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SRQ DAILY Dec 30, 2016

Friday Weekend Edition

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Friday Weekend Edition

"A major goal for our urban projects is to create strong connections to sidewalk life, in buildings that help shape and define the skyline."

- Gary Hoyt, Architecture Newsmaker of the Year
 

[NOTY]  Gary Hoyt, Architecture Newsmaker of the Year
Aviel Kanter, aviel.kanter@srqme.com

It's no doubt that Downtown Sarasota has blossomed in the last few years, with new developments popping up on nearly every street corner, adding a new sense of vibrancy and vitality to the town. And on the face of many townhomes, residential buildings, cultural projects and restorations, the name Hoyt Architects appears, from the Bayfront Master Plan to the Selby Library, the Hollywood 20 to Pineapple Square. "These were several important planning and building projects which guided the evolution of Sarasota’s downtown," says the architecture and design firm's Principal Gary Hoyt. "These early and transformative projects were done at a time when the future of Sarasota’s downtown was in doubt and disrepair, and they helped rekindle interest in downtown." And it is this comittment to the evolution of Sarasota's downtown that makes Gary Hoyt our architecture newsmaker of the year.

And in the last year, Hoyt has seen a multitude of new projects come to fruition in the area, including One Palm/Aloft, the Jewel, Sansara, the DeSota and the Mark, each examples of mixed-use developments that draw people toward Main Street. These developments not only bring people, but also entertainment and retail at the street level to the area. "Though we do work throughout Florida, I have always seen Sarasota as a unique urban design laboratory, providing us with an extraordinary opportunity to help shape our very special waterfront downtown," says Hoyt. "A major goal for our urban projects is to create strong connections to sidewalk life, in buildings that help shape and define the skyline. We are currently working on a number of planning and architectural projects, seeking to do our part in Sarasota’s evolving development as a vibrant, walkable, live/work community, with a wide range of activities for all ages."

Honorable mention: Jerry Sparkman and Todd Sweet of Sweet Sparkman Architects won accolades for their Siesta Key Beach pavilion improvements and have since been commissioned to design Ringling College's new library. Guy Peterson designed and unveiled the new Elling O. Eide Library this year.

  

[NOTY]  Victor DeRenzi, Arts and Culture Newsmaker of the Year
Philip Lederer, Phil.Lederer@srqme.com

Great accomplishments require great resolve.

When Sarasota Opera began the Verdi Cycle 28 years ago with a production of Verdi’s Rigoletto, few could have guessed it would spiral into near three decades exploring the Italian composer and dramatist’s musical catalogue from top to bottom, unearthing rare and underperformed works along the way and attracting the attention from top scholars around the world. And when four years later the company formally announced its intention to perform every note Verdi ever wrote, doubtless more than a few wondered if it would be possible. But for 28 years, through the Great Recession and more, Sarasota Opera held the course and at the close of the 2015–16 season completed the Verdi Cycle in grand style with productions of Aida and The Battle of Legnano alongside a pair of Verdi-themed concerts and an international conference.

Through the Verdi Cycle, the company performed not only the standard versions of Verdi’s 27 operas, but treated the audience to alternative versions rarely heard. All of Verdi’s non-operatic work made the stage as well and Sarasota Opera made history as the only opera company in the world to perform Verdi’s available catalogue in such completeness.

Holding the baton through every performance was Sarasota Opera Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Maestro Victor DeRenzi, earning his own place in history as the first—and currently only—person to conduct every note that Verdi wrote. Drawing international acclaim alongside the company itself, DeRenzi was knighted by the Italian government in June of this year and awarded the title Cavaliere dell’ordine della Stella d’Italia, or Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy.

For his artistry and resolve, and for his part in bringing international recognition to the hard work of Sarasota Opera and the local artistic community in general, SRQ recognizes Maestro Victor DeRenzi as the Arts and Culture Newsmaker of the Year.

“My love for Verdi is a lifelong obsession that has helped shape me into the person I am today,” says DeRenzi. “Over the course of the 28-year Verdi Cycle, I have had the opportunity to premiere some of his newly uncovered works and also to discover more beauty in the operas I already knew. I have been able to study Verdi’s growth as a musician and learn almost a hundred years of history that surrounded his life. In addition to his music I have come to know Verdi the man. His life as a friend, a farmer and a philanthropist can show us almost as much as his music about ourselves.”

