WCW 11-24

NOVEMBER 2024 

Samantha 

Bennett 

Violinist and 

ensembleNewSRQ 

co-founder and co-artistic 

director 

Image: Matthew Holler 

Also in this issue: 

■ Season 

Preview - 

what’s 

coming up 

in the Arts 

■ Theatre: 

Venice 

Theatre and 

Urbanite 

■ Art: 

Embracing 

our 

Differences 

and ArtCenter 

Sarasota 

■ Music: 

Sarasota 

Orchestra and 

Artist Series

Excelsis Percussion Quartet 

Nov. 24, 4:00 pm • First Presbyterian Church 

Winner of the 2024 Chamber Music America Artistic 

Projects Grant, Excelsis Percussion Quartet’s repertoire 

spans from classical to avant garde to pop. 

ArtistSeriesConcerts.org | (941) 306-1202 

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Sarasota 

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PRESENTING SPONSORS 

2 WEST COAST WOMAN NOVEMBER 2024

NOVEMBER 2024 

contents 

Editor and Publisher 

Louise M. Bruderle 

Email: westcoastwoman@comcast.net 

Contributing Writer 

Carol Darling 

Contributing Photographer 

Evelyn England 

Art Director/Graphic Designer 

Kimberly Carmell 

Assistant to the Publisher 

Mimi Gato 

West Coast Woman is published 

monthly (12 times annually) by 

LMB Media, Inc., Louise Bruderle, 

President. All contents of this 

publication are copyrighted and 

may not be reproduced. No part 

may be reproduced without the 

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Unsolicited manuscripts, photographs 

and artwork are welcome, but return 

cannot be guaranteed. 

HOW TO REACH US: 

Email: westcoastwoman@comcast.net 

Here are our columns: 

n Out & About: includes 

fundraisers, concerts, art exhibits, 

lectures, dance, poetry, shows 

& performances, theatre, film, 

seasonal events and more. 

n You’re News: job announcements, 

appointments and promotions, 

board news, business news and 

real estate news. 

FOLLOW US AT: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ 

WCWmedia 

WCW 

36 

YEARS 

The The Season Season is Underway! is Here! 

season highlights 

classical music 

Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota presents one 

quartet, two trios, and three statewide piano 

competition winners - all in November. 

p24 

Events, shows, performances and exhibits we think you’ll find 

interesting or unique. And, there 

are very few cancellations… 

p18 

theatre 

Venice Theatre marks its 75th Anniversary Season 

offers familiar crowd-pleasing musicals audiences 

have come to expect. 

p20 

Urbanite Theatre’s 11th Season includes three 

regional premieres and one world premiere and “a 

fearless exploration of: self-reliance, independence, 

and the unbreakable human spirit.” 

p26 

WCW Mailing Address: 

P.O. Box 819 

Sarasota, FL 34230 

email: 

westcoastwoman@comcast.net 

website: 

www.westcoastwoman.com 

west coast 

WOMAN 

dining in 

Holiday baking time! Here’s a “twist” on a 

holiday wreath - Pistachio Cranberry Wreath 

This pistachio cranberry bread starts with a tender, 

buttery dough and is filled with smooth pistachio 

paste, tart cranberries, and crunchy pistachios 

p28 

departments 

4 editor’s letter 

7 Out & About - listings for things to do 

9 your money - AI as an investment 

manager? 

10 out & about 

11 happening this month - Climate 

Conference 

13 feature - A community comes 

together 

15 healthier you - The Renewal Point 

16 west coast woman - 

Samantha Bennett, violinist and 

co-founder of enSRQ 

Season Preview 

18 highlights and must-see events 

coming up 

20 Venice Theatre’s season 

22 Embracing Our Differences and SAM 

24 Artist Series Concerts’ season 

26 Urbanite Theatre’s season 

27 good news - Sarasota Children’s 

Museum 

28 dining in - time for some holiday 

baking 

29 your health - Craniosacral Therapy 

■ on the cover: Samantha Bennett, violinist and co-founder of enSRQ. 

■ Image: Matthew Holler 

NOVEMBER 2024 WEST COAST WOMAN 3

just some 

thoughts 

Louise Bruderle 

Editor and Publisher 

Where we are 

Since WCW’s October issue was published and delivered we have had two hurricanes 

seriously impact our area. That’s a startling fact. Not near hits or misses like Ian or 

Irma. Direct hits. Now almost 4 weeks out from the last hurricane, Milton, we are still 

cleaning up debris, having repairs done, and trying to get back to some resemblance 

of normal. Most of us have electricity, internet and water, and are moving valiantly on 

from these terrifying encounters with bad weather. 

Our hearts go out to those who lost their homes or businesses. It’s hard and depressing 

to begin anew. The islands experienced so much damage and, in general, 

a lot of those older buildings - the cottages, bungalows and shacks there are gone or 

severely damaged. They were never built to withstand 130 MPH winds and 8-10 feet 

or water coming at them. It was a personal 

loss for their owners, but also a cultural loss 

as those buildings gave Siesta Key and Anna 

Maria a good part of their character. 

Case in point the Rod and Reel in north 

Anna Maria. After Helene, the building was 

still standing, with destruction to the pier, but 

after Milton, the entire building has vanished 

There have also been many disruptions to 

our lives and schedules. Many of our beloved 

cultural institutions suffered damage. The 

Van Wezel is out of commission until January. 

Selby Gardens, SAM and The Ringling had 

some damage, but quickly bounced back and 

reopened. 

We have our usual calendar of events this 

month, but please be sure to check with each 

individual arts organizations before making 

plans. In addition to buying tickets to shows, 

support local businesses when considering 

takeout, dining out and shopping for holidays 

supplies and gifts. Buy local if possible. 

Samantha Bennett 

Image: Matthew Holler 

WCW Samantha Bennett 

Founded in 2015 by violinist Samantha Bennett and percussionist 

George Nickson, ensembleNEWSRQ (enSRQ) 

is a chamber music ensemble dedicated to playing and 

advocating for the music of contemporary composers. 

