wcw SEPT 2023

just some
thoughts
Louise Bruderle
Editor and Publisher
West Coast Woman
Carla Nierman,
Executive Director
at ArtCenter Manatee
Congratulations to Carla Nierman, the executive director
at ArtCenter Manatee and her hard-working staff, volunteers,
donors, funders and fans. This month they will break
ground on their new building which will not only transform
the ArtCenter, but also downtown Bradenton.
So it’s fitting we are profiling Carla in this month’s
WCW. She’s been a stalwart at ArtCenter Manatee having,
Carla Nierman as she puts it, worked every job there and thus knows the
Photo: Louise Bruderle
organization very well. When we met months ago, there
was excitement in the air as the architect’s drawings showed a beautiful and
striking design that will also increase their space from the current 10,000 sq. ft.
to a 28,000-square-foot facility renamed the Herrig Center for the Arts.
ArtCenter Manatee has been around for 86 years and the nonprofit visual
arts center offers, “a platform for artists of all age and experience levels to
create, exhibit, and market their work,” according to their website. They also
“connect artists with the skills, information and services they need to make a
living and a life.’
And there’s more, by staying downtown, they will contribute greatly to
Manatee County’s and Bradenton’s goal of becoming “a destination for the arts
by making art accessible to individuals and businesses through our classes,
exhibits, events, and artisan gift shop.”
Read more about the woman who has been at ArtCenter Manatee for 17 years
— 10 as Executive Director — and who is leading the way in a very exciting
time for not just the Center, but also for Bradenton.
Kudos to the Players of Sarasota
The Players has formed The Stage at Payne Park LLC (The Stage), a wholly-owned
subsidiary nonprofit organization of The Players, Inc. The new
organization intends to remodel the existing Payne Park auditorium for its new
home at a cost of $8 million. The Players
will match dollar for dollar all community
donations up to $4 million, reducing
the future capital campaign fundraising
amount to $4 million.
The Stage will offer “an inclusive environment
that inspires cultural creativity,
acts as an incubator for the performing
arts community to thrive, and gives aspiring
performers a platform to produce
left to right: Brian McCarthy, board member for
The Players; William Skaggs, CEO of The Players;
Bill Porter, chair of The Players Board of Trustees;
Bill Rusling, co-chair of facilities committee for
The Players; Steven Butler, artistic director for
The Players
and showcase original productions,”
according to a press release. The 299-seat
auditorium will feature flexible space for
a diverse lineup of performances, workshops,
and community events. To learn
more, visit TheStagePaynePark.org.
A year ago - Ian wreaked havoc
Hurricane Ian made landfall near Sanibel and Captiva islands with 155 mph
sustained winds just before 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 28 as a Category 4 hurricane.
Winds were just under the cut-off for a Category 5 distinction, which is 157
mph or higher.
Hurricane Ian was the third-costliest ($113 billion) weather disaster on
record, the deadliest hurricane to strike the state of Florida since the 1935
Labor Day hurricane, and the
strongest hurricane to make
landfall in Florida since Michael
in 2018. 150 people died in Florida
due to Ian.
Due to some amazing luck, if
that’s the word, Sarasota County
was mostly unscathed by Ian
though there was damage in
south county most notably Venice
Theatre, which lost its main stage.
Much of the damage was from flooding brought about by a storm surge of
10–15 ft. The cities of Fort Myers, Cape Coral, and Naples were particularly hard
hit, leaving millions without power in the storm’s wake and numerous people
forced to take refuge on their roofs.
Sanibel Island, Fort Myers Beach, and Pine Island bore the brunt of Ian’s
powerful winds and its accompanying storm surge at landfall, which leveled
nearly all standing structures and collapsed the Sanibel Causeway and
the Matlacha Bridge to Pine Island, entrapping those left on the islands for
several days.
WCW is printed by Breeze Printing in Fort Myers, just 30 minutes from Fort
Myers Beach. They hardly skipped a beat even though it took awhile for power
and internet to be restored to the plant. Trucks couldn’t get in or out due to a
large stretch of I-75 being underwater.
And they did this with the staff and general manger having to deal with homes
without power and internet while some were flooded out. It was hard to reach
the plant’s manager since her phone service was on and off and also because
there were few locations to charge up.
Long story short, I helped her navigate how things were going down there -
when power would come to her plant and her home - from up here in Sarasota.
She gave me zip codes, I went online and looked up when power would be
restored to the plant and to her home. I also told her about the status of roads —I-
75 for one — being shut down. She had no idea it was flooded.
I also posted nonstop —perhaps annoyingly to some — updates that I received
from local and state authorities on to my personal and business Facebook pages.
I knew that many people couldn’t access news except for an occasional glance on
their phones. How fragile we are and how weak we are when faced with nature’s
full force.
Nonprofits: Need Help with
Communications?
Local PR chapter launches pro bono
program, ‘Mission Mavericks’
The Central West Coast chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association
(CWC-FPRA) launched a new endeavor, as part of its commitment to “give back”
to the community. In the coming program year, the chapter will provide pro
bono communications
support in an area of
acute need to nonprofits
and/or eligible for-profit
companies through the
“Mission Mavericks”
program. The application
window is now open.
The program is open
to 501(c)(3) nonprofits
and for-profit companies
(considered on a
case-by-case basis, with
priority going to newly-established
entities The 2022-2023 Board of Directors of the Central West Coast chapter
with a social purpose or
of the Florida Public Relations Association. Photo by Nancy Guth
intention) in need with limited or no PR, communications and/or marketing
staff. The organization or business must be based in or conduct significant
business/activities in Sarasota, Manatee and/or DeSoto counties. In order to be
considered, the organization must demonstrate an acute PR, communications,
or marketing need.
Applications will be accepted through October 1; applicants will be notified
of their status by October 31. All project work will be conducted between November
1, 2023 through February 28, 2024.
Learn more and apply at cwcfpra.com/mission-mavericks. Direct any questions
to Hunter Carpenter, CWC-FPRA Community Liaison, at community@
cwcfpra.com.
Coming Up in West Coast Woman
Here’s what we’re working on now:
■ October: Lifelong Learning Issue
■ October: Women’s Health
■ November and December: Focus on the Arts
If you want to be a part of any of those issues, email us at westcoastwoman@
comcast.net.
Louise Bruderle | Editor and Publisher |
westcoastwoman@comcast.net
We welcome your thoughts and comments on this column and on other columns and features in this issue.
You can reach us at westcoastwoman@comcast.net. We’re on the web at www.WestCoastWoman.com.
4 WEST COAST WOMAN SEPTEMBER 2023