Professional gardener and artist, Elizabeth Murray helped to restore Monet's Giverny gardens in the 1980s and has since enjoyed privileged access to the site. Elizabeth will share tales from Monet’s gardens and how his garden became his muse, deepening and expanding his life’s work on Thursday, March 11 from noon to 1pm on Zoom. Through her award-winning photography, she will provide insight into the restoration of the gardens, historic photographs, and Monet’s paintings. This lecture is available to Selby Gardens' members and donors. If you aren't a member yet, join today.

IQuest is a monthly program for smart, curious middle school students in grades 6 through 8. While each IQuest is different, you can always expect challenging projects and games that inspire out-of-the-box solutions to real world problems. Due to limitations on attendance and staffing, attendees must pre-register by 11am on the day of the program. We will be adhering to social distancing measures during all activities and the class size will be limited to 10 children. Masks will be required for all staff and students, and all students will be temperature-screened upon arrival. This month, on Saturday, March 13 from 4pm to 8pm at The Bishop, explore Ancient Ecosystems. How do we learn about life in the past? Join us to explore fossils, and learn how they are uncovered and the stories they can tell us. Admission is $8. Kids only — this is a drop-off program. Paid reservations required; includes a slice of pizza and a drink.

yMusic, “six contemporary classical polymaths who playfully overstep the boundaries of musical genres,” (The New Yorker) performs in concert halls, arenas and clubs around the world. Founded in New York City in 2008, yMusic strives to perform excellent, emotionally communicative music, regardless of style or idiom. Their virtuosic execution and unique instrumentation (string trio, flute, clarinet, and trumpet) has attracted the attention of renowned collaborators—from Paul Simon to Bill T. Jones to Ben Folds—and inspired original works by some of today’s foremost composers. This concert, at 8pm on March 11, 2021, will feature a recent work by Andrew Norman, selections from their album Ecstatic Science, and other pieces.

Baroque master Johann Sebastian Bach fathered 20 children during his lifetime, and it should come as no surprise that several of them blossomed into remarkable composers in their own rights. This program features music by two of his sons, as well as music by Johann himself. Wilhelm Friedemann Bach was the 2nd oldest child and received rigorous keyboard and composition lessons from his father. His graceful Sinfonia in F Major was his first full symphonic work. Christopher Takeda and Jennifer Best Takeda, Associate and Assistant Concertmasters, combine forces in Johann Sebastian Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins. Frequently called Bach’s “Double Concerto”, the late Baroque masterpiece offers high energy music for the two soloists. Concluding the program is the Cello Concerto in A Major by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Johann’s 5th child. Sarasota Orchestra Principal Cellist Natalie Helm will bring to life this treasured work from March 11 until March 14, 2021, providing a lively conclusion to this tribute to a remarkable musical family. $10 Streaming Access from March 18 through March 23.

Holley Hall, 709 North Tamiami Trail

His is the most famous name in the history of playwriting. From Romeo and Juliet to Hamlet to Macbeth, Shakespeare’s timeless works continue to play on – four centuries after his time. Hear from two contemporary playwrights who are bringing little-known true stories inspired by the Bard into the light of the 21st century on March 11, 2021 at 11am.  From scandalous forgeries to a street performance duel with historic consequences, playwrights Jeffrey Couchman and Deborah Brevoort transport us through time as we visit historical figures who took the good Bard’s legacy into their own hands.

On Thursday, March 11th at 6pm Channeling Amanda Gorman: Featuring Poets Richard Blanco, Jim Daniels, Rick Hilles and students of The Dragonfly Cafe. A Zoom Poetry Celebration. Please join us for this very special evening of poetry. Award-winning Booker Middle School teacher, Joanna Fox, has asked her students to write poems inspired by inaugural poet Amanda Gorman, who stole America’s heart on January 20th. They will share their poems at this special virtual event. Joining in the celebration will be three distinguished poets. Richard Blanco, who was the inaugural poet for President Obama’s second inauguration, will read the poem he wrote for that occasion. Poets Jim Daniels and Rick Hilles will read their own poems written for other momentous events. Poetry is alive and well, its joyous fire stoked by Amanda Gorman. The Dragonfly Cafe began in 2004 when Joanna Fox launched the creative writing program at Booker Middle School. She organized a coffee house night for students and their parents, which she still does. The students get to read their work and the parents can see what the students work on all year. There is no charge for this event, but registration is needed for the Zoom link.