They feel strongly that “contemporary music is a reflection 

of our world and cultural experience. The ensemble 

strives to manifest the creativity of the current generation 

and inspire audiences to participate in musical culture in 

a profound way.” 

This month we’re profiling Samantha, an accomplished 

musician, to see how she and her husband, George, planned 

this season. You’ll also get to read about her career as an 

artist and her philosophy regarding the arts. 

This month: Season Preview 

Life moves on and now season is upon us. Amazingly, there have been few cancellations 

and little serious damage (except for the Van Wezel which was flooded and will 

reopen in January). Tourists and visitors will be back because they know it’s beautiful 

here and there’s so much to do from dining to the arts. And speaking of the arts…if 

it’s November - hurricanes be damned - that means our arts issue. 

One event I’d like to highlight is at OLLI which is a part of Ringling College. One of 

their talks is called “Sarasota Opera Insights with Martha Collins” and it’s being held 

Nov. 11 and Nov. 18 at the Ringling College Museum Campus. 

We profiled Martha, the Sarasota Opera Director of Education and Stage Director, 

back in February. She’ll delve into the history, stories, and music of the operas of their 

2025 season including Cavalleria Rusticana, Pagliacci, The Barber of Seville, The 

Marriage of Figaro, and Stiffelio. 

Having met and interviewed her, I can attest this will be a wonderful lecture series. 

Info: www.olliringlingcollege.org 

Tragic and Ironic 

Architecture Sarasota sadly 

reported that Paul Rudolph’s 

Sanderling Club cabanas were 

washed away by Hurricane Helene. 

What’s ironic is that the Met 

Museum in New York is having a 

big exhibit on Rudolph: “Materialized 

Space: The Architecture 

of Paul Rudolph” through March 

16. Info: www.metmuseum.org 

Architecture Sarasota will still 

have its Mod Weekend November 

14-17 which has over the years 

featured many of Rudolph’s homes. “Evoking architect and author John Howey’s “The 

Awakening” to describe the early 20th-century origins of the Sarasota School of Architecture, 

MOD Weekend 2024 presents the idea of a “Reawakening.” 

“Since the early 2000s and before, there has been a renewed interest in the region’s 

highly innovative, contextually responsive, and often experimental architecture. The 

restoration of iconic structures like the Revere Quality and Umbrella Houses have added 

to this revival. Today, a new generation of designers 

is continuing and evolving core principles of the Sarasota School with a heightened 

focus on sustainability, resilience, and environmental adaptation.” 

Info and tickets: www.architecturesarasota.org 

Bowls of Hope 

All Faiths Food Bank has its 

Bowls of Hope in November. 

Each year, nearly 200,000 

people in Sarasota and DeSoto 

counties need food. Proceeds 

will help to support many 

programs and services intended 

to supply food and lift 

people from poverty, provide 

fresh fruit and vegetables to 

ensure neighbors in need have 

access to healthy nutrition, 

and purchase and distribute 

thousands of turkeys during 

the holiday season. 

On November 10, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Bowls of Hope returns to Ed Smith Stadium. 

During this family-friendly event, 40 area restaurants and caterers will serve soups, 

bread, desserts, and more. 

Guests select handcrafted bowls – all donated by local potters, artists, and students 

– to keep while enjoying a modest meal as a reminder of the empty bowls they help to 

fill. To learn more, visit allfaithsfoodbank.org. 

Bowls of Hope draws over 1,000 attendees to Ed Smith Stadium. 

Photo by Rod Millington 

There are Good People Everywhere Here 

In this issue, we look at some of the many ways our community pulled together to 

help those affected by Hurricane Milton. From places like the Church of the Redeemer 

in Sarasota where they offered a hot cup of coffee, air conditioning, and a place 

to charge phones, to museums offering free admission, to a business offering free 

empanadas, to the Sarasota YMCA offering free showers and lots more as you’ll see. 

And thank you to the local utility crews and government employees who did so much 

to make things safe after the storm and help us return to some sense of normal. 

Can you Help Venice Theatre? 

Venice Theatre is the 

largest community theatre 

in the U.S. The theatre, especially 

its main building, 

suffered devastating damage 

during Hurricane Ian. 

Since then, Venice Theatre 

has worked to restore and 

renovate its iconic facility. 

VT has also maintained 

most of its programming, 

albeit in different locations 

and with greatly reduced 

capacity and income. The 

restoration has moved 

forward steadily, with 

anticipated funding and 

completed plans to re-open by late 2025. 

However, much has changed since mid-June. First, $6 million from the Office of 

Housing and Urban Development was denied to Venice Theatre. Venice Theatre 

had anticipated this funding for more than a year since the Resilient SRQ Hurricane 

Relief Plan was introduced. 

Then, promised funding from VT’s commercial lender never materialized. And 

last, the gubernatorial veto of arts funding from the state—funding used responsibly 

for more than 25 years—came as another shock. These losses will push back the 

anticipated date of saving the 75-year-old theatre. 

With a firm $25 million campaign goal, of which nearly 40% has been raised, the 

remaining funds must be secured to completely restore the Jervey Theatre. Venice 

Theatre has already completed $5.9 million in repairs. The need is urgent. Steel 

beams must be raised, the roof installed, and the interior finished. 

To donate, contact Kristofer Geddie at kgeddie@venicetheatre.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. 


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out &about 

PLEASE NOTE: The calendar 

has been updated to reflect 

canceled events in November. 

However, please be sure to 

call or go online to confirm 

the following events are on 

schedule. 

Special Events 

Atomic Holiday Bazaar Season 17 

runs December 14 and 15, 12-5 p.m. 

at Sarasota Municipal Auditorium, Bay 

Front Room and a Street Fair. Admission 

to the Main Auditorium is $6 for 

adults, kids 12 and under get in free. 

On a budget? The Bay Front room 

and Street Fair are free to enter. Food 

trucks and the auditorium cantina will 

be open for hungry shoppers. 

