The Ringling College of Art and Design’s Selby Gallery will soon close, according to Ringling College President Dr. Larry Thompson, and the building will be demolished to make way for a new visual arts center in the heart of campus. The gallery’s final show, an exhibition of Cuban art from the Jorge Reynardus Collection, closes Dec. 9, after which the building will be vacated to make way for the new construction. The plan for a new visual arts center has been on the table for a while, according to Thompson—at least since the Brandenburg Studio was torn down amidst the construction of the new library—and a recent generous gift from regular Ringling patrons Richard and Barbara Basch provided the initial funding to get the ball rolling.

Ambitious in scope, the new Basch Visual Arts Center is planned to house facilities for students working in near any medium of their choice, whether it be glass, wood, ceramics, printmaking, photography or digital fabrication, and will be made available for the benefit of all of the school’s students. There will still be gallery space within the new center, said Thompson, but there will also be a significant focus on actual creation, not only display, including the addition of six multi-purpose classrooms within the space. “It will be grounded in the mission of making art and design,” said Thompson, continuing to say that because of this focus, “we felt it would be symbolically appropriate to be located in the center of campus,” leading to the decision to demolish Selby Gallery. “That building is long past its useful life,” said Thompson, “and therefore will come down to make room for this exciting new facility.”

Thompson reports construction is expected to be completed by late 2016, with the gallery and the glass and ceramic studios open by early 2017. The classrooms and remaining facilities, he expects to see “occupied and in full use” in time for the Fall 2017 semester.

But fans of the Selby Gallery need not despair. Though Thompson can’t say at this point whether the gallery in the new space will retain the Selby Gallery name, he said it will likely provide a similar function and display the same style and quality work that Selby visitors have come to expect and enjoy.

“The new buildings support the vision of Ringling College—for us to become the preeminent art and design college worldwide,” said Thompson, referencing the torrent of campus growth in the past years, including not only the Basch Visual Arts Center, but the announced soundstage and incoming Sarasota Museum of Art, as well as new academic programs such as a bachelor of arts program in Critical and Visual Studies and a bachelor of fine arts program in Creative Writing to be introduced in Fall 2016. “As a result, our graduates become even more competitive in the employment marketplace and able to begin successful careers as artists and designers.” 

Chef Dylan Elhajoui of Mozaic is on the tail end of an eight-week culinary exploration of Mediterranean Cuisines. Each week, a new three-course menu representing a different region of the Western Mediterranean is presented for only $35. This past week, I tried the menu of Emilia-Romagna, Italy. As always, Chef Dylan’s thoughtfully composed dishes feature layers of complex and interesting flavors and I can’t wait to try this week’s offering: the cuisine of Asturia, Spain. Highlights from the Emilia-Romagna menu included Pancetta and Cotechino Stuffed Calamari, and Pan Seared Yellow Fin Tuna with a Rosemary Polenta Cake. The second course presented me with one of the most delicious dishes I’ve tried in a long time: Truffle Scented Asparagus Barletto with butternut squash and Parmigiano Reggiano zabaglione. This richly satisfying bowl of heavenly Italian comfort almost brought me to tears. I urge you not to miss the next two weeks of menus from Asturia, Spain and Lyon, France respectively as, especially at this price point, the value of this gustatory experience can’t be overstated. I have my eye on the Pickled Tomatoes in Thyme Honey Vinaigrette and the Slow Braised Octopus. Take a friend so that you can order one of the options from each course—I guarantee that you won’t be disappointed. 

Mozaic Restaurant, 1377 Main Street 941-951-6272

Want to enjoy a signature Florida flavor as served by an iconic Gulf Coast culinary locale? This recipe is one of many to be found in Reflections of a Chef, a 2005 cookbook of recipes from Longboat Key Club and Resort's Food and Beverages Director Chef Robert Weil. If you get the tome yourself, you can also find Weil's recipe for the Rasberry Coulis and Linzer dough.

Ingredients (for Key Lime Dome): 6 oz. Rasberry Coulis; 5 oz. heavy cream; 3 ½ oz. white chocolate; 1 oz. Key lime juice; 0.1 oz. gelatin powder; 1 pasteurized egg white; 1 ¼ oz. sugar; 1 oz. lime compound; Linzer dough baked in rounds.

Ingredients (for Ginger Tuile): 4 oz. sugar; 2 oz. butter; 2 oz. all-purpose flour; 3/8 cup light corn syrup; 1/3 tsp. powdered sugar.

Freeze the Rasberry Coulis into six domes, 1 oz. each. Whip heavy cream to soft peaks and set aside. Melt white chocolate over a double boiler. Gently warm Key lime juice with gelatin powder until dissolved. Whip egg yolks and whites, allowing to become light and develop volume. Slowly add sugar and lime compound to eggs and continue whipping until stiff peaks form. Whisk lime juice and gelatin mixture into melted chocolate. Fold chocolate mixture into egg mixture. Gently fold in the whipped cream. Pour into dome molds. Insert frozen Rasberry Coulis domes into Key lime domes. Smooth and freeze. Unmold and serve on Linzer rounds. Garnish each with a Ginger Tulie.

For Ginger Tuile, cream sugar and butter until light, Add flour until thoroughly combined. Add corn syrup and ginger. Chill, then scoop onto silpat and spread very thin. Bake at 325 degrees until it bubbles fully and is medium golden brown. While still warm, cut into 1-inch-by-8-inch strips. Place inside cake pan along the curve to set hard. 

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens appointed new officers to its governing board of trustees, which guides and oversees the organization’s operations and strategic planning. Emily Walsh serves as chairwoman. Walsh is the chief digital Officer of Observer Media Group. Serving as first vice-chair is Dr. Kelvin Cooper, independent consultant with KC Pharma Consulting. Additional officers elected are J. Allison Archbold, treasurer; Michael J. Wilson, secretary; and Cathy Layton, past chair. Terms begin immediately for a length of two years. 

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

Sarasota County was honored at the City-County Communications and Marketing Association's annual award ceremony last week, beating out over 700 entries in two categories. The county received two awards, including first place for the 2014 Annual Report in the printed publications category and second place for Sarasota County's "Fast Facts" in the graphic design category.  Both the annual report and Fast Facts are products created by the Communications department. 

Sarasota County