SRQ DAILY May 13, 2026
Wednesday Philanthropy Edition
"Senior Friendship Centers partners with Silver Pride because every older adult deserves to be seen, heard, celebrated and connected."
The colors of the rainbow will shine brightly next month as Project Pride SRQ and Senior Friendship Centers join forces to present Silver Pride 2026. This free event, celebrating LGBTQ+ community members ages 50 and better, will feature live entertainment, food for purchase from Mellow Mushroom, tabling by local vendors and community partners–with information about resources available for senior-related services as well as LGBTQ+ support and advocacy. There will be raffle prizes and giveaways throughout the afternoon, along with fun for all who attend.
“Senior Friendship Centers partners with Silver Pride because every older adult deserves to be seen, heard, celebrated and connected,” says Chief Advancement Officer of Senior Friendship Centers, Declan Sheehy. “Our doors are open to all seniors, and Silver Pride is a joyful reminder that belonging has no age limit.”
“Our collaboration with Senior Friendship Centers is meaningful because it connects LGBTQ+ inclusion with the broader work of aging, wellness, dignity and community connection,” adds Project Pride SRQ’s Executive Director, Justyn Hunter-Ceruti. "That partnership helps ensure LGBTQ+ older adults are included not as an afterthought, but as an important part of the community we are all building together.”
Local TV personality Joey Panek will serve as the event host/emcee for the event and live entertainers will include Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, Azara Ballet, Diversity Voices, Dingbat Theatre Project, Tap Kats, Dame Lindsay Carlton-Cline and DJ Janine. There will also be a panel presentation, titled Aging Out Loud: LGBTQ+ Life, Legacy, and Belonging Across Generations. The details regarding panelists and moderator are being finalized at this time.
“Silver Pride is about more than one afternoon of celebration,” says Hunter-Ceruti. “It is about making sure LGBTQ+ older adults know they are seen, valued and still deeply connected to the life of our community.”
For more about Project Pride SRQ, visit ppsrq.org. For more about Senior Friendship Centers, visit friendshipcenters.org.
Silver Pride 2026, Saturday, June 6, 12-4pm, Senior Friendship Centers, 1888 Brother Geenen Way, Sarasota. 
Provided photo.
he National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Sarasota and Manatee Counties invites community members, partners, supporters, and local leaders to attend two upcoming Open House events at its YANA (You Are Not Alone) Wellness Drop-In Centers in Sarasota on May 26 from 4:30-6:00 PM and Venice on June 2 from 3:30-5:00 PM. The Venice Open House will also feature a special ribbon-cutting ceremony for the facility at 4:00 PM. Both events are free and open to the public. Light snacks and refreshments will be served. The Open House events will offer guests a chance to celebrate NAMI’s recent national certification by the Council on Accreditation (COA) and to learn more about the organization’s leadership role in providing free, peer-led mental health support programs and education throughout the region. NAMI Sarasota and Manatee Counties is the only NAMI affiliate in the United States currently accredited by COA. RSVPs for both events are appreciated but not required. To reserve space, visit NAMI’s website at NAMISarasotaManatee.org or call (941) 376-9361.
YANA North Open House, Sarasota, Tuesday, May 26, 4:30-6:00pm, 240B South Tuttle Avenue, Sarasota
YANA South Open House, Venice, Tuesday, June 2, 3:30– 5:00pm, 4130 Woodmere Park Boulevard, Unit #9, Venice.
The Hermitage is a leading national arts incubator and the only major arts organization in Florida exclusively committed to supporting the creation and development of new work across all artistic disciplines. Located on Manasota Key in Sarasota County, the Hermitage provides accomplished and diverse artists with multi-week residencies to create original works of theater, music, visual art, literature, dance, and more. Hermitage Fellows have included eighteen Pulitzer Prize winners, multiple Tony, Oscar, Emmy, Grammy nominees and winners, Poets Laureate, MacArthur and Guggenheim Fellows, and hundreds of extraordinary artists from around the world. Hermitage artists, writers, and performers offer a unique glimpse into the creative process, sharing their original works-in-process with our Gulf Coast community. These free, hour-long programs take the shape of musical performances, play readings, concerts, visual art demonstrations, panel discussions, master classes, open studios, and more. Audiences can experience a unique level of engagement with these extraordinary talents at our year-round sunset programs on the Hermitage Beach and other partner venues throughout the region. To register for an upcoming Hermitage program or to make a tax-deductible, year-end gift in support of the Hermitage, visit HermitageArtistRetreat.org.
Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation hosted 132 golfers at its 24th annual Golf Tournament on May 1, raising support for the Physicians’ Endowment Fund at SMH. Held on the Player Course at Laurel Oak Country Club, the event brought together local businesses and health system supporters for a day of golf and philanthropy. Over 75 volunteers and staff members supported the tournament. For more information about Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation, visit smhf.org.
New College of Florida announced the significant donation of segments of the Berlin Wall, one of the most consequential physical symbols of oppression and division in modern history. The generous donation made by philanthropist Dr. Jack Jawitz represents the East German side of the Wall that once divided East and West Berlin and stood as a global emblem of communist tyranny during the Cold War. New College will recognize the donation throughout the coming year, which began with a press conference and Socratic Stage event on May 5 with Peter Robinson - the author of Ronald Reagan’s famous “Tear Down This Wall” speech. NCF will next mark the 39th anniversary of that same speech this June, culminating in a major public event marking the 40th anniversary in 2027. The commemoration will include academic programming, public lectures, and campus dialogue centered on freedom, the lessons of history, and the enduring responsibility to promote and defend free societies.
After 38 years of quietly shaping the region's nonprofit landscape, the Plantation Community Foundation is closing its doors, and one of the legacy gifts it's providing Laurel Civic Association will benefit Sarasota County residents in the form of a 77-passenger bus. PCF's $100,000 Impact Grant, paired with a $104,100 capital grant from the William G. And Marie Selby Foundation, completes funding for Laurel Civic Association's “Wheels to Success” two-year initiative, a single bus that will carry afterschool students home when their families can't, bring seniors and veterans to the twice-monthly Client Choice Food Distribution, open doors for family opportunities, and shuttle teens to the community expriences at the heart of the Summer Teen Empowerment Program.
The summer 2026 exhibition at Selby Gardens will celebrate the creative collaboration between two legendary figures and longtime friends, photographer Lynn Goldsmith and singer-songwriter Patti Smith, who is Selby Gardens’ artist in residence. The exhibition will feature Goldsmith’s photographs of Smith, past and present, in the Museum of Botany & the Arts. The images will offer an intimate portrait of an iconic artist over the course of her remarkable career.
Selby Gardens, 1534 Mound St, Sarasota, FL 34236
Art immersion class for children ages 6-18. Small classes with fine arts materials. Visit linarinconart.com for more information and to register.
Creative Liberties Artist Studios, Gallery & Creative Academy, 927 N Lime Ave., Sarasota, FL 34237
Juana Romani (1867–1924) was one of the most fascinating and successful painters in late-nineteenth-century Paris. Born in Italy, Juana—whose given name was Giovanna Carlesimo—moved to Paris with her mother and stepfather at the age of ten. She took up painting, studying under the well-known painters Jean-Jacques Henner (1829–1905) and Ferdinand Roybet (1840–1920). Romani quickly earned both critical praise and significant fame for her deftly painted, richly colorful depictions of strong, sensual women adorned in lavish textiles.
Ringling Museum, 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota, FL 34243
Mayer explores the impact of technology on the human body through this interactive sculpture series. Slumpies invites viewers to sit and slump on these sculptures, much like furniture, and find a place of comfort while using their technological devices.
Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S Tamiami Trl, Sarasota, FL 34236
This long-term installation in Gallery 10 of the Museum of Art showcases five outstanding examples of 17th-century Dutch painting on loan from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Featuring a dramatic seascape, an expansive landscape, and captivating portraits set in detailed interiors, this exhibition offers a window into the vibrant artistic production of the Netherlands as the small nation rose to global prominence in the 17th century. The five exceptional paintings from the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, complement The Ringling's holdings of Dutch art and provide additional perspective on the artistry, historical significance, and continuing appeal of Dutch painting from this period.
