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SRQ DAILY Feb 5, 2021

Friday Weekend Edition

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Friday Weekend Edition

"No other play speaks to today's world and the complex interrelatedness of the personal and political, so directly as Julius Caesar."

- Jonny Epstein, Director and Adapter of the Script
 

-Deliberate Divergence as seen in SRQ's February 2021 edition out now. Click photo for the full article.
[Tech]  Super Bowl Ad Spotlights Randels, Tampa Bay Region
Jacob Ogles, jacob.ogles@srqme.com

People told Joy Randels you couldn’t build a successful tech company in Tampa Bay. She’s built six of them, and now will appear in a Super Bowl ad to explain what the region has to offer.

With the Super Bowl coming Sunday to Raymond James Stadium, the Tampa Bay Super Bowl LV Host Committee put together a marketing real to lure tech investors to the region. Randels, CEO and founder of New Market Partners, will be one of four industry entrepreneurs spotlighted in the ad. A five-minute version can already be viewed on YouTube and a one-minute cut will broadcast on Sunday. Randels never expected to get that kind of a call but was excited to take part in the opportunity.

“It’s a great way to show what’s really been happening here,” Randels said. “I’ve been part of this community for 20 years, and it’s changed a lot since I have been here.”

The Sarasota tech illuminary also had a voice in who else was showcased. She noted to the committee the importance of highlighting the racial and gender diversity of the industry here. It was at her suggestion the ad included Jacqueline Darna, CEO and medical inventor of NoMo Nausea. “Most people don’t know this but Florida is the No.3 state for female founders,” Randels says in the ad. Darna is also Latina, while Randels is half Native American. The ad also spotlights Ryan Neese, a black managing partner for Next Play Capital (and a former Tampa Bay Buccaneer).

Another thing Randels asked the committee to highlight was the Sarasota area’s academic resources, particularly the Cross College Alliance. “In Sarasota, a student can come here and cross-enroll,” she said. “The fact a student can enroll in New College and take a design course at Ringling College, and a Big Data course at New College and a cybersecurity course at USF, you can’t do that at Stanford. You can’t do that at Berkeley."

While the region may not be top-of-mind when people think about tech, that can change and the ad could play a part in that, Randels hopes. That should benefit the entire region, not only Tampa; she noted the drive from north Tampa to Venice is about the same drive as San Francisco to San Jose. “Nobody complains that you have to cross a bridge in San Francisco or in New York,” she said.

She credits the Tampa Bay Partnership, which serves eight counties including Manatee and Sarasota, with ensuring this Super Bowl marks a chance to showcase the entire Tampa Bay region, not just the City of Tampa. 

Screenshot from Tampa Bay Super Bowl LV Host Committee ad.

[New Exhibit ]  Black Muse Exhibition Brings Diversity in Representation
Andrew Fabian, andrew.fabian@srqme.com

“When you look through the history books, it’s hard to find artists of African descent,” says Elizabeth Goodwill, education director of Art Center Sarasota. Those history books were written largely by white men of Western European descent, framed around the ideals, aesthetics and history of Western empires and effusive in their praise of largely white artists. Representation matters. Black Muse places representation center stage in its juried exhibition of artists of African descent from around the state—and with it, the exhibition also hopes to show aspiring Black artists that they too belong in gallery spaces.

Featuring a collection of works in a variety of mediums, the exhibition emphasizes imagery and themes related to Black identity and heritage. This year’s winner, Krystle Lemonias, a Jamaican-born printmaker known for her use of mixed media, uses her work to celebrate the contributions of Black immigrant women in the cultural fabric of the U.S. Second place went to Jesse Clark, a fine art photographer and current Ringling College student who makes frequent use of Black men in his work to challenge negative stereotypes about Blackness, masculinity and issues around social justice.

In addition to demonstrating just how vibrant and skilled these under-represented artists are, the other goal of the exhibition is to inspire the next generation of aspiring artists. To that end, Suncoast Black Arts Collective’s president, Michele Redwine, has much to offer.

