This week, venture down to the Art Ovation Hotel to see their latest guest artist, Anita Wexler. Wexler, a painter, illustrator, and sculptor, will be present in the Hotel’s ground floor studio for live demonstrations from 4-8pm from August 23rd to the 25th as well as for a reception on Friday, August 26th from 5-7pm. Wexler, a native of Illinois, always wanted to be an artist but found her dream delayed after enlisting in the U.S. Navy at 17 years old. Eventually, Wexler found her way back to the art world and graduated from the Parsons New School of Design and Bank Street College. Currently, she lives in Sarasota and teaches at Sarasota High School.

For Robyn Holl, Cultural Curator at Art Ovation Hotel, it was Wexler’s decorative home and studio space that caused her to pull the trigger on bringing Wexler aboard as a guest in-studio artist. “Her info was forwarded to me by our sales director and I sent up an appointment to go visit her house and studio. It’s really like an artist’s playground because her home is full of sculptures in the front yard and the shed is filled with paintings inside of it,” says Holl. “She’s just got this interesting, mysterious way about presenting content which is really enamoring. She definitely has a unique approach which made me want to bring her to Art Ovation.”

Wexler, who will be working on a series of paintings while at Art Ovation Hotel, entrances viewers with art reminiscent of magical realism. “There’s this marriage of abstraction and realism, but it’s also very mystical in a way. A lot of figures and some animals, but everything is done with this nuanced approach that is extremely unique. None of it is exact realism or mirror images, it’s all very abstract representations of figures riding horses or doing different things,” says Holl.

Art Ovation Hotel, 1255 N. Palm Avenue, Sarasota, 941-316-0808 

Pictured: Mother's Love, by Anita Wexler. Courtesy of the artist.

A.S. Byatt, a seasoned Booker Prize winner (A Possession: a Romance), published a new short story collection last year entitled Medusa’s Ankles: Selected Stories. Within this collection is the ‘short’ (just shy of 100 pages) story The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye, of which the film 3000 Years of Longing (premiering in Sarasota this weekend) is based.

Byatt’s writing is super scholarly and in The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye, her allusions include Chaucer, Freud, architect John Turtle Wood, just to name a few. Not only does she sprinkle complex icons in her stories, she also waxes poetically about social customs; misogyny in literature, women’s and society’s fixation on the female form, sexual abuse and the difficulty of having a midlife relationship.

Best of all, Byatt also inserts ‘fun', a comedic occurrence with tennis player Boris Becker, Perholt’s love of fancy hotel rooms and a soulful scene of intimacy between Perholt and her djinn.

The premise of this particular short story is deliciously fun. Gillian Perholt, a narratologist in her 50’s, buys a beautifully designed piece of glass containing a genie or djinn who grants her three wishes. I will not spoil her choices, but reading the story was like entering a fantastical world, all while grounded in Perholt’s real world lifestyle.

Fortunately for those seeking a beach read or on a limited budget, the paperback version of Medusa's Ankles: Selected Stories comes out September 6th and is available for pre-order at www.sarasotbooks.com or on 9/6/22 in store at BookStore1 located at 117 S. Pineapple Ave. Sarasota FL. For those interested in a community discussion, 3000 Years of Longing will host a talk back this Sunday evening at 7 at Burns Court Theater.

Medusa’s Ankles: Selected Stories by A.S. Byatt, ISBN #: 9780593466858. 

The Players Centre for Performing Arts opens its 93rd Season with a celebration of Stephen Sondheim, the late musical theatre genius that gave us Into the Woods, Company and Sweeney Todd. Side by Side by Sondheim runs from Sept.8 to 18, 2022 at Studio 1130 located in the Crossings at Siesta Key mall (3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota). Featuring music from Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and Anyone Can Whistle, not to mention the classics written with musical theatre giants, Leonard Bernstein, Jule Styne and Richard Rodgers, this dazzling array of some of Sondheim's best-known songs demonstrates his masterful craft and astounding creativity. Presented in the round, this production is the first to showcase the new audience configuration. The Players is thrilled to provide a unique audience experience to the Sarasota community. 