Ringling Museum, 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota
Calder’s work is a great source of interest to the team at Selby Gardens. His fascination with energy and motion, coupled with his exploration of suspension and equilibrium, provides creative inspiration for the dynamic display of epiphytes, or air plants. Selby Gardens is a leading center for the study of air plants and is home to the best scientifically documented collections of living epiphytic orchids and bromeliads in the world. The Calder exhibition at Selby Gardens will highlight the artist’s use of abstract forms rooted in nature and emphasize his interest in science and engineering. The exhibition will also explore Calder’s enchantment with the circus, stemming from his studies of performers and animals at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1925.
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 1534 Mound St, Sarasota, FL 34236
Think while you drink! Gather your friends, co-workers or family and join us for a fun-filled evening. Prizes and specials each night. Monday – Wednesday at 7:30pm. Gecko’s on Clark – Monday ; Gecko’s on SR64 & Stickney Point – Tuesday ; Gecko’s on Hillview – Wednesday.
Tripletail Seafood & Spirits delicious Sunday Brunch is from 11am-3pm. Guests are invited to indulge in a delightful brunch experience on the beautiful covered patio or casual dining room with nautical touches. The brunch menu features a variety of mouth-watering dishes created by Chef Cesareo Cardenas, including his decadent Crème Brûlée French Toast, savory Steak & Eggs, succulent Lobster Benedict, the flavorful Tripletail Brunch Burger and Crab & Shrimp Omelet. Guests will receive a complimentary Bloody Mary or Mimosa with the purchase of any entrée. Prices range from $13 to $26. Reservations can be made through Open Table or by calling 941-529-0555.
Tripletail Seafood & Spirits, 4870 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
Thursdays and Saturdays, 7:30pm. Step right up to solve the murder of Dahlia the Queen of the High Wire on this interactive murder mystery who-dunnit.
Wednesdays, 10am. Go back in time to the 1920’s in Sarasota to hear from three leading ladies (Bertha Palmer, Marie Selby and Mable Ringling) as portrayed by Kathryn Chesley, who shaped Sarasota into a cultural icon.
Delight once again in the inspiring performances of Pinky's Players, Venice Theatre's Community Engagement Program that partners with adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to develop and share their artistic talents.
Venice Theatre, 140 Tampa Ave W, Venice, FL 34285
In conjunction with his exhibit, Venti will present an artist talk, Meet Art Venti, on May 19, 4:00-6:00 pm., in the Arts Advocates Gallery. Venti will talk about his incredibly meticulous technique of applying layers of color to the surreal landscapes he has imagined and brought to life. He will demonstrate the techniques he has developed to achieve the wondrous effects in his work. Admission is free; registration is not required.
Arts Advocates Gallery, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail
La Lucha blends jazz, Latin roots, and playful improvisation into a vibrant, modern sound that feels both intimate and electrifying onstage.
Florida Studio Theatre, 1265 1st Street, Sarasota
The Behind the Curtain: Exploring the Van Wezel from the Art to the Stage tour takes place on May 18 from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. The art in the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail in Sarasota, was created by noted Florida artists and is part of the Arts Advocates collection. A docent leads a tour of the paintings and sculptures including those by Sarasota Art Colony artists. Participants then step onto the stage where a Van Wezel guide shares stories and anecdotes about the colorful world of show business. Tickets are $15 per person and can be purchased at the Van Wezel box office or by calling (941) 263-6799. Presented in partnership with the Van Wezel, proceeds benefit the education/outreach programs of Arts Advocates and the Van Wezel.
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail
Join us for live jazz at Sarasota Art Museum, co-hosted by the Jazz Club of Sarasota, featuring Barbara King and the Spirit of Jazz, and extended hours in the galleries, Bistro, and SHOP!
Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
SRQ DAILY is a daily e-newsletter produced by SRQ MEDIA. Note: The views and opinions expressed in the Saturday Perspectives Edition and the Letters department of SRQ DAILY are those of the author(s) and do not imply endorsement by SRQ Media. 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. SRQ DAILY includes content excerpted from news releases as a public service. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by SRQ DAILY. For rates on SRQ DAILY banner advertising and sponsored content opportunities, please contact Robinson Valverde at 941-365-7702 x703 or via email |
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