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SRQ DAILY Feb 17, 2017

Friday Weekend Edition

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Friday Weekend Edition

"There were a lot of things falling in line."

- Dr. Larry Thompson, Ringling College
 

[Education]  Ringling College To Close LBKCA, Planning New Facility
Philip Lederer, Phil.Lederer@srqme.com

The Ringling College of Art and Design Longboat Key Center for the Arts (LBKCA) will close at the end of its season this coming May and the 2.3-acre lot will be sold to a private developer with plans to construct single-family housing. But according to Ringling College President Dr. Larry Thompson, the school still has big plans for Longboat Key, including a developing plan with the Town of Longboat Key to create a new Longboat Key Center for the Arts, Culture, and Education located on the southern part of the key, owned by the Town and operated by the college.

The move has been in the planning for quite some time, says Thompson, with conversations between Ringling and the Town going back at least a few years. But many factors, including some recent, prompted the final step.

A major enticement was the change in location to the southern tip of the island. LBKCA’s performance on the north end of Longboat Key has been “OK,” says Thompson, but “not as robust as we’d hoped,” and he views the problem as largely a geographic one. “People don’t tend to go up to the northern part of the island as much,” he says, and moving south to the town center promises easier access to Ringling programming for the community at large.

The departure earlier this month of Jane Buckman, who served as LBKCA director since 2007, for a position as deputy director of the Imagine Museum in St. Petersburg, was unrelated, according to Thompson, but once done served as yet another indication to act. “There were a lot of things falling in line,” he says.

Plans for the new Center for the Arts, Culture, and Education currently being developed by Ringling and the Town indicate not only a replacement for LBKCA but an expansion. The center will serve many similar functions as the current LBKCA, including showing exhibitions and providing continuing education in arts and crafts such as jewelry-making and watercolors, but will also add ceramics facilities to the mix. In addition, the college is in talks with the Longboat Key Education Center about further education opportunities to be offered. A black box theater brings the potential for performance and performance art education. Says Thompson, “It’s a much larger, much more comprehensive facility.”

And, he continues, the Art Glass Weekend, which debuted just two years ago and was spearheaded by exhibitions and auctions at LBKCA, will continue in the new facility. 

[Theater]  FST Tackles Aging With a Sense of Humor
Philip Lederer, Phil.Lederer@srqme.com

Florida Studio Theatre (FST) tackles aging head-on and with a sense of humor with its latest production for the cabaret stage, Older Than Dirt. Part of the theater’s ongoing For The Ages project using the stage to explore issues surrounding aging, the show reunites the creative team behind FST’s popular Laughing Matters for another round of sketch comedy and musical parody celebrating (and bemoaning) the toll that time takes on all.

“A lot of that process can be unpleasant and depressing,” admits FST Producing Artistic Director Richard Hopkins, “but other parts can be a lot of fun.” And that’s what Hopkins, FST Managing Director Rebecca Hopkins and regular “co-conspirators” Stephan DeGhelder and Nick Santa Maria, have been keeping in mind for the last four years, writing sketches and collecting songs to parody for Older Than Dirt. Starring FST veterans Dane Becker, Richie McCall, Emily Mikesell and William Selby, and with musical arrangement and accompaniment by Jim Prosser, the cast sings and snarks their way through everything from the physical woes of timeworn flesh to the perils of re-entering the dating game with expired mojo.

But though many of the jokes may be at the expense of things only the most experience among the audience have direct relation to, the content is relevant to all, says Hopkins, and that’s what makes Older Than Dirt resonate—aging is the great equalizer. “Even if you’re not aging yourself, you’ve certainly got a grandparent or a parent who is and friends who are,” he says. “This is to see what we all are going through or are going to go through. This is another great step in life.”

Currently onstage, Older Than Dirt runs through June 11. 

Pictured: Richie McCall and William Selby in "Older Than Dirt." Photo by Matthew Holler.

[Good Bite]  Almond Joy
Kendall Sompolski

One of the most popular products at C’est La Vie is the croissant, baked fresh by the French pastry crew in the wee hours every morning. And the ever-popular almond variety is no different. The flaky, buttery and light puff pastry gets injected with sweet, nutty, almost textured almond paste filling and topped with powdered sugar and crunchy slivered roasted almonds. As a true symbol of the French culture and tradition, the team at C’est La Vie pays homage to their heritage, living up to expectations and doing Francophone ancestors proud when delivering quality pastries to perfection.  

C'est La Vie, 8527 Cooper Creek Blvd., Bradenton, 941-355-2323.