DOGPerfect is proud to have been named one of “America’s Coolest” Pet Businesses by PETS+, known as “The Better Business Magazine for American Pet Pros.” The locally owned pet retailer with locations in Lakewood Ranch, University Park and the Landings of Sarasota also recently received recognition from two other nationally known publications. PETS+ highlighted top independent pet stores and service providers in the U.S., selecting DOGPerfect from an expansive list of more than 80 companies. Winners of the annual contest are selected based on their history, appearance, online presence, and individuality. The recognition comes on the heels of DOGPerfect receiving the top honor of “Best Multi-Unit Retailer” from Pet Business, a national magazine billed as “the most trusted trade media brand in the pet industry.” Encompass Pet Group -- DOGPerfect’s parent company -- also retained its spot on the Inc. 5000 list of “Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America” for the second straight year. The national attention reflects the pet retailer’s innovative partnerships and programs, such as DOGPerfect Bonus Wishlist, its local giveback initiative. As a first-of-its-kind local program, DOGPerfect matches products preselected by its shelter partners to meet their immediate needs and delivers those items at no cost. For more information on the program, visit www.dogperfect.com/giveback.

DOGPerfect delivers another unique customer experience through its Perfect Club membership, which typically costs $129 and can provide more than $500 in savings. Perks are available on a per-family basis and, if a family has more than one pet, all are entitled to benefits. These benefits include 15% off all dog and cat food, unlimited use of self-serve dog wash stations, unlimited nail trims, a full bag of bulk biscuits for the price of a half bag – all year long, 20% off grooming, a free birthday tender-tuffs plush toy up to a $15 value, VIP shopping nights throughout the year and 20% off all cat litter. 

Pictured: Locally owned pet retailer DOGPerfect has three Suncoast locations, including The Landings in Sarasota.

To learn more, visit

Bank of America has named Erik Vatter president of Bank of America Sarasota/Manatee. As president, Vatter is responsible for connecting the banking and investment resources offered through the bank’s eight lines of business to people and companies across Sarasota/Manatee. He will also lead the effort to deploy Bank of America’s resources to address social concerns, strengthen economic opportunity, and build strong communities, as well as support the health, safety, and engagement of local employees. In addition to his responsibilities as president of Sarasota/Manatee, Vatter is a Merrill resident director and recruitment strategy executive. Since joining Bank of America, he has led Merrill offices in York, Pennsylvania, and Sarasota/Manatee. As a long-time Sarasota/Manatee resident, Erik is active in the community, supporting All Faiths Food Bank and other local nonprofits focused on economic mobility and outcomes for children. He is also involved in Bank of America’s employee networks, serving as the executive sponsor of LEAD for Women Sarasota/Manatee, and he is an LGBTQ+ champion. Vatter graduated from The Pennsylvania State University. 

Berlin Patten Ebling, PLLC, is pleased to announce that Sarah E. Brigham, Esq. has joined Berlin Patten Ebling’s growing team of lawyers. Brigham primarily practices law in residential real property transactions at the Sarasota office. Brigham was born and raised in Sarasota, Florida. After attending Riverview High School, she participated in the Dual Enrollment Program with State College of Florida. Brigham went on to attend the University of Central Florida, where she obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Legal Studies with a minor in Real Estate and was also a member of The National Society of Collegiate Scholars. While attending Stetson University College of Law, she volunteered with Bay Area Legal Services, helping pro se family law litigants complete family court forms. In her free time, Brigham enjoys exploring Sarasota, whether trying new restaurants, working out, or making memories with her two-year-old son, Max. Established in 2003, Berlin Patten Ebling is an award-winning law firm with six offices along the Gulf Coast from Tampa to Bonita Springs, Florida, emphasizing real estate, land use, estate planning, probate, corporate matters, and commercial litigation. Talk to an attorney by visiting berlinpatten.com or call 941-954-9991. 

RE/MAX Alliance Group, the #1 RE/MAX in Florida and the Southeast, is proud to announce associates who placed among the top RE/MAX producers in Florida for the second quarter of 2022 for combined residential and commercial sales. Ivan Gould of the Sarasota office ranked #25, Leonard Giarrano of the Sarasota office ranked #29, Cindy Quinn of the Holmes Beach office ranked #34, Ryan Adamson of the Sarasota office ranked #36, Ryan T. Carson of the Siesta Key office ranked #37, Karin Dubbs of the Englewood office ranked #52, Robert T. Anderson Jr. of the Siesta Key office ranked #77, Stacy Cunneen of the Bradenton office ranked #89 and Christine Kourik of the Holmes Beach office ranked #91.Breaking out just the month of June, Ryan Adamson of the Sarasota office ranked #1, Trudy McClellan of the Tampa office ranked #18, Cindy Quinn of the Holmes Beach office ranked #35, Karin Dubbs of the Englewood office ranked #55, and Shannon Hansbury of the Venice office ranked #65. RE/MAX Alliance Group offers residential and commercial real estate solutions through 12 offices in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando counties. It is the #1 RE/MAX franchise in Florida for contributions to the Children’s Miracle Network. For more information, please visit https://www.alliancegroupfl.com.