Two new art exhibitions open in Burns Court this Saturday, just in time for the Pineapple Slice Art Walk.

At 502 Gallery, Color + Clay highlights the work of Ringling College alumnus Omar Chacon, known for his intricate and many-colored mosaics, alongside the largely monochromatic ceramic art of the late Polly Johnson, a Ringling College instructor whose sculptures in porcelain and stone, each covered in esoteric patterns and lines, lay on display like artifacts from a forgotten people.

Meanwhile, just a few doors down at 512 Pineapple, a special pop-up exhibition unites the work of six local artists, not just in a group show, but as a collaboratively curated experience designed to actively bring their disparate works into direct conversation. Dubbed Collective Narratives, the project features the work of Christina Antoniou, Cassia Kite, Noelle McCleaf, Taylor Robenalt, Selina Roman, and Marina Shaltout, which ranges from painting and sculpture to photography, original music, and even video.

“Everyone has a unique narrative to their work,” says Kite. “We wanted to create an exhibition that fosters a dynamic dialogue between the artists and their works, as well as between the individual pieces themselves.” To that end, no single artist held curatorial control over the show. Instead, they all cooperated and each contributed. “That was essential to creating a shared vision,” Kite says.

The end result is a new kind of group show experience.

Rather than each artist having their own space in the gallery, with visitors shuffling from one to the next as though each were a miniature exhibition all its own, works are grouped according to narrative throughlines or visual commonalities, creating little vignettes only possible through collaboration. In this way, McCleaf’s anthropological photographs of South Florida enter into conversation with the rustic Nebraskan iconography of Kite’s large-scale paintings; Roman’s delicate watercolors can share a chat with Shaltout’s surreal tableaux. And Antoniou’s many “mini-paintings”—oils on woodpanel documenting the artist’s travels and some as small as 1”x1”—can be found making conversation with just about everyone, including a sculpture from Robenalt so iconographically loaded it would make a semiotician blush.

Kite hopes gallerygoers leave the show with a new appreciation for local artists, and maybe something to ponder on the way home.

“They might see something of themselves in the work,” Kite says, “and think about their own narrative.”

Collective Narratives opens this Saturday at 512 Pineapple St., with a reception running 5-8pm. 

Pictured: Collective Narratives features the work of Cassia Kite, Marina Shaltout, Christina Antoniou and more.

Although Spaceman is essentially a one-woman show, the actor on stage might not actually be the star of the show. This is no disrespect to Terri Weagant, who delivers a performance that is, by turns, hilarious, heartbreaking, vulnerable and bold, throwing herself into the role with such energy that I now understand why the woman seated next to me said she’s been waiting for Weagant’s return since 2017’s Bo-Nita. But as much as Spaceman is an actor’s dream, it is a veritable playground for light and sound—and Ethan Vail and Rew Tippin, lighting and sound designers respectively, take full advantage of the opportunity.

Written by Leegrid Stevens, the premise is simple but promising: on a lone trip to Mars, astronaut Molly Jennis must manage the dangers of space travel while confronting the perils of prolonged isolation and a steady overdose of self-reflection. The context makes one ponder every possible definition of the word “baggage.” And the show starts off with a bang. Literally.

Entering the theater, there are signs warning audiences of flashing lights and loud noises, and an Urbanite staff member will verbally repeat this warning. All of this will be ignored. Regardless, you would not be prepared for what comes next. In a triumph of technique and imagination—and using only light and sound—Vail and Tippen effectively transform the theater into a rocket ship, sending the audience on a rumbling launch from an intimate black box into the cold endless void of space. It is a thrilling moment and a high point of the production. Tom Hansen (set design) and Dee Johnson (costumes) also deserve a nod.

Unfortunately, despite the tremendous work done by the entire creative team at Urbanite, Stevens’ script does not fire on all boosters. And even all the passion and movement that Weagant brings to the stage can’t fully compensate for what is not on the page.

