This week, treat yourself to a different type of art experience than what you might be used to, a more engaging, immersive one – take a pottery class at The Artful Giraffe. The gallery, gift shop, and studio space features a litany of hands-on art classes for all skill levels, the most enticing of which includes their Pottery On the Wheel class. The class is open to beginners and allows for participants to create up to three pieces of their own before leaving their work to dry in the kiln and return in 2-3 weeks to glaze their pottery free of charge.

“Pottery On the Wheel is definitely our most popular class and a really, really fun one at that. It’s a beginner class, so what happens is you get a demonstration from the instructor and then you make three pieces of your own,” says Gina Fortino from Artful Giraffe. “They learn the basic technique of throwing and can make cups, bowls, plates – anything that can be made on the wheel. Then they return in a couple of weeks to glaze them after they’ve been in the kiln.”

Although throwing clay on the spinning pottery wheel might sound intimidating, it’s actually a lot more approachable than it may seem. “Generally, people do get the hang of it very quickly. We’re making smaller bowls that are a little more beginner friendly,” ensures Fortino. “The class is anywhere from an hour to two hours, so depending on the person and what they’re skill level is – even if they’re new to it – everybody walks away with three pieces.”

At the end of the day, the class offers an opportunity to have a truly rewarding and different art experience. “I think people are really proud of themselves when they leave, because at the beginning it’s going to be difficult but once they figure out that they can do it, they walk away really proud of themselves and happy with what they’ve made,” says Fortino. “That’s always the goal here.”

Pottery On the Wheel Classes: ($95) for 1 Student ($195) for 2 Students. 1861 Fruitville Rd, Sarasota. 941-388-3700. https://artfulgiraffe.com/classes%7Cevents%7Cparties. 

Photo courtesy of Artful Giraffe.

It's that time of year again. Resolutions are in place and fitness goals are being set. To help keep those resolutions and meet those goals, Crunch West Bradenton is having a Renovation Celebration party on Saturday, January 21st at their West Bradenton location, 4836 14th St W, from 10 am until 1 pm. This is the perfect time and place to talk about getting fit and healthy in 2023.

Crunch West Bradenton has recently undergone some renovations. The makeover features new equipment upgrades including a brand new HIITzone, training hub, and relax & recover area, as well as a full line of hammer strength, twenty-five percent more dumbbells and racks, benches and much more.

The celebration will help kick off those New Year's resolutions and provide the encouragement needed to concentrate on health and wellness.

CR Fitness is the franchise group that operates all 4 locations in Sarasota/Bradenton. Founder Vince Julian and CEO Tony Scrimale are both from the Sarasota area and are planning to open a new club in Parrish in 2023 with another planned in 2024.

Crunch West Bradenton, 4836 14th St W, Bradenton, FL. https://www.crunch.com/locations/bradenton 

Sarasota Opera is seeking several enthusiastic children to volunteer for a performance opportunity in Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini. The character of Madama Butterfly’s son Dolore can be played by either a girl or boy and is a non-singing role. The age of Dolore calls for a three-year-old but should be played by an older child who is smaller in size: less than about 3 ½ - 4 feet tall. The selected children should be able to stand or sit on stage and be comfortable being picked up by an adult who will be singing in an operatic voice. Multiple children will be selected for the role to accommodate the 10 total performances of Madama Butterfly between February 18th and March 24th, 2023. Rehearsals will begin on January 16th. There is some flexibility with scheduling and the selected performers will not be required to attend all rehearsals in their entirety. Those interested in this exciting performance opportunity should please contact Director of Artistic Administration, Marco Nisticò, at mnistico@sarasotaopera.org or call 941-366-8450 ext. 534 to schedule an appointment. 

Thousands will enjoy a tantalizing day of traditional homemade Jewish delicacies at the annual Sarasota Jewish Food Festival, hosted by Temple Sinai. This indoor, free event for the whole community will be held on Sunday, January 29, 2023 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Temple Sinai is located at 4631 South Lockwood Ridge Road (enter only from Proctor Road. Temple Sinai members, “chefs and bakers,” will be preparing a wide range of delicious Jewish food. The menu will feature hard-to-resist corned beef and pastrami from Carnegie Deli, bagels and cream cheese, kugel, blintzes, knishes, matzo ball soup and stuffed cabbage. Home-baked goods will also be featured including challah, cakes, pies, pastries and cookies. Tickets will be sold for food purchases. In addition, there will be craft and jewelry vendors, unique treasures and an art sale. For the children, they will be thrilled this year to play in the bounce house and have their faces painted. A student concert will be held in the temple’s sanctuary at 12:00 pm. It has been several years since the festival was last held. Director of Communications and Programming Andrea Eiffert says, “Since we were not able to hold the Food Festival during the pandemic, we are especially excited to welcome the community back to celebrate great Jewish food and culture.” Chair Patty Glah adds, “Temple Sinai has sponsored the Sarasota Jewish Food Festival for 15 years. It’s a yearly tradition in our community that brings young and old together to enjoy traditional Jewish food made by Temple members. We look forward to the whole Sarasota-Manatee community joining us! For more information, visit templesinai-sarasota.org or call 941-924-1802. 

Pictured: Delicious traditional Jewish food is a mainstay of the annual Sarasota Jewish Food Festival. Photo courtesy of Temple Sinai.

Join us on March 7, 2023 at Michael's On East for a dynamic luncheon symposium centered on conversations focused on regional philanthropic topics. The luncheon will include a panel discussion to explore the ever-changing world of non-profits and honor outstanding individuals who have made a meaningful impact within the community. 

Reserve Your Tickets Here

Read Here!