[Recipe]  All-American Meat
SRQ Staff

Celebrate this President's Day in style with a dish that is as American as apple pie—a big, juicy, tender steak, that is. Try your hand at Euphemia Haye's famed prime pepper steak, a 16-ouncer that will have you licking your lips long after the meal is finished. The combo of Worcestershire sauce and E.H. Steak Sauce just adds to the classic plate—dig in and get dippin'.

Ingredients: 1 cup (+/-) corn or peanut oil; 1 16-oz. prime sirloin steak, trimmed; salt, to taste; 2 cups cracked black peppercorns; 1 oz. brandy

Sauce: Juice from ½ orange, (2 oz.); 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce; 3 oz. E.H. Steak Sauce; 1 oz. unsalted butter, room temp.

The steak: Heat oil in a cast iron skillet that will just hold the oil and steak comfortably. The oil should sputter, not smoke, when a drop of water is added. Salt the steak liberally and place it on a pan of cracked peppercorns. Pound the steak into the pepper until completely embedded on all sides. Fry the pepper-coated steak in the hot oil. Cook on both sides until the steak has reached your desired doneness. Note: The steak will continue to cook while you prepare the sauce. Pour off oil and return pan, with steak, to fire. Step back and add brandy. Be careful, as a very large flame may result. After flames subside. Remove steak to a serving plate.

The sauce: Add to the pan the fresh orange juice, Worcestershire sauce and E.H. Steak Sauce. Stir with a fork. Reduce sauce until thick, stirring occasionally. Fold in the soft butter and remove from heat immediately. Pour sauce next to the steak and serve. Note: If you are serving more steaks, scale the sauce recipe, one recipe for each steak however, use only enough oil to half submerge the steaks during the frying process. The oil will bubble and rise. 

Photo courtesy of Sarasota Manatee Originals.

Euphemia Haye, 5540 Gulf of Mexico Dr., Longboat Key, 941-383-3633.

[Hires]  Gulf Coast Builders Exchange Welcomes New Chair

The Gulf Coast Builders Exchange (GCBX), a not-for-profit trade organization, recently hosted its 65th annual installation and awards dinner and welcomed a new chairman and board members. Paul Stehle, co-owner of Climatic Conditioning Co. and immediate past chairman, passed the gavel to Kevin Hicks, the 2017 GCBX chairman and CEO of Gator Grading and Paving. Brett Raymaker, project manager at Willis A. Smith Construction, Inc., was installed as a new three-year term board member, and six were reinstalled to the board, including Russ Bobbitt, an insurance agent with Purmort & Martin Insurance Agency; Mark Freeman, president of McIntyre Elwell & Strammer General Contractors, Inc.; Hicks; Chuck Jacobson, co-owner of Aqua Plumbing & Air; Brian Leaver, senior vice president of Tandem Construction; and Lemuel Sharp III, CEO of Sharp Properties, Inc. 

Gulf Coast Builders Exchange

[Community]  Embracing Our Differences Partners with Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading

More than 11,000 elementary school students in Sarasota and Manatee counties will celebrate reading and diversity on March 2, the 113th birthday of Dr. Seuss. Embracing Dr. Seuss’ Differences Day is the brainchild of Embracing Our Differences, a local nonprofit organization that created the event four years ago as part of its ongoing educational initiatives. For the second year in a row, the Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading is participating through funding from The Patterson Foundation, the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, the United Way of Manatee County and the Manatee Community Foundation. Readings are scheduled for more than 630 classrooms in 65 schools across Sarasota and Manatee counties. To date, approximately 450 volunteers from the community have signed up to be readers. Over the course of the day, more than 4,000 books will be distributed in Title I schools. The Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading is a community-wide effort in Manatee and Sarasota counties to help all children, especially those from low-income families, succeed in school and life by ensuring they read on grade level by the end of third grade. 

Embracing Our Differences

[Recognition]  Farb and Walker Present to Sarasota-Manatee HR Association

Gail E. Farb and Kimberly Page Walker, attorneys with Williams Parker, presented at the Sarasota-Manatee Human Resources Association’s 2017 Annual Legal Update, held January 20, 2017. Farb and Walker presented New Year, New Government, New Challenges in Labor and Employment Law, which focused on the latest federal, state and local labor and employment legal developments to help employers prevent or defend against employee lawsuits. Farb has extensive experience in the area of labor and employment law. She advises private- and public-sector management clients regarding preventive measures in a wide range of employment matters, including federal and state discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage and hour, FMLA, NLRA, restrictive covenants and whistleblower laws. She also has experience defending single-plaintiff cases and collective actions in administrative, state and federal court proceedings. Walker is a board-certified expert in labor and employment law. She chairs the firm's Labor & Employment practice representing employers, including private, public, for profit, and not-for-profit entities. Walker specializes in representing employers in employee-related litigation and providing practical, effective risk management advice. 