Visit Atomic at www.atomicholidaybazaar.com 

▼ 

The Sarasota International 

Chalk Festival runs November 8-10 

in downtown Sarasota. This event 

showcases oversized masterpieces 

that leap off the ground, captivating 

your senses with their intricate detail 

and vibrant colors. Wander through a 

wonderland of 3D illusions that challenge 

your perception, inviting you to 

engage with art in ways you’ve never 

experienced before. 

Marvel at stunning floral creations 

crafted by talented maestros from 

Italy, Japan, and beyond. As the festival 

draws to a close, don’t miss the 

exhilarating PARADE, where fantastical 

masks and digital murals ignite 

the streets in a celebration of creativity 

and community. Enhance your 

experience with our exclusive ‘Grow 

the Heart’ VIP Pass, offering unique 

perks, or take advantage of military 

discounts to show our appreciation for 

your service. Tickets and info: www. 

chalkfestival.org 

▼ 

Ordinary Zen Sangha (OZS) has 

announced a visit from monk Chong 

An Sunim. Beginning his Zen practice 

in 1990 in Budapest, Hungary, Chong 

An Sunim became a monk in 1994 and 

trained under the guidance of Zen 

Master Seung Sahn at the Seoul International 

Zen Center in Korea. In August 

1999, he was given the title “Dharma 

Master” and authorized to teach. 

They have a retreat and series of 

talks to experience the teachings of 

Chong An Sunim on November 9. 

Chong An Sunim, along with Abbot 

Will Rauschenberger of OZS, will lead 

a special retreat at Myakka River State 

Park, offering participants an opportunity 

to engage deeply with Zen practice 

amidst the natural beauty of the 

park. The retreat will focus on cultivating 

inner peace and understanding in 

today’s complex world. 

Date: November 9, 9:30 am - 5 pm. 

At Myakka River State Park. Visit 

www.ordinaryzensangha.org. 

▼ 

Lakewood Ranch Farmers’ Market 

is home to more than 100 curated 

vendors and is located at Waterside 

Place – Lakewood Ranch’s lakefront 

town center and open on Sundays 

from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. year-round 

offering farm-fresh produce, prepared 

foods, and specialty items and gifts. 

The Market also works with Community 

Harvest SRQ as part of the Suncoast 

Gleaning Project. Among other 

efforts, volunteers pick up leftover 

vegetables from the farmers weekly 

and take them to food banks to make 

▼ 

meals for those in need, 

thereby helping diminish 

food waste while providing 

nutritious produce to diverse 

populations. Other activities 

on Market Sundays include 

yoga at the adjacent Waterside 

Park, weekly live music, 

Kids’ Corner crafts, facepainting 

and balloon twisting, 

among others. 

For more, visit www. 

lakewood ranch.com. 

Women In Philanthropy 

Soirée” will celebrate twelve 

inaugural honorees. Event 

chairs are Katherine Harris 

and Margaret Wise. The 

“Women In Philanthropy 

Soirée” has changed its date 

to December 7 and will be 

held at the Cap Joie in Sarasota, 

the home of Katherine 

Harris. These honorees have 

left an indelible mark on our 

community through their 

philanthropic contributions. 

Women in Philanthropy 

Inaugural Honorees 

2024: Margery Barancik 

(1936-2019), Ariane Dart, 

Judith Economos (1940-2024), Mary 

Kay Henson, Marie E. Jonson-Colbert, 

Sherry Koski, Flora Major, Graci 

McGillicuddy, Elizabeth Moore, Lee 

Peterson (1926-2017), Nikki Sedacca 

and Virginia Toulmin (1925-2010) 

Guests will experience a fashion 

display with dancers from the Sarasota 

Ballet adorned in bespoke couture 

throughout the home. The evening 

will culminate in a seated dinner, live 

band and dancing along Sarasota Bay, 

and end with a cigar lounge featuring 

spirits and hand rolled cigars. 

The event is open to all as Women in 

Philanthropy aims to inspire future 

generations. The proceeds will be 

divided equally among Gulf Coast 

Community Foundation (GCCF) who 

will distribute the funds to the Honorees’ 

choice of charities and Selby 

Gardens who is managing the contributions 

and expenses. 

Tickets: www.Women-in-Philanthropy- 

Soiree. 

▼ 

Join the Parrish Arts Council for 

their 9th annual East2West Art Market. 

This gathering of artists, artisans, 

and art enthusiasts will take place 

indoors at the Bradenton Area Convention 

Center, 1 Haben Blvd, Palmetto. 

In addition to original artwork, there 

will be “Try Art” booths, raffle baskets 

and live music performances by Arts 

Conservancy for Teens (ACT) and Jazz 

Sounds. Find locally crafted treasures 

for all those on your holiday list. Dates: 

Saturday, Nov 16, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

and Sunday, Nov 17, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

www.parrishartscouncil.org 

▼ 

KISS Cancer 

Goodbye III 

KISS Cancer Goodbye III is a 

three-day KISS-themed music festival 

taking place December 6-8 on the 

Harvest House campus, 3650 17th St., 

Sarasota. It will benefit the American 

Cancer Society. 

The event will feature numerous 

rock musicians, including former KISS 

guitarist (1984-1996) Bruce Kulick, 

who will appear and play all three 

days. Some of the musical highlights 

will include: the performance of select 

songs from KISS albums “Dynasty” 

▼ 

SPAACES Studio Artists present NOVEMBERTA DAA’ AND THE JOURNEY GOES ON. It’s a solo 

exhibition by Ake Arnerdale. Exhibition dates: November 1- December 14. 

and “Unmasked,” featuring legendary 

drummer Anton Fig; The Handsome 

Devils performing the “Creatures of 

the Night” album; a salute to the four 

original KISS members’ solo albums, 

performed by various guest artists; the 

performance of the “Hotter Than Hell” 

album on its 50th anniversary; Chris 

Jericho’s band Kuarantine, featuring 

Bruce Kulick; the performance of the 

“KISS Alive II” album by the band and 

guests; the music of Frehley’s Comet, 

presented by guitarist/keyboard player 

Tod Howarth; and more. 