“This Cycle could not have been done without the support of the people of Sarasota. The completion of the Verdi Cycle is not only the accomplishment of Sarasota Opera but an accomplishment shared by our whole community. I am happy to accept the title of Arts and Culture Newsmaker of the Year and I share it with all the artists and employees of Sarasota Opera, the Sarasota Opera Board of Trustees, and Sarasota and Manatee Counties.”

Honorable Mentions: Dr. Larry Thompson, president of Ringling College of Art and Design, has been instrumental in bringing several projects to fruition, including the upcoming Ringling College soundstage, Basch Visual Arts Center and the Sarasota Museum of Art, which look to greatly change the artistic landscape. Artist Richie Brasil has spearheaded the growth of mural-making and street art in Bradenton and Sarasota with a particularly prolific year including exhibitions exploring race in America and public art commissions highlighting Sarasota’s early black populations. 

[Good Bite]  Sunny Benny
Aviel Kanter, aviel.kanter@srqme.com

Known for it's killer grub and friendly faces, Sun Garden café serves up breakfast like nobody's business—especially when it comes to eggs. Up your benny game with their Myakka benedict; two soft and golden runny poached eggs sit on a buttery biscuit throne, sausage patties and a ripe sliced tomato get stacked and smothered in "wavy gravy." Half biscuits and gravy, half eggs Florentine, you'll never forget the bliss that follows this epic brekkie. (Perhaps in the form of a nice nap on Siesta Key's sands.)  

Sun Garden Cafe, 210 Avenida Madera, Siesta Key, 941-346-7170

[Recipe]  Rad Paloma
SRQ Staff

Just because it's technically winter, you don't have to forget about all your summer favorites, especially when it comes to cocktails. Make State Street's version of the classic Paloma for your New Year's Eve party guests and watch the who-will-kiss-who tension melt away with the Stiegl Radler grapefruit shandy bubbles and smooth tequila. 

Ingredients:  ½ oz. grapefruit rose liquor; 2 oz. tequila (State Street uses Espolón); 1 oz. lemon juice; Stiegl Radler; spicy salt.

Directions: Pour liquor, tequila and lemon juice into a shaker and mix. Salt the rim of a tall glass and add ice. Pour mixture over ice and fill to the top with Stiegl Radler. Garnish with a lemon spiral.  

State Street, 1533 State St., 941-951-1533.

[Expansion]  Manatee Building and Development To Open Annex

Manatee County Building and Development Services Department will open a new annex office at Ellenton next month to serve Manatee County’s fastest-growing areas. The North River Annex, located at 5030 U.S. Highway 301, was formerly a Manatee Sheriff’s Office sub-station. It was renovated in recent months to create permitting areas for local contractors and builders to do business. All permitting, planning, development and review services offered at the downtown Admin Building will be offered at the new annex. A brief ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. on January 12 and the building will hold its official opening to the public on January 17. Operating hours at the new facility will be 8am–4pm. Manatee County Commissioners approved the renovation project in May in an effort to accommodate contractors near the areas they work the most. 

Manatee County

[Synergy]  Goodwill Manasota to Launch Community College 101

Recent grants from Goodwill Industries International (GII) will enable Goodwill Manasota—with the partnership of Manatee Technical College (MTC)—to expand its local impact. The partners will present Community College 101, a program designed to prepare participants and provide them with the support needed to successfully complete a technical college job training program. The curriculum for Community College 101 offers students the opportunity to explore various career opportunities, learn how to apply and get into college, apply for financial aid and obtain funding to help pay for college, learn how to be a successful college student, receive a guided tour of MTC and get individualized support from Goodwill’s college navigator. Those who successfully complete Community College 101 may be eligible to apply for funding from Goodwill for support services and ongoing support as well as case management to help them complete their post-secondary education. The GII grant is making it possible for Goodwill Manasota to integrate the Community College 101 curriculum into its current services by offering the program to clients of its Job Connection program and its internal GoodPartner Coach program. Individuals are screened for eligibility through an intake process. 

Goodwill Manasota

[Exec Moves]  Manatee County Accepting Healthcare Board Applications

Manatee County is accepting applications for one position on the Manatee County Healthcare Advisory Board. This Advisory Board evaluates, monitors and discusses the healthcare system in Manatee County, including physical health, behavioral health and substance abuse, emerging state and federal legislation and policies, and makes recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners regarding the funding of healthcare services in Manatee County. This Board reviews evidence-based practices and programs, as well as related data to determine how available county and other assets may be maximized and new resources engaged to enhance the long-term stability and effectiveness of the programs available to citizens of Manatee County who have no other meaningful means of access to health care. Eligible applicants include Manatee County residents from the specific discipline of higher education. Each appointee shall be knowledgeable about healthcare and willing to meet a minimum of eight times per year on the fourth Wednesday of each month. 