She made a career as an arts educator, diversity specialist and board member of large arts organizations, and even in retirement, she continues to work for greater inclusion in a fine art landscape she feels still lacks people of color. “What we’re finding is that when young people of color finish middle school, they’re just not engaging with arts curricula in the same numbers,” says Redwine. She acknowledges that there are many reasons, but she hopes to leverage Black Muse’s representation into outreach with the county school system to understand and dismantle implicit and explicit obstacles young Black students face in their pursuit of art.

But if artists of African descent are to stake their claim in those same art history books that favor Western European themes and imagery, it begins with the representation in Black Muse and exhibitions like it. The collection is available to view online through March 5th. 

Photo by Jesse Clark

Click here for more information.

[New Show]  The FSU/Asolo Conservatory Presents Julius Caesar Streaming

The FSU/Asolo Conservatory has announced thatJulius Caesar, this year’s Shakespeare show typically held in the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, will shift to a digital format due to the still-strict COVID guidelines. Julius Caesar will be available to stream on Asolo Rep’s website from April 7-26, 2021. Jonathan Epstein will direct all of the second-year ensemble in this show. The production will be filmed in student homes, Conservatory studios, and outdoor locations around Sarasota. Tickets are $25, with $10 student tickets, and are available for purchase on Asolo Rep’s website. Tickets go on sale at noon on Friday, February 5, 2021. “No other play speaks to today’s world and the complex interrelatedness of the personal and political, so directly as Julius Caesar,” says director and adapter of the script, Jonny Epstein. “This adaptation makes best use of this diverse and talented ensemble by ignoring traditional gender roles to focus the drama on the struggle between honor and loyalty, between patriotism and self-preservation.” 

Click here for more information.

[Fundraising]  Support Solar for a Sustainable Selby Gardens

With a strategic investment by Charles and Margery Barancik Foundation to power our Downtown Sarasota campus, Selby Gardens is poised to become the First Net Positive Botanical Garden Complex in the World. Through the Solar Array Campaign, you can make a gift to name a solar panel supporting the future of Selby Gardens. A gift of $2,500 will dedicate a panel in your name or that of a loved one. A special occasion can also be commemorated. Your support will make the 50,000-square-foot solar array a reality, while also enabling future energy savings of $100,000 annually from the vital one megawatt of power that will be generated.  Your help will allow further investment in the mission to provide bayfront sanctuaries connecting people with air plants of the world, native nature, and regional history. 

Click here for more information.

[Celebration ]  Friends of Osprey Junction Trailhead and Sarasota County Centennial 2021 Partner to Present a Free Webinar Celebrating Sarasota County’s 100th Anniversary

Friends of Osprey Junction Trailhead and Sarasota County Centennial 2021 are partnering to present a free webinar celebrating Sarasota County’s 100th anniversary. A grant from the Gulf Coast Community Foundation is underwriting this webinar. Discover the intrigue, drama, and perseverance that sparked Sarasota District civic leaders in 1921 to break from Manatee County to create Florida’s 62nd County. Learn how the Tamiami Trail and the 1920s Florida land boom impacted the formation of Sarasota County—and how visionary Sarasotans persevered to fulfil their dreams and economic ambitions as they led a county independence movement. 

Click here to register.

[Zoom Program]  Arts Advocates presents “Speaking of the Arts…Living and Sustaining a Creative Life”

Arts Advocates is pleased to present “Speaking of the Arts … Living and Sustaining a Creative Life,” on Wednesday, March 3, at 1:00pm. This free program, offered via Zoom, features artist, educator and advocate Sharon Louden, who will discuss what it’s like wearing multiple hats as an artist and what it means to sustain a creative life. Registration, which is required, opens February 23. To register, visit artsadvocates.org 

Click here for more information.