There will also be a Fan Expo, open 

all three days, that will include some 

of the biggest names in KISS memorabilia 

- including KISS Army Warehouse, 

KISS Replicas, KISS Army 

Spain and more - as well as opportunities 

to meet and get autographs from 

and pictures with many of the visiting 

musical artists, including Bruce 

Kulick. Through the KISS Cancer 

Goodbye I and II events, over $100,000 

was raised to support the American 

Cancer Society in its battle to cure the 

disease. Presenting partner is Harvest 

House. Tickets: kisscg.com 

MOD Weekend 2024 

The Sarasota School of Architecture 

MOD Weekend takes place 

November 14-17. Evoking architect 

and author John Howey’s “The Awakening” 

to describe the early 20th-century 

origins of the Sarasota School 

of Architecture, MOD Weekend 2024 

presents the idea of a “Reawakening.” 

Since the early 2000s and before, 

there has been a renewed interest in 

the region’s highly innovative, contextually 

responsive, and often experimental 

architecture. The restoration 

of iconic structures like the Revere 

Quality and Umbrella Houses have 

added to this revival. Today, a new 

generation of designers is continuing 

and evolving core principles of the 

Sarasota School with a heightened 

focus on sustainability, resilience, 

and environmental adaptation. www. 

architecturesarasota.org/ 

▼ 

Sarasota 

Youth Opera 

▼ 

Sarasota Youth Opera is celebrating 

its 40th anniversary this year by 

reprising its production of Canadian 

composer Dean Burry’s The Hobbit. 

Burry wrote the music and the libretto 

for the Canadian Children’s Opera 

Chorus in Toronto, which performed 

it in 2004. 

This fantastical story, a prelude 

to Tolkien’s classic, The Lord of The 

Rings, recounts how a comfort-loving 

hobbit, unwillingly dragged into a 

heroic quest, accidentally acquires the 

golden ring of power. 

“One of the great things about Youth 

Opera is that it gives so many kids a 

chance to have a special moment,” 

said Martha Collins, Sarasota Opera’s 

director of education and stage director 

for this production. All 74 Youth 

Opera members will perform on stage. 

Lead performers include Isabella 

Maltese as Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit; 

Luke Harnish (a Sarasota Opera resident 

artist) as Gandalf, the wizard and 

Smaug, the dragon; Giuliana Bordes as 

Thorin, leader of the dwarves; Finley 

MacBeth as Elrond, the elf-lord; Zane 

Hancock as Azog, the great goblin; 

Nikolina Supe as Amarlind, the elf 

maiden; and Ovid Rawlins as Thranduil, 

king of the wood elves. 

The Hobbit will be performed on 

stage with orchestra at the Sarasota 

Opera House Saturday, Nov. 9 at 7:30 

p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 10 at 1:30 p.m. 

Tickets: www.tickets.sarasota 

opera.org. 

The Pops Orchestra 

The Pops Orchestra presents 

Great Balls of Fire - Veterans Show 

on November 10, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. at 

Riverview PAC. On November 11, 7:30 

p.m., they perform at SCF Neel PAC, 

Bradenton. 

Actor-musician Jason Cohen recreates 

his iconic Jerry Lee Lewis tribute 

show, Great Balls of Fire. Cohen has 

brought the ivory-smashing superstar 

Jerry Lee Lewis to life in over 80 cities 

across North America in the national 

tour of the Tony-award-winning Broadway 

musical Million Dollar Quartet. 

This show will feature the band and 

the orchestra teaming up on hits from 

the ‘50s and beyond including “Good 

Golly, Miss Molly,” “Shake, Rattle, and 

Roll,” “Great Balls of Fire,” and more. 

▼ 

In addition, the Pops will honor our 

nation’s veterans during this annual 

salute on Veterans Day. 

Tickets: www.ThePopsOrchestra.org 

or call 941-926-7677. 

Fun Raisers 

The Florida Center for Early 

Childhood’s “Wonder Gala” will be 

6:30 p.m. Dec. 6 at The Ora, 578 McIntosh 

Road, Sarasota 

The Florida Center for Early Childhood 

community will celebrate a 

sparkling and festive night at the inaugural 

Wonder Gala (formerly the Winter 

Gala) and will include a cocktail 

reception, dinner catered by Michael’s 

on East, and music by Soul Sensations. 

A silent auction and a live auction 

will also be held. Tickets: $375. All 

proceeds will benefit The Florida Center 

for Early Childhood. Visit www. 

thefloridacenter.org or call 941-371- 

8820. 

▼ 

All Faiths Food Bank has its Bowls 

of Hope on November 10, from 11 

a.m.-1 p.m.. Bowls of Hope – one of the 

community’s largest events – returns 

to Ed Smith Stadium. During this 

family-friendly event, 40 of our area’s 

restaurants and caterers will serve 

soups, bread, desserts, and more. 

Guests select beautiful handcrafted 

bowls – all donated by local potters, 

artists, and students – to keep while 

enjoying a modest meal as a reminder 

of the empty bowls they help to fill. 

Proceeds from these events will 

help to support many programs and 

services intended to supply food and 

lift people from poverty, provide fresh 

fruit and vegetables to ensure neighbors 

in need have access to healthy 

nutrition, and purchase and distribute 

thousands of turkeys during the holiday 

season. 

To learn more, visit allfaithsfoodbank.org. 

▼ 

Artist Series 

Concerts of 

Sarasota 

Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota 

presents Excelsis Percussion 

Quartet, winner of the 2024 Chamber 

Music America Artistic Projects Grant, 

is comprised of four international 

women whose unique programs are 

rooted in their belief that music can 

unite us all. This concert, on November 

24, features music spanning from 

classical to avant garde to pop. 

The November Notables concerts 

include Yamazalde Trio – Sandy Yamamoto, 

violin; Matthew Zalkind, cello; 

and Julio Elizalde, piano – performing 

music by Haydn, Mendelssohn, 

and Paul Schoenfeld at Church of the 

Palms on November 2. On November 

17, Artist Series Concerts will be part 

of the closing performance of Sarasota 

Rising at the Sailor Circus Arena. 