Molly’s arc is both truncated and rushed, with the audience dropping in a bit too late in her journey to appreciate the character’s evolution and where she comes from, but at the same time being asked to care as she threatens to unravel further. Having only known this unraveling, it’s a bit like looking at a pile of yarn and being upset that maybe it used to be a sweater. And while dripping backstory provides a bit of the why in something universally tragic, that can only take the audience so far, and rarely into the stratosphere. This is not to say the show is without pathos or emotional impact, but it feels like less than it should be.

In the end, Spaceman is a theatrical experience not to be missed, showcasing Urbanite Theatre’s creative team operating at the height of its transformative powers and delivering a night at the theater unlike any other. But the excellence on display only makes any shortcomings in the script that much more frustrating.

Currently onstage at Urbanite Theatre, Spaceman runs through Feb. 16. 

Pictured: Terri Weagant plays Molly Jennis in Urbanite's atmospheric production of Spaceman. Photo by Sorcha Augustine.

Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota presents Duo Karolina & Iwo on February 6 at Sarasota Yacht Club, Grammy Award winner Imani Winds on February 11 at First Congregational United Church of Christ, and the KP Jazz Trio on February 18 at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit ArtistSeriesConcerts.org or call (941) 306-1202. 

The popular Rainforest Masks of Costa Rica art exhibition will return to Marie Selby Botanical Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota campus from January 11 to 19, 2025. Featuring the traditional art of the Indigenous Boruca people of the Costa Rican rainforest, the show will include more than 300 colorful masks on display inside the Museum of Botany & the Arts and will be available for purchase by visitors. A ticketed preview on January 10 will give a limited number of attendees the first opportunity to view and purchase artworks in the 2025 exhibition. To learn more about Rainforest Masks of Costa Rica and plan your visit, go to selby.org. 

Flashback Fashion show & vintage Market this Saturday at The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime. Fashion show at 11am. Vendors from across Florida are joining from 11-3 from clothing to funky finds. 

To learn more, visit

The Sarasota Players invites patrons, donors, friends, and the community to join them for a milestone celebration as they commemorate 95 years of providing exceptional community theatre in Sarasota. Their 95th Anniversary Soiree, Behind the Curtain: 95 Years of Community Theatre, will take place at The Sarasota Garden Club and Botanical Gardens on February 1 from 6 to 10pm. Tickets are $95, a nod to their 95th anniversary, and can be purchased at theplayers.org or by calling 941-365-2494. They include a cocktail hour with appetizers, two-drink tickets for beer, wine, spirits, and non-alcoholic beverages, a dinner buffet, live entertainment, and fundraising games. A cash bar will be available. 

Immerse yourself in a vibrant world of creativity and craftsmanship at the Annual Sarasota Fine Art Festival, taking place on Saturday and Sunday, January 11-12, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day at J.D. Hamel Park, 199 Bayfront Drive. This premier art event is FREE to attend and open to the public. Renowned as one of the most powerful fine art festivals in Florida and celebrated nationwide, the festival transforms Sarasota into an open-air gallery showcasing the works of talented local, regional, and national artisans. From intricate sculptures to breathtaking paintings, from delicate jewelry to stunning mixed-media creations, the festival offers a unique and inspiring experience for art lovers and collectors alike.

Saturday, January 11, and Sunday, January 12, 2025, 10:00am – 5:00pm daily, Sarasota, Admission: Free. 

Immerse yourself in a world of creativity at the 5th Annual Lakewood Ranch Fine Art Festival, taking place January 25-26, 2025, on Main Street in downtown Lakewood Ranch. Admission is FREE, making this the perfect weekend outing for art enthusiasts and those looking to explore the transformative power of art.

January 25-26, Main Street, Downtown Lakewood Ranch, Admission: Free. 

Sarasota Jewish Theatre (SJT) presents a post-pandemic update of Jeff Baron’s “Visiting Mr. Green” from January 29-February 9. Be A Theatre Maven, a new program launching this season, offers a deep dive into each of the three plays this season. To accommodate demand for the screening of “The Catskills – The Rise and Fall of the Borscht Belt,” a matinee has been added on February 3. All plays and presentations are held at The Sarasota Players, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. To purchase tickets, visit ThePlayers.org or call 941-365-2494. For more information, visit SarasotaJewishTheatre.org.