[Virtual Seminar]  Suncoast Black Arts Collaborative Presents The Arts & Racial Justice Panel Series

The Suncoast Black Arts Collaborative, a nonprofit organization that promotes using the unifying power of the arts to nurture inclusion and diversity across the regional arts and cultural landscape, presents "Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in the Performing Arts,” part of its free Arts & Racial Justice Panel series, Monday, March 1, 5-6:30pm, via the Zoom webinar platform. This four-part series brings artists, and arts and civic leaders together for courageous conversations about inclusion and diversity in the arts. Panel members in this event are Murray Chase, Michael Donald Edwards, Richard Hopkins, Julie Leach, and
Daniel Bernard Roumain. 

[Promotion]  Tandem Construction Promotes Donnie Siegert and Matthew Sims to Senior Projet Manager

Tandem Construction is pleased to announce the promotions of Donnie Siegert and Matthew Sims to Senior Project Manager. Donnie Siegert has 19 years of industry experience and has been a Project Manager with Tandem for the past seven years. He has led our construction management teams at IMG Academy, New College, State College, The Atlanta Braves Spring Training Facility, Manatee County and the Manatee County School District. Matthew Sims has 22 years of industry experience and has been with Tandem for the past seven years. He has led Tandem's construction management teams in delivering projects for Charlotte County Government, Sarasota Ford, Glasser-Schoenbaum Human Services Center, Dutchman Hospitality Group, Conley GMC/Buick/Subaru, local government agencies, school boards and higher education institutions. These promotions are recognition of Mr. Siegert’s and Mr. Sim’s commitment to Tandem’s clients, their constant attention to detail, quality and safety, and their unparalleled professionalism. 

For more.

[Gardening ]  Announcing St. George’s Mobile Plant Clinic

Manatee County's Agriculture and Extension Service is excited to announce the opening of a new mobile plant clinic which will be open the first Thursday of every month.  Hours are 9 am to 12 pm.  The new mobile plant clinic is located at St. George’s Episcopal Church, 912 63rd Ave. West, Bradenton, Florida.  Master Gardener’s will be available during these times to share their knowledge on horticulture and assist community residents with horticulture questions.  

Click here for more information.

[Virtual Seminar]  SRQ Strong Presents “Healing From Past & Current Trauma”

Unemployment, poverty, lack of access to basic health services, years of neglect, and racism – all have a negative impact on health and well-being. Our communities are suffering from cumulative trauma, compounded by the pandemic. Dr. Lisa Merritt from the Multicultural Health Institute, SRQ Strong’s Helen Neal-Ali, and Charlene Johnson of Newtown and Erianna Sanders of Bradenton will discuss the current crisis in the community and share strategies for empowering residents to heal from past and current traumas. This event will be held on Zoom and streamed on the SRQ Strong Facebook LIVE on Monday, February 22 from 6pm - 7:30pm. Details will be sent upon registration. Register through Eventbrite, for questions please email sarasotastrong@gmail.com. 

Click here to register.

[New Grant]  Local Foundations Support Scholarships for Children in Need

The Roberta Leventhal Sudakoff Foundation has recently awarded $25,000 in support of scholarships to Children First, the exclusive provider of Head Start and Early Head Start services in Sarasota County. The agency also received $20,000 from the Harry Sudakoff Foundation, $15,000 from the Evalyn Sadlier Jones Foundation, $10,000 from the Sarasota County Foundation, and $5,000 from the Harold C. & Jacqueline F. Bladel Foundation, totaling $75,000 in support for the scholarship program. 

Click here for more information.

[Virtual Learning ]  The Patterson Foundation Strengthens Nonprofits With Strategic Decision-Making Consulting Sessions

The Patterson Foundation has selected six regional nonprofit organizations to receive five weeks of 1:1 consulting through their participation in Advancing Mission Thrivability. “With the pandemic continuing to introduce and compound challenges for our vital nonprofit community, Advancing Mission Thrivability is needed more than ever in today’s resource-challenged world,” said Debra Jacobs, president and CEO of The Patterson Foundation. The organizations participating in this extended consulting opportunity include: Charlotte County Homeless Coalition, Charlotte Players, Inc., Mayors’ Feed the Hungry Program, National Alliance on Mental Illness of Sarasota and Manatee Counties, Peace River Botanical & Sculpture Gardens, Inc. and Peace River Wildlife Center. 

