Born in Sarasota, Mike Solomon was, is and always will be “a water kid,” just as the shoreline will always be his haven. From the banks of Phillippi Creek, where he learned the art of watercolor at age four from his father, artist Syd Solomon, to the shores of Midnight Pass and all the surfing in between, the younger Solomon enjoyed an affinity for the water just short of gills. But with college came the siren song of the California coast, and, though surf trips and watercolor remained, Solomon wouldn’t call Sarasota home again for decades. With his latest solo exhibition, Mike Solomon: Native Shore, opening tomorrow night at Alfstad& Contemporary, the artist celebrates a return to the waters that started it all.

A series of rectangular pieces bearing horizontal stripes of color viewed as though through a morning mist or evening haze, the work presents in Solomon’s style, minimalist and understated, but belying deep autobiographical currents. Comprising layered sheets of frosted polyester film, each strategically striped with acrylic paint and stacked to take advantage of the material’s imperfect transparency, the process may seem a far cry from his watercolor beginnings, but not so, says the artist. “Watercolor is foundational to that,” he says, “because it’s a certain type of seeing—seeing through the layers and seeing how layers are applied.”

And to hear Solomon talk, the work in Native Shore seems almost fated, as though his time in Sarasota left its indelible imprint on his artist’s heart—a little horizontal line across the atria, perhaps. Once working for years in just cross-hatching, this latest series sees Solomon playing with only repeated horizontal lines. Shorelines, he says, and horizon lines. And, in his eye, emblematic of his hometown.

Building his pieces like a sound mixer layering tracks for a new song, Solomon brings forward the colors he wants to pop and mutes the others. The “essential ingredient to all visual art,” he says, color is that “incredible force” that only the visual artist can wield, and Solomon has been surprised at the colors he found within himself, like old memories of the sea. “The palette is just coming right out of me,” he says. “The palette that I’ve been seeing all my life and that I returned to, emerging out of me.”

The result isn’t something that quite “hits you over the head,” Solomon admits, but his aim finds something more meditative and quietly rewarding. “As you keep looking at them,” he says, “they reveal different ways to look.”

Mike Solomon: Native Shore opens tomorrow night, March 15, at Alfstad& Contemporary, with an artist reception at 5:30pm. The show runs through April 14. 

Pictured: Selection from "Native Shore" by Mike Solomon. Image courtesy of Alfstad& Contemporary.

The Community Foundation of Sarasota County, in partnership with Ascend at the Aspen Institute, together host the 2018 2Gen Summit on Breaking Cycles of Poverty. The second of its kind in our region, the conference takes place at the Lee Wetherington Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County. The Community Foundation has been partnering with local organizations and county schools since 2011 to integrate the 2Gen philosophy into local programs directed at lifting affected families out of the poverty threshold here. The summit intends to educate the area, providing the latest research and innovative practices that will support families on their journey to economic security and educational success. Between yesterday and today, more than 250 local leaders from nonprofit organizations, civic groups, county school systems, the private sector, as well as city and county commissions are scheduled to attend. Attendees will hear from national thought leaders from around the U.S., program directors, social workers and parents. The goal—a meeting of the minds, to convene and determine ways Sarasota County, Manatee County and our greater community can strategically break the multi-generational cycle of poverty, while concurrently honoring, respecting and supporting those vulnerable families. 

Inspired by Ascend at the Aspen Institute, the 2Gen Summit revolves around the subject of their “Two-Generation Approach," which focuses on creating opportunities and addressing needs of both children and the adults in their lives together. The 2Gen Approach incorporates five core components—Education and Development, Post Education Employment Pathways/Opportunities, Economic Assets, Health and Well-Being, and Social Capital. An overview of the agenda includes interactive breakout sessions and engaging workshops from the speakers on core components to identify, develop and implement topics in the following—Mental Health, Affordable Housing, Racial Equity, Early Childhood Education, Parent Education and Workforce Training, Engaging and Listening to Families, Building Successful Partnerships, Effectively Measuring Program Outcomes.