Eager to bridge the void of excellent jazz performances created by the pandemic, WSLR+Fogartville and The Jazz Club of Sarasota have joined forces to present a series of four concerts featuring some of the best jazz talent in the area. The Bridge Jazz Series continues on Thursday, March 11th with performances by Berimbau and Hot Club SRQ. The concert will be livestreamed and there will be limited in-person seating. Doors will open at 7pm and the concert will begin at 7:30pm. Livestreaming tickets are $10 for The Jazz Club of Sarasota and WSLR+Fogartyville members, $15 for non-members, and $25 for those that will host a watch party. In-person seats are being sold in tables of four - $40 for members/$60 for non-members. Tickets are available at www.wslr.org. Berimbau features Jeff Sack and Rick Peterson on guitar performing a mix of jazz, blues, classic and bossa nova. Hot Club of SRQ performs a musical mélange of rumba, flamenco, swing, bossa nova, bebop and tango collectively known as gypsy jazz. The band’s name pays homage to the original Hot Club of France ensemble, officially known as Quintette du Hot Club de France, which was quite popular in Europe in the mid-1930s through the late ’40s. Headed by esteemed guitarist Django Reinhardt and violin virtuoso Stéphane Grappelli, QHCF is still considered one of the most original bands in jazz history. Hot Club of SRQ includes Keven Aland (violin), Jon McLaughlin (guitar), Chad Tallman (guitar) and Glenn Stevenson (Upright bass).

In a recent study from the Brookings Institution, researchers found that social networks have a significant impact on economic mobility. The study was part of the How We Rise initiative, an analysis of the dynamics of social connections. As part of its Wonder Women Collective series, the Women’s Resource Center (WRC) is offering a panel discussion about how social networks can provide access to support, information, power, and resources, and are a critical and often neglected element of opportunity structures. In “Good Things Happen When Women Connect,” WRC CEO Ashley Brown moderates a panel discussion on the importance of expanding and nurturing professional and personal networks. Guests include Eleni Sokos, CEO of the content marketing company Sokos Social, and Alicia Cotton, regional performance manager at PepsiCo North America. Each will reflect on her experience making connections, having the right people at the table, and their journey to building strong networks. This free webinar is Thursday, March 11 from 5pm to 6pm. Those interested can register at mywrc.org/Collective.

Chef Curtis Hawk will offer a five-course wine dinner, at 6:30pm Thursday, March 11 at The Ringling Grillroom, 5401 Bay Shore Road, featuring Michael David Winery. The menu includes a sesame crusted Ahi tuna starter; poached pear and goat cheese crouton salad; wild boar ravioli pasta course, braised beef short rib with mascarpone polenta main course, and chocolate brûlée for dessert. Each course includes a glass of wine from Michael David Winery. Cost is $125 per person. For information, call 941.360.7390 or visit ringlinggrillroom.com.

Meet the original Broadway stars of "The Lion King." Your purchase includes access to view the Video On Demand from 12am PST on March 11 through 11:59pm PST on March 14. Featuring (from the Original Broadway Cast): Heather Headley (Nala), Max Casella (Timon), Tom Alan Robbins (Pumbaa), Geoff Hoyle (Zazu) plus Bradley Gibson (current Simba). The Broadway Cast Reunion Series gives audiences a chance to do what they may never have done before: visit “backstage” with the cast and hear personal, hilarious, unscripted stories and gossip – as the casts really let their hair down. Viewers can even ask questions via the chat feature.