Click here for more information.



[In This Issue]  Unifying Art

Digital gallery and art incubator Kirk & Baker supplies emerging artists with the seeds to grow. 

Click here to read the full article in SRQ's February edition - out now!

[SOON]  PERFORMANCE: Virtual: The FSU/Asolo Conservatory: Julius Caesar , April 7 – April 26

The FSU/Asolo Conservatory has announced that Julius Caesar, this year’s Shakespeare show typically held in the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, will shift to a digital format due to the still-strict COVID guidelines. Julius Caesar will be available to stream on Asolo Rep’s website from April 7 through 26, 2021. Jonathan Epstein will direct all of the second-year ensemble in this show. The production will be filmed in student homes, Conservatory studios, and outdoor locations around Sarasota. Tickets are $25, with $10 student tickets, and are available for purchase on Asolo Rep’s website. Tickets go on sale at noon on Friday, February 5, 2021. Directions on how to log-in and stream the show can also be found online. To learn more about the show and purchase tickets to stream the recorded production of Julius Caesar, please visit asolorep.org/Julius-Caesar. Once you have purchased your tickets, you will be able to stream the show on our website anytime from noon on April 7 through 11:59pm on April 26, 2021.

[SOON]  SEMINAR: Virtual: The History of Sarasota County , February 11, 11am

Friends of Osprey Junction Trailhead and Sarasota County Centennial 2021 are partnering to present a free webinar celebrating Sarasota County’s 100th anniversary on February 11 at 11am. A grant from the Gulf Coast Community Foundation is underwriting this webinar. Discover the intrigue, drama, and perseverance that sparked Sarasota District civic leaders in 1921 to break from Manatee County to create Florida’s 62nd County. Learn how the Tamiami Trail and the 1920s Florida land boom impacted the formation of Sarasota County—and how visionary Sarasotans persevered to fulfill their dreams and economic ambitions as they led a county independence movement. Come listen to Dr. Frank Cassell, a nationally known historian, and author of the book “Creating Sarasota County” as he recounts all this and more in an exciting, thought-provoking, and fascinating presentation.

[SOON]  GRAB BAG: Virtual: Art Center Sarasota: Loosen Up with Aquamedia Painting Workshop , February 8 – February 10, 11am-5pm

Loosen Up with Aquamedia Painting Workshop with Visiting Artist Robert Burridge will take place February 8 through 10 from 11am to 5pm on Zoom. Burridge’s popular “Loosen Up” workshops nurture individual success and personal enrichment with a big emphasis on daily painting projects at your own pace. It is stress-free, but be warned; you could end up with too much enthusiasm for painting. This Burridge flagship workshop offers a variety of painting subjects for everyone. Designed for the professional painter who is stuck in a style as well as for the novice who wants to conquer their fear of painting. Starting each day with multiple, small “warm-up painting exercises” and up to larger-format paintings, Burridge’s positive approach towards the act of painting will inspire you to loosen up, have fun again and paint more. Expect an intense, concentrated and lively workshop where you will create many works of art using spontaneity for maximum effect. This workshop has become a must for artists who want the confidence and permission to paint the way they have always wanted to paint. Students will take home handouts with useful and need-to-know information. Burridge’s newest color combination technique is also demonstrated. A positive attitude is a must. This is an online course. When you register (and are paid in full), a Zoom link will be emailed to you. If your teacher has additional handouts, those will also be emailed to you.