The Lunch and Listen series continues 

at the Sarasota Yacht Club. This 

series spotlights gifted young artists 

in concert at 11:00 a.m. followed by 

lunch. Winner’s Circle, featuring the 

top three prize winners of Artist Series 

Concerts’ 2024 Statewide Piano Competition, 

is the first concert in this 

series on November 7. 

The Lighter Fare series offers concerts 

outdoors at Marie Selby Botanical 

Gardens Downtown Campus, and 

indoors at Plantation Golf and Country 

Club (PGCC) in Venice. Programs 

at PGCC include dinner following the 

▼ 

continued on page 8 


out and about continued 

concert. On November 19, at Selby 

Gardens, PROJECT Trio presents their 

genre-blending style of traditional 

chamber music combined with their 

unique fusion of classical, jazz, hiphop, 

and world music influences 

Tickets: ArtistSeriesConcerts.org or 

call (941) 306-1202. 

At Bookstore1 

Sarasota 

Locker Room Talk is on November 

13, from 6-7 p.m. Join in for a frontrow 

seat as author and awardwinning 

journalist, Melissa Ludtke, 

discusses her celebrated courtroom 

battle against Major League Baseball 

that resulted in an enduring win 

for women’s equal rights. She’s in 

conversation with former MLB All- 

Star, Tommy John. 

While sportswriters rushed into 

Major League Baseball locker rooms 

to talk with players, MLB Commissioner 

Bowie Kuhn barred the 

lone woman from entering along 

with them. That reporter, 26-yearold 

Sports Illustrated reporter Melissa 

Ludtke, charged Kuhn with gender 

discrimination, and after the lawyers 

argued Ludtke v. Kuhn in federal 

court, she won. Her 1978 groundbreaking 

case affirmed her equal 

rights, and the judge’s order opened 

the doors for several generations of 

women to be hired in sports media. 

Locker Room Talk is Ludtke’s 

account of being at the core of this 

globally covered case that churned 

up ugly prejudices about the place of 

women in sports. It is both an inspiring 

story of one woman’s determination 

to do a job dominated by men and 

an illuminating portrait of a defining 

moment for women’s rights. 

Tommy John, nicknamed “the Bionic 

Man,” is an American former professional 

baseball pitcher who played 

in the Major League Baseball (MLB) 

for 26 seasons between 1963 and 1989. 

He played for the Cleveland Indians, 

Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, 

New York Yankees, California 

Angels, and Oakland Athletics. He was 

a four-time MLB All-Star and had the 

second-most wins (288) of any pitcher 

since 1900, not in the Hall of Fame. 

Known for his longevity, John was the 

Opening Day starter six times - three 

for the White Sox (1966, 1970, and 

1971) and three times for the Yankees 

(1981, 1982, and 1989). 

This is a ticketed event. More information 

and RSVP here: www.sarasota 

books.com/events 

Location: Bookstore1 at The Mark, 

117 South Pineapple Ave., Sarasota. 

▼ 

Choral Artists 

Happy Christmukkah is on Sunday, 

December 8 at 7 pm. The season 

of light is enriched by the music of 

Christmas and Hanukkah combined. 

Lighting candles during this time of 

year is a treasured ritual, whether 

celebrating the birth of a child or the 

miracle of the holy menorah. The sparkle 

of light will abound in this holiday 

choral program promoting peace, 

comfort and joy for the season. 

Join them on November 28 at 6 pm 

for Meet the Music, where Dr. Joseph 

Holt will illuminate works from the 

upcoming concert. He is joined by 

some singers from the Choral Artists. 

Refreshments are served. www.choralartistssarasota.org/ 

▼ 

Sarasota 

Ballet 

Program Two features 

the iconic romantic 

full-length classic, 

Giselle, on November 

22-23. Revered as one 

of the greatest and most 

faithful productions of 

this beloved story ballet, 

Sir Peter Wright’s 

production has been 

performed across the 

globe on virtually every 

continent. 

The ballet brings to 

life a story of young love, 

foolish betrayal, haunting 

tragedy, and finally 

redemption through 

forgiveness. Considered 

by many as the 

crowning achievement 

of the romantic ballet 

era, Giselle perfectly 

exemplifies how this art 

form is a living tradition: 

taught, preserved, adapted, 

and handed down from generation 

to generation. 

Giselle: Production by Sir Peter 

Wright; Original choreography by 

Jules Perrot and Jean Coralli; Music by 

Adolphe Adam. Featuring Live Music 

by the Sarasota Orchestra. Tickets: 

www.sarasotaballet.org 

▼ 

Key Chorale 

December 1 marks the annual 

performance with Key Chorale and 

The Sarasota Ballet Studio Company. 

“Winter’s Glow” showcases music 

celebrating the magic of the winter 

season featuring the Florida premiere 

of Dreamweaver, a story of a holiday 

transformation inspired by a by a 

Norwegian medieval folk poem. This 

annual production has become a holiday 

tradition.Visit www.keychorale. 

org or call (941) 552-8768. 

▼ 

Sarasota Orchestra 

Masterworks: 

• “Sounds of Nature” Nov. 8-10, Van 

Wezel. Rune Bergmann is joined by 

violinist Vadim Gluzman playing 

the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in a 

program that also includes Sibelius’ 

“Finlandia,” Respighi’s “The Pines of 

Rome” and Finnish composer Einojuhani 

Rautavaara’s “Cantus Arcticus.” 

• “Beethoven’s Seventh” Dec. 7-8, Van 

Wezel 

Peter Oundjian conducts this program 

that features pianist Yefim Bronfman 

performing Brahms’ Piano Concerto 

No. 1. The concert also includes 

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 and Carlos 

Simon’s “Fate Now Conquers. 

• Great Escapes: 

• “Merry and Bright,” Dec. 11-15A 

holiday-themed concert conducted 

by Stuart Chafetz featuring “A 

Klezmer Nutcracker,” “Sleigh Ride” 

and “Skater’s Waltz.” 

For tickets: 941-953-3434; sarasota 

orchestra.org 

▼ 

Venice Symphony 

‘Instrumental Influencers’Nov. 

