Chelsea Freeland, Operations and Programs Manager at Architecture Sarasota, relocated to Sarasota last December from Asheville, North Carolina. Freeland moved for her position at Architecture Sarasota, but has found that the area uniquely suits her interests in architecture and scuba diving. An archeologist, Freeland spent 10 years working for the federal government until she decided to look for a position at a nonprofit organization. At Architecture Sarasota, Freeland handles operations and public programming, including lectures, tours and collaborative projects.
What is your favorite part of living in Sarasota? CHELSEA Being close to the beach. I'm a scuba diver, so just being able to get in the water to dive regularly is amazing.
Did anything surprise you after moving to Sarasota? I didn't really have an image in my mind about Sarasota before coming here. I had never visited before or been anywhere close to the area. I didn’t come in with a specific idea of the city. It is interesting to me that for such a small city, Sarasota has a bunch of different neighborhoods, and each neighborhood has its own vibe, its own characteristics. I've been able to learn a lot about the architecture in the city, but also find new restaurants and spots.
What is your favorite local spot? I spend a lot of time at Project Coffee, because it's close to my office. Michelle's Brown Bag is probably my favorite for lunch.
What is at the top of your bucket list? I haven't spent a lot of time down in the southern part of the county, in Venice, and would love to take a charter boat out there, maybe go scuba diving. I also came from an area where we had the opposite tourism season from here. I’m excited and interested to go through a full year here and see how the tourism shifts, especially
in the summer.
When you were a kid, you dreamed of . . . Becoming an archaeologist and traveling the world.
What are you currently reading or looking forward to reading? Mirage: Napoleon's Scientists and the Unveiling of Egypt
Words you use too often . . . Dash, sit! (To my puppy!)
Favorite family tradition? Opening one present (usually a book) on Christmas Eve.
Describe a typical day in your life. I usually wake up and work out, and then I take my puppy for a run. At work, I try to use the morning to focus on more research-oriented projects, while it's quieter. Then we open the building from 11am to 5pm, and people can come in and ask questions. We have two rotating galleries that are up in the front part of the pavilion, and I like to just talk to people and learn a lot about Sarasota, as people come and tell me about their homes and neighborhoods. In the evenings, Architecture Sarasota usually hosts some kind of program or event.
What would you do with two more hours in the day? Sleep!
Who are your favorite musicians? Bryce Vine, Brooks & Dunn, ABBA
If you could have dinner with one famous person, dead or alive, who would it be? Zheng Yi Sao, a 19th-century female pirate.
Would you rather have a rewind button or a pause button in your life? Rewind.
If you had your own talk show, who would your first three guests be? My three best friends to talk about kindergarten art projects, traveling in Morocco, the nervous system and Florida wading birds.
What is the scariest thing you've ever done? Jumped out of a perfectly good airplane to go skydiving.
What song best describes your life right now? I Ain’t Marching Anymore, Phil Ochs.
What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done? I quit my job and moved to Dubai to dig up camel bones.
If you could instantly become an expert in something, what would it be? If I weren’t an archaeologist, I’d want to be a chef.