Manatee County Healthcare Advisory Board



[Best of SRQ Local Competition ]  Vote for Your Favorites | Best of SRQ Readers Competition

The 9th annual Best of SRQ Local Readers’ Competition is seeking your vote! It is time to sound the alarm, rally the troops, take to social media and VOTE for your favorite local establishments and causes to be recognized in one of our most popular editions of the year. Once the votes are in on local eats, shopping, arts, luminaries and hotspots, the SRQ Editors will publish the finalists and winners in the April 2017 edition of SRQ Magazine. We hope you’ll share your favorite local experiences—from stellar sushi, most memorable on-stage productions to best pothole (literally and figuratively). 

Complete Your Ballot!

[TODAY]  THEATER: Million Dollar Quartet , November 9 – January 1

A smash-hit musical, Million Dollar Quartet, tells the story of legendary music icons Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins. This musical gives audiences a unique behind the scenes look at these musicians before they were icons. Single tickets and subscriptions are available online or by calling the FST box office. 

Gompertz Theatre, 1241 N Palm Ave Sarasota, 34236

[TODAY]  GALLERY: Gateways , December 16 – January 20, 11am-5pm

Hans Van de Bovenkamp, renowned for monumental sculpture installations with the pwoer, lyricism and grand proportions that heighten a viewer's sense of imagination and discovery, unveils Gateways at Alfstand& Contemporary. The exhibition features more than 30 pieces. The opening reception will be December 16 from 5:30pm-8pm.

Alfstad& Contemporary, 1419th 5th Street, Suite A

[TODAY]  GALLERY: Together & Apart: The Love Letters of Georgia O'Keeffe & Alfred Stieglitz , November 17 – January 13, 5:30-8pm

Love letters, spanning more than 30 years, between Georgia O'Keeffe & Alfred Stieglitz, is the subject of Together & Apart. The opening night recpetion will be held November 17th. The show will feature a 20ft x 20ft installation that includes two symbolic bedrooms, a ceiling-to-floor silo and 2,500 pieces of correspondence. 

Alfstad& Contemporary, 1419 5th Street, Suite A

[TODAY]  BUSINESS: 2017 Home of the Year Call for Entries , December 9 – January 6, Submissions must be received digitally by SRQ Magazine by 4pm.

You are invited to participate in the 13th SRQ Annual Home of the Year competition brought to you by SRQ magazine. Our panel of expert judges will review entries based on innovation, functionalisty and overall design aesthetic toname SRQ's Home of the Year Platinum, Gold and Silver awards. Local professionals are invited to submit their best work in architecture and home design by the Call for Entries Deadlline of Friday, December 9, 2016 by 4pm.

SRQ MEDIA, 331 S. Pineapple Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34236

[TODAY]  PERFORMANCE: Guys and Dolls , November 18 – January 1

When it comes to wit, style, and sheer exuberant joy, Guys and Dolls is the odds-on favorite as the best musical comedies, paired with a feature score by Frank Loesser. The plot involves the unlikeliest of romantic pairings: a high-rolling gambler and a save-your-soul missionary, a showgirl dreaming of the straight-and-narrow and a crap game manager who is anything but. Place your bet on love conquering all in this hilarious classic that defined Broadway’s Golden Age.

The Asolo Repertory Theatre , 5555 North Tamiami Trail Sarasota, 34243

[TODAY]  MUSIC: Perlman Music Program Winter Residency , December 24 – January 7

More than 20 musical eventsincluding orchestra and chorus rehearsals, master classes, and works-in-progress student recitals led by acclaimed violinist and conductor Itzhak Perlman and world renowned faculty. Held in a heated performance tent in the courtyard at USF Sarasota-Manatee.  Most are free to attend. Visit www.PMPSuncoast.org for complete schedule.

[WEEKEND]  FESTIVAL: 6th Annual New Years Eve Fireworks on the Bay , December 31 – January 1, 11:00 am–2:000 am

The 6th Annual New Years Eve Fireworks Celebration at Marina Jack will be bigger and better than ever. Enjoy a variety of entertainment and menu options onshore at Marina Jack along with a sparkling midnight fireworks show. Climb aboard the Marina Jack II for a four–hour celebration dinner cruise, complete with party favors, live music and fireworks on Sarasota Bay. Either way, you are sure to have a sparkling New Year! 