15-16This concert explores the common 

connections between Beethoven, 

Vivaldi, Haydn and Brahms, 

and who influenced their music. 

Quinn describes this as a “very classical 

concert, sort of a hierarchical 

▼ 

At Bookstore1 

Sarasota: Locker 

Room Talk is on 

November 13. 

Author and awardwinning 

journalist, 

Melissa Ludtke 

discusses her 

courtroom battle 

against Major 

League Baseball 

that resulted in an 

enduring win for 

women’s equal 

rights. She’s in 

conversation with 

former MLB All- 

Star Tommy John. 

teacher-mentor situation.” It includes 

Brahms’ Variations on a Theme by 

Haydn and Beethoven’s “Egmont” 

overture. Principal Viola Rafael 

Ramirez will perform Vivaldi’s Mandolin 

Concerto. 

Concerts are at the Venice Performing 

Arts Center, 1 Indian Ave., Venice. 

For tickets, call 941-207-8822; or visit 

thevenicesymphony.org 


ensembleNewSRQ (enSRQ), the 

innovative chamber music ensemble, 

embarks on its ninth season with a 

compelling lineup of contemporary 

masterworks. 

Next up: 

• Schoenberg and Ives at 150: Monday, 

November 25, 7:30 p.m. 2024 

marks the 150th birthday of Arnold 

Schoenberg and Charles Ives, whose 

“Pierrot lunaire” and “Piano Sonata 

No. 2: Concord, Mass.,1840-1860” 

make up this celebratory program. 

Born in 1874, just one month apart, 

these two iconic composers changed 

the course of music history in groundbreaking 

and genius ways. Stephen 

Drury, one of the world’s leading pianists 

and interpreters of the music of 

Charles Ives, makes his enSRQ debut. 

Local star, Thea Lobo, brings the half 

spoken, half sung poetry of “Pierrot 

lunaire” to life in a program that is 

not to be missed. First Congregational 

Church, 1031 S. Euclid Ave., Sarasota. 

Tickets: https://ensrq.org/ 

▼ 

The Hermitage 

Hermitage Major Theater Award 

winner and Pulitzer Prize finalist 

Madeleine George (Hulu’s “Only Murders 

in the Building”) will be at Venice 

Theatre on December 9 at 7:30pm. 

The Hermitage presents “The Sore 

Loser: An Original Comedy,” written 

by George and directed by Mack 

Brown. A Faustian comedy set in a 

bowling alley, The Sore Loser is a comedy 

about power, domination, and the 

death of the patriarchy as told through 

a small-town bowling tournament. 

On December 13 at 5pm, Anthony 

Barrese (Sarasota Opera) and Raleigh 

Mosely II (Westcoast Black Theatre 

Troupe) will present “Hermitage 

Cross Arts Collaborative: Opera and 

Theater” at the Sarasota Opera House. 

▼ 

Barrese is a conductor 

who has worked at 

concert halls around 

the world. While in 

residence at the Hermitage, 

he is pursuing 

his passion to meticulously 

transcribe lost 

operas so they can be 

performed by today’s 

leading companies 

with new life. 

He is joined by a frequent 

performer with 

WBTT, Raleigh Mosely 

II, a singer and actor 

who is making a name 

for himself as a recording 

artist, writing and 

performing his own 

work. HermitageArtistRetreat.org. 

At The 

Ringling 

The John and Mable 

Ringling Museum of 

Art has this exhibit: 

• Radical Clay: Contemporary 

Women Artists from Japan through 

Apr 6, 2025 in the Chao Center for 

Asian Art. Radical Clay is an exhibition 

of 41 ceramic sculptures by 36 

contemporary Japanese artists, all of 

whom happen to be women. 

▼ 

• Through January 5, 2025, there are 

multi-gallery installation places featuring 

the work of contemporary artist 

Shinique Smith in direct dialogue 

with historic European art, a first in 

Smith’s career. 

Several of her large-scale sculptures, 

along with smaller works, will be displayed 

in the permanent collection 

galleries of the Museum of Art. The 

exhibit speaks to the European artistic 

tradition revealing the universality of 

human experience explored by artists 

throughout time while also foregrounding 

notions of Black femininity 

and the history of the circus. 

Tickets: ringling.org. The John and 

Mable Ringling Museum of Art, 5401 

Bay Shore Rd., Sarasota. 

Theatre 

Asolo presents: Beautiful: The 

Carole King MusicalBook by Douglas 

McGrath with words and music 

by Gerry Goffin, Carole King, Barry 

Mann and Cynthia Weil. Runs November 

16-January 5, 2025. 

At eighteen, Carole King wrote number 

one songs for Aretha Franklin and 

The Drifters. At twenty-nine, she was 

the voice of a generation. The road 

along the way was full of love, heartbreak, 

and self-discovery. 

A smash hit on Broadway and London’s 

West End, this inspiring musical 

features two decades of King’s hits, 

including “You’ve Got a Friend”, “(You 

Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” 

and “I Feel the Earth Move.” 

▼ 

Florida Studio Theatre has Waitress, 

by Jessie Nelson with music and 

lyrics by Grammy Award winner Sara 

Bareilles, which kicks off FST’s Winter 

Mainstage Series on November 6, in 

the Gompertz Theatre. Waitress tells 

the story of Jenna, an expert pie maker 

and waitress stuck in a loveless marriage. 

When a nearby baking contest 

offers her the chance to escape, Jenna 

seizes the opportunity to reclaim her 

long-forgotten self. Supported by her 

fellow waitresses and unexpected 

▼ 

romance, Jenna begins to find the 

courage to follow her dreams. A delicious 

blend of friendship, the family 

we choose, and the magic of a wellbaked 

pie. 

Next in the Cabaret Series is 59th 

Street Bridge, which will play in FST’s 

Goldstein Cabaret starting November 

20. In the 60s and 70s, a new sound 

came into mainstream music that 

changed the scene forever. Led by 

early folk-rock artists like John Denver, 

Simon and Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, and 

Joan Baez, this musical revue celebrates 

their top hits and the songs that 

transcended generations. 59th Street 

Bridge is a celebration of the timeless 

music such as, “Annie’s Song,” “50 

Ways to Leave Your Lover,” and “Both 

Sides Now.” 

