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SRQ DAILY Oct 10, 2014

Friday Weekend Edition

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Friday Weekend Edition

"Lens performance in Florida is crucial. Exposure to harsh UV rays can lead to cataracts and other eye diseases in the future. "

- Edward Beiner, Edward Beiner, Purveyor of Fine Eyewear
 

[Fashion]  Edward Beiner Goes Frame By Frame
Anna Rachel Rich, annar@srqmediagroup.com

Edward Beiner, Purveyor of Fine Eyewear, opens its 13th store at The Mall at University Town Center on Oct. 16.  Edward Beiner himself, prominent eyewear designer and retailer, has his sight set on Sarasota and plans to provide the area with eye-conic frames, fusing together fashion and function.

Alongside your eponymous collection, Edward Beiner boutiques carry a wide variety of brand-name eyewear. How would you describe the selection in your stores? Retail is my forte and it’s what I love. We bring the most finely curated products into the market. I’m traveling to France for five days to attend an optical show to acquire items unavailable in the U.S. Customers appreciate our international sourcing, bringing them the best from around the world. Each one of our boutiques showcases hand-selected collections that are special to each location.  You describe your personal collection as “unbearably cool chic.” Where do you look to find inspiration when starting a new line? I’m originally from Brazil. I’m living what inspired me as a child and I’m living it right here in tropical Miami. It’s the energy of the beach culture, the beautiful blue skies, the vibrant colors in flowers and a lot of green that you find in Sarasota, as well. My collections are also largely inspired by the ‘50s-‘70s. I design pieces that emanate a classic vintage feel with a contemporary twist.  Eyewear not only affects how we view the world, but also shapes how the world sees us. From an aesthetic perspective, what advice would you offer someone looking to experiment with new styles? Frame shapes are important to different shaped faces. I like to keep it simple—if you have a square face, look for a round frame. If you have a round face, find a square frame. The perfect face is an oval face, so wear whatever is the opposite to create the illusion of an oval shape. Often times, people are wearing the wrong things. From a fashion point-of-view, if you’re wearing a suit and tie, you shouldn’t be wearing a pair of Oakley glasses. It just doesn’t look right. You should have an elegant pair of Persols on.  What styles are trending now for the Fall/Winter ‘14 season? We’re seeing a lot of round frames—both colored with different tones of greens and blues  and classic black and tortoise. We’re bringing in the Illesteva collection, featuring the “Leonard” round frame. It’s all over fashion magazines and very difficult to come by.  Your stores are exclusively in Florida, giving you insight into the particular needs and requirements of eyewear for the Sunshine State. What factors should local buyers consider before purchasing? Lens performance in Florida is crucial. Exposure to harsh UV rays can lead to cataracts and other eye diseases in the future. If you bike or run, you want glasses that won’t crack into your face if you fall. You might be looking at products from Oakley or Maui Jims. If you’re a boater, you’ll want polarized, UV coated glasses so you can see the fish. We make it a priority to ask the customer what their hobbies are, knowing if they bike, run, boat ski etc.  What’s in store for the future of Edward Beiner? We’re continuing to expand throughout Florida and are opening a store at Freedom Tower in NYC. Our Sarasota store will have licensed opticians on the premises who will work with prescription glasses. In the future we’re planning to put an optometrist on the premises to do eye exams and assist customers throughout the whole process. 

Edward Beiner

[Festival]  Chalk Festival Eyes World Record
Philip Lederer, Phil.Lederer@srqme.com

Sarasota Chalk Festival’s Venice debut is gearing up to be a global event with an announcement of the group’s intention to break a Guinness Book World Record to set the stage for this year’s festivities. The crew will endeavor to create the world’s "Largest Anamorphic Pavement Art," gathering artists from across the world, including Kurt Wenner, the founder of anamorphic pavement art, a meticulous and calculated style that mimics a three-dimensional appearance on a two-dimensional surface.

This wasn’t always part of the plan, said Denise Kowal, founder and volunteer organizer of the festival since its inception, but once the opportunity presented itself, they couldn’t resist.

“We wanted to create something monumental out there,” said Kowal, referring to the immense lot set aside at the Venice Municipal Airport Festival Grounds, just one of various locations that festival-goers will be able to visit during the festival. “It’s massive and we decided ‘Let’s go for a world record.’ It’s a project that all of the artists are getting behind.”

With the return of Wenner to the festival, whose anamorphic creation in 2012, “Circus Parade,” (pictured above) was met with great acclaim, and the return of pavement artist Julie Kirk, also a global expert in anamorphic pavement art, along with agreed participation from several other artists from around the world, including France, Mexico, Russia, Ukraine and Japan, Kowal has every confidence that the team will bring the record home for everybody.

“This is a community event,” said Kowal of the attempt. “This is not just a Venice thing and it’s not just a Florida thing; we are winning it for the USA.”

The current title was awarded in Germany in 2012, for a piece measuring 16,900 square feet, more than doubling the previous record awarded in 2007 for an 8,073 square foot creation. Current world record holder Gregor Wosik is also on Kowal’s team this year.

Following this year’s theme, Endangered and Extinct Species, the plan is to create a giant underwater seascape across the ground, to create the appearance that the asphalt just “gave way to an underwater abyss.” Some 3D images pop out, this will be as a window, looking into the Earth and into its past, when great seas spread across the land. Populated with extinct and endangered sea life (plants and animals) and with a great Megalodon Shark as the centerpiece in tribute to Venice’s position as Shark Tooth Capital of the World, the plans are truly grand.

