Gallery-goers gorge tonight with an invitation from Ringling College of Art and Design to “Celebrate Seven Galleries in One Evening,” featuring extended hours for the campus galleries and the opening of three new exhibitions, including StereoType, a traveling exhibition showcasing the work of 14 international artists and designers exploring the intersection of technology and design through novel interpretations of the symbolic nature of language. Housed in the Selby Gallery, the Ringling College exhibition will be the only stop in the region for this traveling show.

Under the full name StereoType: New directions in typography, the assembled exhibition sees artists from disparate traditions and mediums offering their own take on the elastic potential of typography, both in form and content. For some, there’s a playfulness, a certain whimsy that invites the viewer along for the experiment as the artist twists and bends familiar forms into alien images. Jerome Corgier’s installation lines the eastern wall, a row of layered and multi-colored paper constructions designed as a hybrid interpretation of Arabic and Roman alphabets and looking from afar like the crumbling pyramidic ruins of some Seussean civilization. On the wall adjacent, Ji Lee presents the alphabet in three dimensions, rotating each character around its vertical axis and positing the symbol’s form separate from the page.

Also on display will be Brian Banton’s plexiglass and elastic installation, stretching the alphabet across three dimensions through manipulation of the basic vector lines composing individual letters and a performance piece from Remco van de Craats, founder of Design Studio Edhv in The Netherlands, using fire to create ephemeral art. However, while the apparatus will be on display, the actual performance will be on the following Monday, Aug. 24.

“In this day and age, there’s no reason to think about type as something that has to be two dimensions,” said Ginger Gregg Duggan, a curator from curatorsquared, which won an Award of Excellence for the exhibit, “and we love working at that intersection of art and design, always looking at that boundary. I hope it excites people and gets a new group to look at something they may not initially perceive as art, but definitely is.”

The second room houses numerous video projects, such as Thomas G. Mason’s “Colloidal Alphabet Soup,” a collection of microscopic three-dimensional sculpted letters suspended in water and projected from the ceiling into a quivering and oddly literate petri dish on the floor, and Dan Tobin Smith’s efforts to corral fire, smoke and even the natural environment into letter forms, accompanied to a flickering and almost haunting conclusion by its insistent soundtrack.

In addition to StereoType, in the Basch Gallery 4 Artists/4 Walls opens, seeing artists Dustin Juengel, Nathan Skiles, Steven Strenker and Patrick Lindhart each claim a wall as their own and paint directly on its surface, creating a walk-in experience, and “Resonance Array” opens in the Crossley Gallery with a reception from 5-9pm, showcasing the work of Ringling College faculty and staff. Tonight also marks the closing reception for the show in the CJ Gallery, featuring Ringling alumnus Tom Stephens. The Willis Smith Galleries will be open, showing student photography, as will the MadeBy Gallery, with an extended sale on original work from Ringling College students and alumni. All galleries will be open late, from 5-7pm, except for Crossley, which will be open until 9pm. 

Tableseide Restaurant Group’s Muse has replaced Treviso as The Ringling Museum’s in-house restaurant. The space is artfully attired in mauve, magenta and violet, echoing the heavy smudges of deep purple in the stunning abstract painting displayed to the left of the newly lilac spiral staircase. The menu is as composed and fanciful as the interior, with Executive Chef Francis Casciato’s signature satirical sensibility occupying center stage. I’m intrigued by the inclusion of several complex vegan and vegetarian options such as the Heirloom Carrot Wellington, which is tastier than any Beef version I’ve tried, while the Raw Summer Vegetable Salad includes “art-is-in” greens, fresh watermelon, and a masterful citrus-feta vinaigrette. The Smoked Trout appetizer is presented with the attendant drama of an amusingly pretentious bar snack, with our server removing a smoke-filled glass from the stack of trout with a flourish. This may be my new favorite appetizer with its crispy potato skins, crème fraiche, and smoked salmon roe. There’s an earthy, comfortable elegance to the dish that speaks to me on a visceral level – as my friend Ryan Hill said, “I want to put my face in this.”

Muse at The Ringling, 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota, 941-360-7390

The return of turquoise is strong this season with distressed silver in company. The carved and detailed beads of the silver catch the eye while the antique finish keeps the statement subtle. The medallion and small dangling arrows of the dream catcher recall the tribal influence of the '70s decade that made turquoise a treasured accent. Pick up this necklace for $30 at Binjara Traders for $30. 

Binjara Traders, 327 John Ringling Blvd., Sarasota

Melissa Coleman has been promoted from Administrative Coordinatorfor Fuzion Dance Artists to Company Manager. Coleman holds a BFA in Dance from the University of Florida and has worked seasonally with Herff Jones, John McLay and Associates as an Administrative Assistant since 2007. She is best known for her recent debut in Larry Kiegwen’s Mattress Suite as part of Fuzión’s 9th season concert. At the same time, an administrative intern, Audrey Lehrer, is in training as Coleman’s replacement as administrative coordinator.  

Fusion Dance Artists

Hellen Osorio, Assistant Vice President and Credit Analyst at Gateway Bank, was recently named Incoming President of The Risk Management Association (RMA) – Sarasota Chapter, where she will serve for the September 1, 2015 – August 31, 2016 fiscal year.  In addition, she will serve as Education Chair. Osorio has been an RMA member for two years, and in her new role will oversee the committees, administration and general functions of the chapter.  

Risk Management Association - Sarasota Chapter

On October 3, 2015, SRQ | The Magazine is hosting the most premier event of the season, Bal Masqué: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil at Sarasota Opera House. For those interested in a VIP experience with clients or friends, the Harlequin Club is still accepting memberships. With an exclusive set of benefits (including private bar and reserved performance seating), Harlequin Club members are privy to a hosting opportunity like none other. A portion of proceeds from each Harlequin Club membership supports a beneficiary of the purchaser's choice.

This year, Action Realty, Sarasota YMCA, Sarasota Architectural Salvage, Mariash Lowther Wealth Management, Dr. Christina M. de Guia of CMDpsych and Premier Sotheby's International Realty have reserved their memberships. Space is limited in this elite group. For more information on benefits and pricing, visit the Bal Masqué website.