[SOON]  GRAB BAG: Virtual: Art Center Sarasota: Abstract Acrylic Painting and Collage , February 11 – February 14, 11am-5pm

Abstract Acrylic Painting and Collage Workshop with Visiting Artist Robert Burridge will take place February 11 through 14 from 11am to 5pm on Zoom. Creative tearing and paint splashing starts off this all new “Loosen Up Workshop.” Also you will learn how to begin a new fresh body of work with your own artistic voice and point of view. Think “artist retreat,” producing a body of work, a series of paintings or your conceptual solo show. Robert Burridge, along with his famous daily handouts, demos and lectures, helps and guides you to paint the way you have always wanted to paint. Daily, you can expect warmup paint sketching, brief painting and lecture demos, constructive critiques and plenty of time to work on personal projects. Come prepared to paint your stuff. This is an online course. When you register (and are paid in full), a Zoom link will be emailed to you. If your teacher has additional handouts, those will also be emailed to you.

[SOON]  GRAB BAG: Boys & Girls Club: Steak & Burger , February 5, 6pm

Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties presents Steak & Burger on February 5 at 6pm at Lee Washington Boys & Girls Club as a safe, socially-distanced outdoor event. For this Drive-In edition, bring your lawn chairs, wear your boots and buckle down as we celebrate our Youth of the Year in our very own backyard. Individual tickets are $100 for lone star homesteads, dinner delivered, honkytonk tunes, a watering hole, and a feature western film. RSVP by January 22 as spaces are extremely limited. 

[SOON]  PERFORMANCE: Virtual: Florida Studio Theatre: The Drolls , February 5, 3pm

Join us for an online reading of The Drolls, a new work in progress by playwright Deborah Brevoort. Cox, Littlewood, and Etherege are drolls - street performers plying their forbidden trade in London’s back alleys while avoiding the ill-intentioned Constable Cowly - on February 5 at 3pm. Cox and Littlewood are more than happy to entertain the English citizens with low-brow humor and silly voices; Etherege is not. When Etherege finds the work of a seminal writer known as Shakespeare, Etherege and Cox engage in an epic battle between the competing art forms of dramatic tragedy and lowball comedy. Following the reading, stay for a chance to give feedback and ask questions of the playwright. FST is requesting a suggested donation of $10 to attend this event. Reservations are limited to one per order, per device. Attendees will need to download the Zoom mobile or desktop app to participate in this event.

[SOON]  PERFORMANCE: Asolo Repertory: Laura Osnes in Concert , February 5 – February 6, 7pm

The season kicks off with Laura Osnes in Concert on February 5 and 6 at 7pm, with music direction by Fred Lassen. Ms. Osnes is a two-time Tony-nominated Broadway superstar known for her memorable performances as Cinderella in Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella and Bonnie Parker in Bonnie & Clyde, a role she created in Asolo Rep's 2010 pre-Broadway run. Her other Broadway credits include Julia Trojan in Bandstand, Hope Harcourt in Anything Goes, Nellie Forbush in Lincoln Center Theater's South Pacific, and Sandy in Grease. She has performed in prestigious cabaret and symphony venues across the country and can currently be seen starring on television in three Hallmark channel original movies; In the Key of Love, A Homecoming for the Holidays and One Royal Holiday. 

[SOON]  SEMINAR: An Evening with Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-Winning Playwright David Auburn , February 5, 5pm

Hermitage Fellow David Auburn will speak about his work and his creative process and may even share from his new work-in-progress on February 5 at 5pm. Moderated by Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg. This program, which is a collaboration with Florida Studio Theatre, is offered both in-person on the Hermitage beach and via live stream. Auburn is a playwright, screenwriter, and director. His most recent play, The Adventures of Augie March, based on the Saul Bellow novel, premiered in Chicago in 2019. A new play, Summer, 1976, will premiere in 2021-2. Other plays include Lost Lake, The Columnist and Proof, the latter of which was awarded the 2001 Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award, and New York Drama Critics Circle Award. Hermitage Beach; entrance at 6660 Manasota Key Road, Englewood; also available via live stream. Registration required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org.