“That piece was about 1,800 square feet,” said Kowal of Wenner’s last anamorphic creation at the festival in 2012. “This year we’re going to create something that’s 18,900 square feet—10 times larger. It’s exciting. It’s exhilarating.”

Exhilarating as it may be, this is a giant undertaking, especially for a non-profit such as the Chalk Festival, driven by volunteer power and community spirit, so Kowal has left an interesting window open for sponsor involvement. Those in the community who sponsor the festival to a significant degree will be given the opportunity to insert themselves or an individual of their choice into the piece, sketched amongst the rocks and shoals by one of the many artists.

Though the festival does not begin until Nov. 14, the mass of participating artists will descend upon Venice two weeks early, volunteering their time to prepare this record-breaking opening. In addition, a documentarian from the Netherlands and about 50 local videographers and photographers will be on-hand, creating a documentary film of the project. 

[Daily Shop]  Slip Slidin' Away
Anna Rachel Rich, annar@srqmediagroup.com

Keeping your thumbs green and your hands clean, Awesome Orchids Plants Pots and More brings you the fragrant freshness of Fragonard’s garden. Amid the shop’s verdant blooms sits Le Jardin de Fragonard collection of round, scented hand soaps. Setting the bar high, these sink sidekicks are no suds slackers, sporting embossed floral designs tucked inside delicately decorated boxes.

Lather up with Encens Fève Tonka, taking you on a dusky stroll through Grecian monasteries with warm, smoky incense and sweet roses. Héliotrope Gingembre orients you with aromas of the Far East, leaving behind the essence of heliotrope flowers with spices and ginger. Fragonard Rose Ambre opens with the tart sweetness of bergamot and black currants, leading into a rich mix of creamy tonka, vanilla, amber and patchouli. Don’t let Le Jardin de Fragonard soaps slip through your fingers, experience them first-hand at Awesome Orchids. 

Awesome Orchids Plants, Pots and More

[Daily Shop]  UTC Unveils Day One Directory

Taubman Centers yesterday went live with a new website showing the full directory for The Mall at University Town Center, which will hold its grand opening on Oct. 16. The mall will hold such buzzed-about brand locations as The Apple Store and a Tesla showroom, as well as trendy new locales such as The Art of Shaving and lululemon athletica. More than half of the stores are new to the Sarasota market. 

The Mall at University Town Center

[Newcomers ]  Natasha Goetz, Marketing Assistant, Asolo Repertory Theatre
Anna Rachel Rich, annar@srqmediagroup.com

Moved From: Lexington, KY (Originally from Ann Arbor, MI) My Profession There: I worked as an Arts Administration intern for Lexington Chidren's Theatre. Friday Nights There: In Lexington I went swing dancing with my friends at least twice a week.  We would dance the Lexington-Louisville-Cincinatti triangle.

Why I Moved: I moved 1500 miles to sunny Sarasota to work at the fantastic Asolo Repertory Theatre. Now I Am: I am now the Marketing Assistant for Asolo Repertory Theatre where I work in outreach and provide general support for the marketing team. I also head up the marketing for the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training. Friday Nights Now: I spend my free time exploring Sarasota with my new friends and attempting to convert everyone I meet into swing dancers.

First Impressions: The first thing I noticed about Florida was surprisingly not the humidity--it was the vegetation.  I thought to myself, "Wow, these trees sure are old.  They all have beards." Biggest Potential Community Mistake: The biggest "mistake" I've possibly made is continue to wear summer clothes on rainy days. Y'all, an October date and a cloudy sky will never equate to the weather of an true autumn day. My Vision: Stories have the amazing ability to touch hearts and change lives, and I'm thrilled to get to be the one to connect the community with the beautiful tales told on the Asolo Rep and FSU/Asolo Conservatory stages. 

Asolo Repertory Theatre

[Expansion]  ArtisTree Launches Responsive Design Website

Gearing up for its 25th anniversary in 2015, ArtisTree Landscape Maintenance and Design has launched a new responsive design website that delivers full content and functionality across multiple devices -- desktop, tablet and smartphone. The new site integrates a robust client section providing quick access to work orders, online pay, warranty information and more. Blogs, videos and educational resources are enhanced by multiple social media links and a free e-news subscription service.  Job seekers may now submit employment applications online. 

ArtisTree Landscape Maintenance & Design

[Recognition]  Chamber Awards Gateway Bank

The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce has presented Gateway Bank of Southwest Florida with the Insignia Award for the month of August 2014. This award recognizes the achievement of quality customer service and commitment to the community. The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce presents the Insignia Award to a company or organization each month in recognition of its quality service and commitment to the community under The Chamber’s Code of Ethics. 

Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce

[Web]  Bayfront 20:20 Goes Online

Sarasota Bayfront 20:20, a long-term planning initiative to create a world-renowned destination along Sarasota’s Bayfront, has launched a new website at sarasotabayfront2020.com. The website includes a schedule of upcoming meetings and ways to get involved in the visioning process, as well as a link to a Gulf Coast Community Foundation fund to support the effort. 

Sarasota Bayfront 20:20

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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