With the close of its seventh season, the Season of Sculpture is no more, but chair Susan McLeod and the expanded board of the re-branded Sarasota Sculpture Center have grand plans for their phoenix-esque resurrection, including a permanent location attached to newly opened gallery Alfstad& Contemporary, year-round shows of various size and increased visibility for sculpture and public art in Sarasota. But don’t worry, McLeod has no intention of ending the famous Bayfront exhibitions, with the first from Sarasota Sculpture Center expected in November 2016.

“We’ve spent a lot of time thinking about where we’ve been, who we want to be and where we want to take our influence in the future,” said McLeod, who was recently elected to the board of directors of the International Sculpture Center, and hopes to leverage her new position for Sarasota’s benefit. “There’s a lot happening in sculpture on the national and international level. It’s contemporary and it’s exciting and we want to take advantage of that.”

The new office in Sarasota’s Rosemary District plays a crucial role in Sarasota Sculpture Center’s expanded role. Not only will it give the Center a more permanent presence within the community, but the included presentation space allows the hosting of smaller-scale shows, which required the former Season of Sculpture to find third-party locations, such as the lobby of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Increased visibility for sculpture and public art helps not only the region’s collectors and enthusiasts, who can add one more stop to their gallery rounds, but is also a boon for local artists hungry for more exhibit opportunities, said McLeod.

The inaugural show, Rubber, Metal, & Stone: Small Works Sculptures and Drawings, presented by both Sarasota Sculpture Center and Alfstad& Contemporary, opens this Saturday, with a reception tonight. The works of Chakaia Booker, Hans Van de Bovenkamp and Boaz Vaadia, all previous contributors to Season of Sculpture exhibitions, will be on display. The exhibit is not limited to the final product – prints, sketches and drawings made throughout provide insight into the artistic process. “It’s fun to see that dimension to their work,” said McLeod, pleased with the new space. “It’s not something you can do outside.”

Rubber, Metal, and Stone opens in Alfstad& Contemporary tonight with an opening reception at 5:30pm.

Caption: "Ginnetoy" by Boaz Vaadia 

Editor’s Note: This is the last in a three-part series on the Suncoast Science Center, which hosts its first open house this weekend.

For Rob Demperio, the term inventor is not something he is quite ready to embrace. An accomplished artist and head lump at graphic design firm Lumpypixels, he has illustrated album covers, logos and photos galore, but even as he sits in the Faulhaber Fab Lab and programs designs for labels and other creations into a high-tech vinyl cutting application, he says plenty of other scientific minds could probably use the collection of equipment here to do something more exciting. “Other guys have computer savvy and electronic savvy. I’m not that person,” Demperio said, “but I would like to be.”

The Suncoast Science Center calls Demperio one of the “makers,” and when the Fab Lab was located at the now-defunct G.Wiz facility, a meet up group called Sarasota Makerspace grew up around the publicly accessible fabrication equipment there. According to Christine Lange, chief operating officer for the center, more than 180 makers living in Southwest Florida are still active with that group, and as the Fab Lab equipment turns back on, she expects to see more of them in the Beneva Road facility. An Open House will be held Saturday to show off the resources at the center.

Meeker hopes artists like Demperio connect with the scientific and engineering minds within the group to morph the world of design and development; maybe the next Apple could get it’s start in the lab. Demperio himself has his eye on 3D printer units and wants to work more technological minds to figure what projects could be done with these new toys. 

Alvin Rosenfeld, an electrical engineer volunteering with the center, said the resources could be important for raising the tech prowess in the region. “This area has a bundle of smart people,” he says. “We have a lot of PhDs here.” And whether those minds are connecting with young students who could be the engineers of tomorrow or with other artistic and technical minds who could developer revolutionary products for today, Lange is hopeful makers of all kinds thrive here.

Pictured: Graphic designer Rob Demperio programs designs into a vinyl-cutting application. 

The always vibrant and style-forward Jackie Z boutique may be at a new location, but you can still expect the kind of above-and-beyond client service that owner Jackie Zumba has established. Tailoring to your need is what is most important to Zumba, whether it is offering free tailoring on purchases or putting together personalized packages for shoppers who are too busy to browse the racks in person. The new store space is immaculate and open, and houses designer clothing for both men and women from brands such as Lovers and Friends, David Kahn, Gentle Fawn, Hudson and Blackstone. Stop on by for a true personalized shopping experience.

140 University Town Center Drive Suite #248, Sarasota, 941-554-8335

Bob Rosinsky, president and CEO of Goodwill Manasota, was appointed president of the Florida Goodwill Association. Rosinsky has devoted 42 years of his professional career to Goodwill and has served as president and CEO of Goodwill Manasota since 2012. The FGA is made up of nine territories of Goodwill stores throughout the states of Florida and Alabama. The association was formed about five years ago and began as a way for Goodwills throughout the state to meet and discuss day-to-day operations in order to improve the impact and reach of Goodwill in each surrounding territory. 

Goodwill Manasota

Governor Rick Scott announced three appointments and six reappointments to the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council, including All Children’s Hospital’s Margaret Reilly, who was reappointed to a term that began Thursday and runs through 2018. Reilly, of Bradenton, is the director of occupational and physical therapy at All Children’s Hospital. 

Florida Governor's Office

Josh Wynne Construction’s TipTopHaus in Lido Shores was awarded the Platinum, Best in American Living Awards, for Green Built Home at this year’s International Builder’s Show.The winners of the Best in American Living Awards demonstrate that they are at the forefront of innovative design and are also a preview of design trends home buyers will see over the next several years, according to the judges who reviewed the entries in the annual competition of the National Association of Home Builders. Josh Wynne Construction has won the BALA four times in the last five years and is considered one of the nation’s foremost builders of sustainable homes. 

Josh Wynne Construction