Williams Parker



[TODAY]  GALLERY: A Walk in the Park: Exploring Manatee's Preserves , February 17 – May 28

Featuring the work of photographer Grant Jefferies, the exhibition, which includes more than 20 photographs taken throughout Manatee County's preserves, will be on display in the second floor Rincon Gallery. The photos highlight the natural beauty of the landscapes and the wildlife that can be found in the area. Visitors may purchase tickets to the Museum online at SouthFloridaMuseum.org.

South Florida Museum , 201 W. 10th St., Brandenton

[WEEKEND]  PERFORMANCE: Cynthia Sayer’s Hot Banjo Show , February 18, 8pm

Get ready for a fun, entertaining show celebrating America's jazz banjo stars and stories from award-winning banjo star Cynthia Sayer and her band. Packed with swinging music that ranges from Great American Songbook and old favorites to novelty tunes, vaudeville, and virtuoso classics, Cynthia is sure to give you a memorable, toe-tapping experience of the 4-string banjo, America’s joyful jazz instrument. Tickets start at $25. 

Glenridge Performing Arts Center , 7333 Scotland Way, Sarasota Florida

[WEEKEND]  GRAB BAG: VDAY 2017: The Power of Love , February 18, 6-9pm

Program will include music, speakers, excerpts from A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer, and the 'Break the Chains' dance. This event, part of the One Billion Rising global initiative to end violence against women and girls, is based on the sobering statistic that 1 in every 3 women across the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime. "The Power of Love" exists to change those statistics. In 2017 VDAY is shining the Spotlight on Violence Against Women In the Workplace. All proceeds will benefit the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. Tickets: $20adv/$25 door/Students: $10WWW.Fogartyville.org

Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center, 525 Kumquat Ct., Sarasota

[WEEKEND]  BUSINESS: Bill Buckman's Art of Jazz featuring Nancy Pastore , February 19, 2-4pm

Joining pianist Buchman and vocalist Pastore are Rob Fors, bass; Lenny Balistreri, drums; and Benietsito Campoverde, congas.The group will perform an afternoon of jazz favorites, and Buchman is sure to bring some of the boogie-woogie beat that always delights audiences.

Gazebo at Centennial Park , 200 W. Venice Ave., Venice

[WEEKEND]  MUSIC: Rejoicing in Ravel , February 19, 3pm

Rising young opera star John Brancy is joined by pianist Peter Dugan and Sarasota Orchestra musicians Betsy Traba, flute, and Christopher Schnell, cello, for a program of works by Ravel, Schumann, Debussy and more. Tickets and info at www.artistseriesconcerts.org.

Faith Lutheran Church, 7750 Beneva Rd., Sarasota

[SOON]  MUSIC: Music Mondays with June Leball , February 20, 10:30am

Featuring John Brancy, baritone and Peter Dugan, piano. As part of an ongoing collaboration between SILL, Artist Series Concerts and Young Concert Artists, baritone John Brancy and pianist Peter Dugan follow up their Sunday performance with an appearance at June LeBell’s popular series of musical conversations with great performers. Tickets and info at www.sillsarasota.org.

Church of the palms, 3224 Bee Ridge Rd., Sarasota

[SOON]  SEMINAR: Close up on Opera: Dialogues of the Carmelites with John Goodman , February 22, 10:am

The “Close Up On Opera” series is presented by John Goodman, a well-known expert on the subject and also president of Sarasota Music Archive. In this segment, Goodman discusses the Sarasota Opera’s upcoming production of Poulenc’s “Dialogues of the Carmelites.” More info at www.sarasotamusicarchive.org

Geldbart Auditorium of Selby Library , 1331 1st St., Sarasota

[SOON]  DANCE: Stir It Up: 60+ Speed Dating with a Twist! , February 22, 7:00-9:00pm

Join Aviva: A Campus for Senior Life and The Friendship Centers for Stir It Up, an exciting event series featuring craft beer sampling, speed dating and a rock ‘n’ roll and Motown dance party. Whether you are a senior seeking a companion or a soulmate, this special event is your chance to meet a variety of like–minded singles one-on-one, in a safe and energetic environment. This signature event sells out quickly; RSVP today.

