated to reflect the philosophy and traditions of Sumi-e painting. Visitors will gain insight into the materials, techniques, and meditative process of creating art with black ink on white paper, which dates back 6,000 years. The Sarasota Chapter of the Sumi-e Society of America has been a vibrant part of the local arts community since its founding in 1990. This exhibition not only represents the collective efforts of its members but also highlights the diversity and dedication of artists committed to preserving and advancing this timeless art form. Sumi-e Exhibition: East Asian Brush Painting is currently on display at The Ringling's Community Gallery from August 29 through December 2, 2024. Exhibitions at The Ringling's Community Gallery are always free to visit; visitors can check in at the museum's Visitor Pavilion upon arrival and ask for a Community Gallery wristband. For additional information and hours, visit ringling.org. 

Pictured: Chapman, Marcy. In Autumn. 2024. Sumi ink and watercolor. Photo courtesy of Ringling Museum of Art.

Selby Gardens is thrilled to officially kick-off its season with a year-long schedule of special exhibitions, programs, and exciting events! As we continue our mission to provide bayfront sanctuaries that connect people with air plants, native nature, and regional history, we're delighted to welcome visitors locally, from across the United States, and from around the world to our 2024-2025 season at both campuses. From The Orchid Show 2024: PURPLE!  to our new exhibition Patti Smith: A Book of Days, to Selby Gardens' favorites like Lights at Spooky Point, Lights in Bloom®, and the annual Jean & Alfred Goldstein Exhibition Series (which will be announced next week - stay tuned!), we look forward to celebrating a season of unique horticultural beauty and one-of-a-kind exhibitions as The Living Museum™!