During her life behind the lens, photographer Marcia Trieger has shown her work in over a hundred shows across the world, taught at the renowned Antonelli Institute in Pennsylvania and founded the BFA program in Digital Photography at the Art Institute in Tampa. Upon leaving academia, Trieger opened Blind Spot Fine Arts in Tampa, where she could finally sell the work she spent a life creating. And as of this past December, Trieger and Blind Spot Fine Arts have moved to Bradenton.

“I started going through all my negatives and slides and I realized that I had an inventory,” said Trieger, who hadn’t planned on starting a business out of her home, but couldn’t resist the temptation. After a career teaching photography, it only seemed right to share. At the moment, Trieger operates out of her home and conducts business mostly through her website, but that could change.

And with a curriculum that included the history of photography, Trieger incorporates more than the usual photographic techniques in her work, and customers will find digital and fractal imagery alongside historical methods such as Leonardo Da Vinci’s pinhole cameras. Perhaps the most striking are the cyanotypes, made from an early technique wherein the artist combines two chemicals into a photosensitive solution, paints an image onto paper or fabric and then develops the image under UV light. Currently, she’s working on a new line of rolling designer luggage, complete with her prints on the outside.

But Trieger wants to do more than sell art in her time in Bradenton. In Tampa, Trieger was also a member of the Florida Museum of Photography and Las Damas de Arte, a group of women artists dedicated to increasing scholarship opportunities for young women artists in the community, and hopes that through Blind Spot she can find ways to become similarly involved in her new home. “I felt that I was doing some good for the community,” said Trieger, who plans to host photography workshops in the future and find other ways to engage the public. “And that’s a dream of mine – to become really involved with the Sarasota-Bradenton community.” 

Blind Spot Fine Arts

A new website launched by Gulf Coast Community Foundation aims to measure critical aspects of our region’s economy and quality of life over the long term, to help decision-makers monitor trends, identify emerging issues, and plan community investments. Gulf Coast Community Indicators will analyze and track 74 data points on topics including the economy, health and education for Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties.  This “state of the community” website presents key trends on important issues that affect the region, monitors the direction of each measure over time and makes raw data available for download and use by anyone. 

Gulf Coast Community Indicators

The Home Instead Senior Care franchise that serves Sarasota and all of northern Sarasota County is under new ownership. Previously owned by Chrystal Pruitt and Sharon Anderson, the franchise now is owned and operated by David and Terrie Hoops. This locally-owned business helps aging adults who want to remain in their homes by providing personal and Alzheimer’s care, as well as companionship, transportation, light housekeeping, meal preparation and assistance with activities of daily living. The company currently employs approximately 70 trained caregivers. 

Home Instead Senior Care

Why is this runoff election important? In Sarasota, the City Commission is the decision-making body and sets the agenda for city government. During the next four years, there are many important issues facing the city. My top four would be the development boom and resulting stress on infrastructure (traffic, etc.), homelessness, development of the bayfront (42 acres from Boulevard of the Arts to the Van Wezel) and deficit spending (driven in large measure by employee fringe benefits). You may have others. How these issues are resolved or not will shape Sarasota for years to come.  

I attend many City Commission meetings and have noted a significant improvement in the functioning of the Commission since Eileen Normile (my representative from District 2) and Stan Zimmerman (District 3) were appointed in November. There is more discussion and critical thinking taking place before decisions are made. Additionally, Tom Barwin, the city manager, and other key officials including Police Chief [Bernadette] DiPino are now being given the support and freedom to do their jobs. A recent example is an eight-step plan to address homelessness in Sarasota that was presented to the City Commission earlier this week by Mr. Barwin. This plan is a major improvement over the Marbut proposal that would have placed a major county shelter in the city.  (Dr. [Robert] Marbut is a consultant hired jointly by the City and County some two years ago.)

Sarasota elections are supposed to be nonpartisan, political labels do not appear on the ballot. Unfortunately, some officials in our political parties have decided to make this election very partisan and are pushing a party line vote. I am as partisan as anyone but have found party labels are meaningless at the local level in Sarasota. In this election, you have Democrats who support the candidate who is a Republican and vice versa. Although this particular runoff election happens to be a Republican versus a Democrat, there could just as easily been two Democrats or two Republicans running against each other. It is the two candidates with the most votes in the initial election who are in the runoff, regardless of party affiliation. 

As I previously said, I have seen Ms. Normile in action at City Commission meetings, I have discussed city issues with her at length, and attended a debate including her and Ms. Alpert.  I believe Eileen Normile will be a more effective leader than Liz Alpert in maintaining and improving quality of life for all of us who live or work downtown and recommend her to you for consideration regardless of party affiliation. Please vote on May 12. 

Dennis Adams, Sarasota