[SOON]  MUSIC: Music Compound: 5th Year Celebration , February 5, 6pm

Join Music Compound’s celebration at Robart's Arena on February 5th at 6pm. We are excited to celebrate our 5th year anniversary. Guests will experience the journey first hand through a unique entrance after walking the red carpet. Ages 4 and up are welcome to celebrate with food, dancing, and a cash bar. Kid activities available. Active members can attend as our guest. Enter the promo code provided to receive your complimentary ticket. Select the VIP ticket. Past members and staff members can attend at a reduced ticketed price. Select the Wanna Be Ticket. Community partners, friends, and family members are encouraged and welcome to attend our celebration. Select the Groupie Ticket. The event will follow CDC guidelines and is limiting ticket sales. The facility is 15,000 square feet. Ages 4 and up welcome. Kid activities available. Food will only be served from 6pm until 8pm. Attire is cocktail. We encourage you to wear red, black, and white. Cash bar onsite. All attendees must sign a COVID Waiver. If you have been sick or experience flu-like symptoms, please do not attend. If you have traveled within 30 days, you will not be permitted to attend.

[SOON]  SEMINAR: Virtual: Bookstore1Sarasota: Zoom PoetryMic , February 7, 2pm

PoetryMic is a series that presents an array of varied and talented poets on February 7 at 2pm. This month’s poets are Ben Hyland, Tom Mallouk, Fred Zirm and Richard Hollis. Ben Hyland's poetry is collected in three chapbooks and has appeared in 50+ journals, including Hawai'i-Pacific Review, Penumbra, and The Meadow. Tom Mallouk: His poetry and prose have been widely published both in print and on-line. His presentation "Poetry and Repair" integrates the poetic process with that of psychological, spiritual, and emotional healing. A three-time runner up for the Bucks County poet laureate, his chapbook Nantucket Revisited was published in May, 2013. Fred Zirm: Fred's work has been published in about a dozen small literary magazines and anthologies, including Voice de la Luna, The Rejected Quarterly, Red Wolf Journal, and Poeming Pigeons. His poem "The Cactus on the Acropolis" was nominated for a Pushcart prize, and his books of poetry, Object Lessons and Stages of Development, are scheduled for publication in 2021. Richard Hollis was born in Canada. He has lived in New York, San Francisco, Vermont, and currently resides in Florida. His work is influenced by Camus, Joyce, Nathaniel West, the Beat Poets, and others. There is no charge for this event. There is an optional fee of $7.00 to help defray the cost to the bookstore. Reservations required for Zoom link.

[SOON]  SPORTS: The Founders Golf Club: Heroes Ladies Intercollegiate Tournament , February 7 – February 9

The Founders Golf Club will be the host site for the inaugural Heroes Ladies Intercollegiate tournament February 7 through 9. Fifteen women’s NCAA Division 1 golf teams from the Big 10, Big 12, SEC, and ACC Conferences will join for a 54-hole stroke play charity tournament benefiting the Army Ranger Lead the Way Fund. The charity golf event, one of the top women’s collegiate golf events in the country, will feature teams competing on the community’s Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed golf course. Events surrounding the tournament, hosted by Purdue University, will include The Charity Golf Outing Dinner & Auction on Monday, Feb. 8. Proceeds will benefit the Army Ranger Lead the Way Fund, a non-profit organization focused on casualty assistance, recovery, transition, and providing financial support beyond what the government and Veterans Affairs can offer to U.S. Army Rangers and their families who have been impacted by combat.

[SOON]  SPORTS: Superbowl Big Screen Party at Mattison's City Grille , February 7, 6:30pm

Mattison’s City Grille will host a Superbowl party to see the Tampa Bay Buccaneers play the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, February 7. Kick off is at 6:30pm. The Superbowl will be shown on a big screen with tables socially distanced for safety and comfort. Game winning bar bites and a special game menu will be available in addition to the regular menu, some of which include pretzels and beer cheese, kettle chips, pork wings, boneless wings and street tacos. Seating is limited and reservations are encouraged by calling 941-330-0440.

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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