Location: 1241 North Palm Ave., 

Sarasota. Tickets: www.floridastudiotheatre.org 

Urbanite Theatre has Jennifer, 

Who Is Leaving by Morgan Gould 

to December 1. Nan is working the 

night shift at Dunkin, fielding frequent 

calls from her husband, who needs 

help finding everything. Meanwhile, 

Jennifer is doing her best to ignore 

Joey, the aging patient wearing down 

her patience. At the same time, Lili is 

overwhelmed by the looming pressure 

of the SAT exam and her father’s 

insistence that she go to work the night 

before the test. 

More info: www.urbanitetheatre. 

com. Urbanite is located at 1487 2nd 

Street, Sarasota. 

▼ 

WBTT has Soul Crooners: Solid 

Gold Edition running to November 

17. Soul Crooners: Solid Gold Edition 

was created and adapted by Founder 

and Artistic Director Nate Jacobs. The 

show is a celebration of the music that 

ushered in a new era of soul during the 

1970s and has not been featured on 

the main stage since its debut in 2009. 

Tickets: www.westcoastblacktheatre 

▼ 

Venice Theatre has 9 to 5, The 

Musical Music. Lyrics by Dolly Parton. 

In the Raymond Center through 

Nov. 24. With a Tony-nominated 

score by Dolly Parton, three women 

take control of their lives in a man’s 

world and stand up for friendship and 

what’s right. 

Syncopation by Allan KneeIn the 

Pinkerton Theatre Nov. 1-24.1911 NYC. 

The passion for dance and a search 

for a more meaningful life brings two 

unlikely souls together who tango and 

foxtrot their way to new possibilities. 

Seating is limited due to the 

unavailability of the main stage Jervey 

Theatre. Tickets: VeniceTheatre.org or 

call 941-488-1115. 

▼ 

The FSU/Asolo Conservatory for 

Actor Training has The Curious Savage 

running November 8-24. It’s a 

hilarious and bitter-sweet mid-century 

modern American comedy presented 

in the Cook Theatre. 

Delight in the hilarious and bittersweet 

story of Mrs. Savage, an eccentric 

millionairess, whose love of theatre 

and desire to help others cause 

her stepchildren to commit her to “The 

Cloisters,” a mental asylum for recovering 

patients, and of the unlikely new 

friends she makes there. At the end of 

this brilliant comedy, you won’t help 

but share in Mrs. Savage’s discovery 

that the cut-throat world of hypocrisy 

and greed outside of “The Cloisters” 

is more insane than the gentle com- 

▼ 

continued on page 10 


your money 

Considering Artificial 

Intelligence (AI) as an 

investment manager? 

Think again - research suggests horrible returns 

The news on Artificial Intelligence 

(AI) is in and it has been 

shown to be a terrible investment 

manager. In a recent article 

in Scientific American by Sam Wyatt and 

Gary N Smith, Artificial Intelligence was 

discovered as having horrible returns 

managing your money. 

They looked at two pure AI Exchange 

Traded funds AIEQ (by EquBot) and 

MIND (by Global X). Through 12.31.23 

AIEQ had a total return of 63% where the 

S & P 500 return was 108%. MIND was 

closed in 2022 probably because its total 

return was -12% compared with the S & P 

500 65%. 

There are also some AI funds where 

humans do have the final say in decisions, 

however they are not proving to be worth 

the investment either. As a result, half of 

the AI only funds have been closed and 

more than half of the AI assisted funds 

have also been closed. 

As a conservative investor I view this 

as proof positive of the magic of the 

old-fashioned methods of investing. Just 

as Warren Buffet invests a portion in a 

stock index fund and a portion in US 

Treasury Securities (bonds) so can you. It 

can be a very cost effective and productive 

method of investing. Here a some of the 

standard investing principles which will 

gain you more than AI assisted investing. 

1) Stay invested, continue to contribute 

cash to your investments. Contributing 

regular amounts to your investment 

accounts will put you way ahead of those 

aggressive investors who rely on risky investments 

to create a return. 

2) Determine your risk tolerance. This 

also means your capacity for tolerating 

volatile markets. How much of a loss in 

your accounts can you take? 

3) Invest to preserve your capital. 

4) Diversify your portfolio. This is the 

classic “don’t put all your eggs in one 

basket” rule. Allocate funds across asset 

classes, stocks, bonds, cash as well as once 

in those classes, allocate across industries. 

For example, do not have all your stock 

invested only in Technology companies as 

tempting as that is currently. 

5) Match your asset allocation to your 

investment stage of life. If you are a 

young investor, you can take more risk 

as you have your earning career ahead of 

you. You might have 100% allocated to 

stocks. Middle aged investor might be 

70/30 stocks/bonds, an approaching retirement 

investor my transition down to 

60/40 Stocks bonds or to a balanced allocation 

of 50/50. 

6) Keep an eye on your portfolio to ensure 

timely rebalancing if needed. A big 

run up in the stock market my cause your 

allocation to grow to be very stock heavy 

and need rebalancing. 

7) Invest for the long term. You should 

be invested over your life span. 

8) Stay with quality. Blue chip or cash 

cow stocks are excellent investments. 

They have cash on their balance sheets 

which helps them ride out volatility in 

their industries and during economic 

downturns. They are often great dividend 

payers which adds to your return. 

9) Never go into debt to make an investment. 

The only investment you can go 

into debt to acquire is your home. 

The basic truth is that no one cares 

more about your money than you. It can 

seem intimidating to take on managing 

your assets. But it’s just a matter of learning 

some vocabulary. The concepts are 

not complex. 

Understanding risk is the critical part of 

investing. A part of risk to understand is 

that you can lose your entire investment 

investing in stocks (equities). One way of 

mitigating that risk is to invest in many 

companies through an index exchange 

traded fund (ETF). Standard and Poor’s (a 

credit rating agency) established an index 

comprised of 500 companies to “represent” 

the entire market. 