The Aviva Campus , 1951 N. Honore Ave. 34235 Sarasota

[SOON]  GALA: James Madison Institute 2017 Naples Dinner , February 23, 7:00pm

The James Madison Institute will host its 2017 Naples Dinner on Thursday, February 23 featuring Judge Andrew Napolitano, a graduate of Princeton University and the University of Notre Dame Law School. He is the youngest life-tenured Superior Court judge in the history of the State of New Jersey.  He sat on the bench from 1987 to 1995, when he presided over more than 150 jury trials and thousands of motions, sentencings, and hearings.  Judge Napolitano taught constitutional law and jurisprudence at Delaware Law School for two years and at Seton Hall Law School for 11 years. He was often chosen by the students as their most outstanding professor. He returned to private practice in 1995, and began television work in the same year. The event is taking place at the Naples Ritz-Carlton Resort with a VIP reception at 5:30 and dinner at 7:00. 

Ritz-Carlton Naples , 280 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, Naples, FL 34108

[SOON]  GALA: createSRQ Gala, An Evening of Excellence Evolved , February 24

The culmination of the high school arts competition and show, the createSRQ Gala is the signature fundraising event for the Education Foundation of Sarasota County. The recent evolution includes a traveling art show and mobile auction of student artworks. Overlooking Sarasota Bay, the evening consists of dinner, dancing and a short live auction that pairs the student artwork with experiences such as tickets to the Broadway Show Hamilton and a trip to Napa Valley. The attire is cocktail and, due to the mobile bidding, smart phones are an encouraged accessory. Tickets can be purchased online at $250 per person.

Michael's On the Bay at Selby Gardens, 811 S Palm Ave., Sarasota

[SOON]  MUSIC: WSLR Throws pre-Mardi Gras Party with beth McKee and her Funky Time band , February 24, 8pm

Imagine the female love child of Dusty Springfield and Doug Sahm with Dr. John acting as the midwife……and you’ll have an idea of the southern roots music with elements of rock, blues, soul, gospel and country that defines artist Beth McKee.

This show will focus on Beth’s New Orleans-centric material, both original and cover.  There’ll be a Cajun dance lesson at 7:30pm and plenty of room for dancing, so wear your dancing shoes. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 on the day of the show. (941) 894-6469 www.wslr.org

Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center, 525 Kumquat Ct., Sarasota

[SOON]  PERFORMANCE: Velvet Caravan , February 24, 8pm

Velvet Caravan is an unorthodox, high-energy, acoustic-based quintet of guitar, violin, stand-up bass, percussion and keyboards (including accordion) that weaves together Latin and gypsy music into acoustic swing jazz. This envelope-pushing group is just as successful at dazzling jaded cocktail drinkers as they are at commanding the rapt attention of serious music aficionados in whisper-quiet recital environments. Gypsy-Tonk-Latin-Swing Band, Southern-Gypsy-Tonk-Latin-Swing Band, or simply “European Redneck Music with a Classical Influence,” as the band declares, you’re bound to enjoy the show! Tickets start at $27.50 

The Glenridge Performing Arts Center , 7333 Scotland Way, Sarasota 34238

[SOON]  MUSIC: Beth McKee and her Funky Time Band , February 24, 8pm

A Mississippi native, Beth McKee offers fiery-sweet songs of tenacity and purpose, sung to a deep southern groove. The resulting sound is a composite of the places she’s called home; Mississippi, Texas, Louisiana and Florida. The Funky Time band consists of Beth McKee (vocals, piano & accordion), Juan Perez (drummer/percussionist), Gerry Wilhelm (bass), and Grant Peyton (guitar). Tickets: $12 in advance $15 door. Food provided by Carr’s Corner Café. www.fogartyville.org

Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center, 525 Kumquat Ct., Sarasota

[SOON]  GALA: Big Top Gala , February 25, 6:00pm-11:00pm

Come one, come all and join the American Cancer Society at the Big Top Gala- Circus of Yesteryear at Feld Entertainment. This one-of-a-kind evening features live circus performances, exquisite dining, live band, dancing, a spectacular auction and much more. With your support, the American Cancer Society saves lives by helping people stay well and get well, by finding cures, and by fighting back against cancer.

Feld Entertainment Studios, 800 Feld Way, Palmetto, Florida 34221

[SOON]  GALA: Annual Masquerade Ball , February 25, 6:00pm-11:00pm

Groove in the cool ’70s club scene and dress in your glam best for the Boys & Girls Club’s 6th Annual Masquerade Ball: Disco Fever Saturday Night Glam. Get ready to party during an unforgettable evening of dining, dancing, friends, and fun.

Plantation Golf & Country Club, 500 Rockley Blvd., Venice, FL 34293

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

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