Marina Jack Sarasota Bayfront , 2 Marina Plaza, Sarasota, Florida 34236

[WEEKEND]  FESTIVAL: First Responder Appreciation Month , January 1 – March 31

The Downtown Improvement District (D.I.D) kicks off the New Year with the first ever First Responders Appreciation month to honor firefighters, police officers and EMS professionals.  The D.I.D encourages you to show your gratitude for our first responders the entire month of January. Wear D.I.D sponsored First Responder Appreciation Month buttons, display D.I.D sponsored First Responder Appreciation Month flags, give a thumbs up to first responders, write a letter to a first responder, wear your red, whites and blues, or lunch on the D.I.D, in the D.I.D.

[SOON]  FESTIVAL: Thunder by the Bay , January 5 – January 8

The Annual Thunder By the Bay Motorcycle Festival continues to rev up a great time raising money for Suncoast Charities for Children. This year’s festival includes a Sporting Clay Tournament, Born To Be Wild Kickoff Party, Welcome Thunder Event, Cruise for Cash Charity Motorcycle Ride, and a two day Rockin’ & Ridin’ at The Ranch festival held at The Premier Sports Campus at Lakewood Ranch. The Festival is free admission featuring special guest Blue Oyster Cult in concert on Sunday, January 8. 

Lakewood Ranch

[SOON]  SEMINAR: 13th Annual Home of the Year Competition , January 6

Don't Miss the Late Call for Entries in the 13th Annual SRQ Home of the Year Competition Friday, January 6, 2017!

Local professionals are invited to submit their best work in home design by the late Call for Entries deadline of Friday, January 6, 2017. Winners in each category will be featured in a special SRQ Home of the Year awards supplement in the March 2017 issue of SRQ Magazine. With even more ways to showcase brilliant work in architecture, landscaping, interiors, sustainability, kitchen and bathroom design and renovation, this program celebrates the stunning spaces being forged along the Gulf Coast.

SRQ Magazine, 331 S Pineapple Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236

[SOON]  SEMINAR: SILL 2017 Speaker Series , January 9 – March 31

Sarasota Institute of Lifetime Learning (SILL) is kicking of its 46th season of popular global issue lectures and musical conversations beginning on January 9 and continuing through the end of March. This season will include 96 lectures and musical conversations from internationally renowned musicians, performers and acclaimed experts. SILL also provides delayed presentations to selected senior communities. Single tickets to SILL events are only $10 at the door, when available and a season ticket for 12 lecture series costs just $85. 

[SOON]  PERFORMANCE: Hunter and Doe , January 13, 8pm

Two of Canada's most versatile performers come together in Hunter and Doe to create an unusually magical blend of percussive guitar, agile vocals, dynamic fiddle playing, and fiercely rhythmic tap footwork. The explosive duet of Stephanie Cadman, a world-renowned step-dancer and a fierce fiddler, and Jeremy Walmsley, a multi-instrumentalist and a stellar high tenor, is breaking musical boundaries and giving birth to a new, electric fusion of sound. Tickets start at $22.50 

Glenridge Performing Arts Center , 7333 Scotland Way Sarasota, Florida

[SOON]  PERFORMANCE: The Great Society , January 13 – April 2

On the heels of Asolo Rep’s wildly successful All the Way, The Great Society continues Robert Schenkkan’s profound exploration of Lyndon Johnson’s turbulent years in the White House. In his second term as president, besieged by political opponents, Johnson summons all his political wiles to try to push through Congress some of the most important social programs in U.S. history. His vision of a Great Society became the most ambitious effort ever to test what American government is capable of achieving. And in doing so, to discover what it is not. Actor Nick Wyman returns to the Asolo Rep stage to reprise his role as L.B.J. in this unflinching examination of the morality of power.

The Asolo Repertory Theatre , 5555 North Tamiami Trail Sarasota, 34243

SRQ Media Group

SRQ DAILY is produced by SRQ | The Magazine. Note: The views and opinions expressed in the Saturday Perspectives Edition and in the Letters department of SRQ DAILY are those of the author(s) and do not imply endorsement by SRQ Media. Senior Editor Jacob Ogles edits the Saturday Perspective Edition, Letters and Guest Contributor columns.In the CocoTele department, SRQ DAILY is providing excerpts from news releases as a public service. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by SRQ DAILY. The views expressed by individuals are their own and their appearance in this section does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. For rates on SRQ DAILY banner advertising and sponsored content opportunities, please contact Ashley Ryan Cannon at 941-365-7702 x211 or via email

Copyright © 2024 by SRQ Media Group, 331 South Pineapple Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34236.
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