One of the many highlights include speaker Ann Christiano, an esteemed professor at University of Florida, the Frank Karel Chair in Public Interest Communications and Director of the newly established Center for Public Interest Communications. She opened her presentation with a poignant image blown up on the screens of a match lit a fire with the words, “Fuel for the Fire of Change”. While shedding light on the topics at hand, she simultaneously made the audience feel all the emotions fundamentally key for making real change transpire– pride, awe, sadness, fear, humor, and inspiration. With relatable yet creative imagery, video clips and thought-provoking questions, you could feel the auditorium stimulated with motivation to execute their own plan for future change in a more effective and resourceful way. She ended her discussion with saying, “Communicate images so other people can see what you see. Use that power of emotion and consider using emotions that people actually want to feel. Create actionable content and tell stories that build people’s curiosity. Because there’s this incredible thing that happens when you do this—it’s like gasoline on a flame. And what happens when you put gasoline on a flame? You can’t see the gasoline anymore. All you see is fire.” The common interest of everyone there became apparent– to learn and connect with one another, to mobilize policies and to activate changes to better our community.

The Community Foundation and Ascend at the Aspen hope to ignite the empathy within all of us, ultimately helping less fortunate families flourish economically, educationally, socially and physically for positive community change. Much can come from this powerful summit, and while the first day’s portion of the conference may be over, you can still catch the second day’s action today from 8:00am-2:00pm. For more details about the 2Gen Summit or to schedule separate interviews with speakers, contact Murray Devine at 941.556.7122 or MDevine@CFSarasota.org

The Community Foundation of Sarasota County is proud to partner with SRQ Media Group to highlight stories about community impact powered by philanthropy in our region, thanks to the support of donors and our local nonprofit partners. The Community Foundation is a public charity founded in 1979 by the Southwest Florida Estate Planning Council as a resource for caring individuals and the causes they support, enabling them to make a charitable impact on the community. For more information, visit www.CFSarasota.org 

Image provided by The Community Foundation.

2018 2Gen Summit

Forty Carrots Family Center has announced the election of John Annis to its board of trustees. Annis is senior vice president of collaboration and impact for the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation. Annis was named as an Aspen Institute Ascend Fellow in 2015, working across sectors to advance economic security, educational success and health and well-being.  Previously, he worked at the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, the Collins Center for Public Policy and the Herald-Tribune Media Group.  The majority of Annis’ professional experience comes from more than 24 years on active duty in the United States Marine Corps. Annis joins the following board of trustees, officers: Chris Jarmul (chair); Robert Stroud (treasurer); Justin Powell (secretary); ex-officio Michelle Kapreilian (executive director); remaining trustees are Jane Bennett; Ariane Dart; Liz Diaz; Caroline Ellerson; Tomeika Hunter-Koski; Ben Jones;  Betsy Kane-Hartnett; Ashley Kozel; Manav Malik, DMD; Anna Nekoranec; Nicholas Roberts; Alan Ross; Heather Williams; and trustee emeriti are Kim Githler, Stanley Kane and Jeff Steinwachs. Trustees further the mission of Forty Carrots Family Center by supporting, guiding and raising funds for such purposes. 

Forty Carrots Family Center

Kristi Jarvis has been named the new principal at Ashton Elementary by Superintendent Todd Bowden, effective immediately and pending Board approval. She has served as acting principal since June of 2017. Jarvis has served as the acting principal of Ashton Elementary since June of 2017. Prior to that role, she was assistant principal at Phillippi Shores Elementary from 2015 to 2017. She began her career in Sarasota at Brentwood Elementary where she taught third and fourth grade for seven years. She also served as a literacy/data coach, a reading and math resource teacher and testing coordinator at Brentwood. Jarvis earned her master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from Jones International University and a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and Specific Learning Disabilities from Mount Vernon Nazarene University in Ohio. 

Ashton Elementary School

Southwest Florida luxury home builder Nautilus Homes has been recognized with a "Best Of Houzz 2018 Design" award from Houzz, the leading platform for home renovation and design, and the Nautilus Home's Houzz portfolio of design images and projects was voted "most popular" by the Houzz community of over 40 million monthly users. The Best Of Houzz awards are the result of Houzz's annual survey of users' preferred homebuilders, architects, interior designers, landscapers, and residential remodeling professionals. Users cast votes in three categories: Design, Customer Service and Photography, and the result is a homeowner-to-homeowner guide to the best of the best in design and home renovation across the nation. 

Nautilus Homes