So purchasing that ETF diversifies your 

company risk. Your general market risk 

– think pandemic- will have an effect on 

stocks as well. A black swan event like the 

pandemic will negatively impact your 

stock holdings and may be something you 

and your advisor chose to ride out. 

Do Taxes impact my return? You betcha. 

Which is why individual retirement 

accounts were invented in 1984. They 

were invented by the government to 

incentivize citizens to save. It gives an 

immediate tax deduction for earnings put 

into an IRA and the investment gains in 

the IRA are tax free. You do pay ordinary 

income tax once you start taking distributions 

from that account in retirement. 

Work with a Financial Advisor. They’re 

kept up to date on what is going on in the 

markets and have to complete many hours 

of continuing education each year, all for 

your benefit. They will happily comment 

on many topics which might be concerning 

you and your family currently, long 

term medical care, mortgage and car loans, 

how to help improve your debt situation. 

They also have insurance products 

to help with your estate tax situations. 

Check in with your financial situation 

regularly. Does not have to be a complicated 

review, just a self care check in to 

see if you are where you should be according 

to your plan. 

SOURCE: Securities are 

offered through Level 

Four Financial, LLC a 

registered broker dealer 

and member of FINRA/ 

SIPC. Advisory Services 

are offered through 

Level Four Advisory 

Services, LLC, an SECregistered 

investment 

advisor. Level Four 

Financial, LLC, Level 

Four Advisory Services, 

LLC and Access Amanda E. Stiff MBA 

Advisors, LLC are independent entities. 

Neither Level Four Financial, LLC, Level Four 

Advisory Services, LLC nor Access Advisors, 

LLC offer tax or legal advice. 

1800 Second St, Suite 895, Sarasota 

941-914-1560 

Visit us at AccessAdvisorsLLC.com 

Great Balls of Fire 

and a Patriotic Salute 

Featuring Jason Cohen as the 

Rock-n-Roll icon, Jerry Lee Lewis 

Sun. Nov. 10, 2024 Venice PAC, Venice 

Mon. Nov. 11, 2024 SCF Neel PAC, Bradenton 

A Wicked Fun Holiday 

Featuring Tiffany Haas, Wicked’s 

Glinda the Good Witch 

Sun. Dec. 15, 2024 Riverview PAC,Sarasota 

Mon. Dec. 16, 2024 SCF Neel PAC, Bradenton 

Islands in the Stream 

Featuring Marty Edwards and Wendy Engler 

Sun. Feb. 16, 2025 Riverview PAC, Sarasota 

Mon. Feb. 17, 2025 SCF Neel PAC, Bradenton 

Love It Like a Local 

Featuring our Cultural Coast’s exceptional talent 

Sun. Mar. 23, 2025 Riverview PAC, Sarasota 

Mon. Mar. 24, 2025 SCF Neel PAC, Bradenton 

Season and single tickets 

available now. 

ThePopsOrchestra.org 

941-926-POPS (7677) 

PAID ADVERTORIAL 


out and about continued 

mune inside its walls. Tickets: 

asolorep.org/conservatory. 

Lakewood Ranch 

Blues Festival 

The Lakewood Ranch Blues Festival 

debuts at Waterside Park. The 

event will feature country’s top blues 

artists on Saturday, December 7. This 

premier event will feature internationally 

touring blues artists, delicious 

food and drink, and an atmosphere 

pulsating with the rhythms of the 

blues along the water. 

Attendees can expect performances 

from artists such as Vanessa Collier, 

Monster Mike Welch, and the Danielle 

Nicole Band. The LWRBF benefit 

Mayors’ Feed the Hungry Program, 

which collects and distributes food to 

the hungry in Sarasota and Manatee 

counties. Buy tickets at www.lakewoodranchbluesfestival.com 

▼ 

Selby Gardens 

The Orchid Show 2024: PURPLE! 

Is on view through December 1 at the 

downtown Sarasota campus in the 

Tropical Conservatory and The Museum 

of Botany & the Arts. 

Immerse yourself in purple flowers 

and foliage at this year’s Orchid Show 

showcasing the magnificence and 

majesty of the royal family of plants. 

Purple hues are common in the orchid 

family, found both in naturally occurring 

species orchids and in humanbred 

cultivars and hybrids. 

The Orchid Show 2024: PURPLE! will 

combine a display of purple orchids 

in the Tropical Conservatory with an 

exhibition of botanical books, prints, 

photographs, and other materials in 

the Museum of Botany & the Arts. 

The conservatory will be filled 

with masses of purple orchid flowers 

and other plants with purple foliage. 

Ultraviolet light and purplish-colored 

films will be used to present these 

beautiful botanicals in fun and exciting 

ways, creating a rich and vivid 

visual experience. 

The museum will explore the history 

of purple pigments and dyes, as well 

as the many associations of purple, 

ranging from royalty and luxury to 

wisdom and magic. The exhibition will 

also highlight the numerous botanical 

connections to purple hues, including 

rose, lavender, violet, and orchid. 

www.selby.org/the-orchid 

▼ 

• Patti Smith: A Book of Days is on 

view through August 31, 2025 at the 

Historic Spanish Point campus. The 

exhibition will feature a selection 

of photographs taken by the famed 

poet and musician that offers an 

intimate view of her life on and off 

the road. The photographs are taken 

from Smith’s recently published, New 

York Times bestselling publication, A 

Book of Days. 

Inspired by the popularity of her 

Instagram account, where she began 

posting photographs back in 2018, the 

book offers a window into her world 

and illustrates her unique aesthetic. 

The exhibition at Selby Gardens will 

feature large prints of Smith’s photographs 

outdoors, bringing them into 

dialogue with nature, which has long 

been a source of inspiration for the 

artist. Her images will take visitors 

on a journey through time and space, 

charting both the course of a year and 

the natural environment of the Historic 

Spanish Point campus. 

At The 

Galleries 

Island Gallery 

and Studios’ 

featured artist 

for November 

is painter, Gary 

Green. Theme: 

From Watercolors 

to Pixels: My 

Art Evolution. 

Gary’s creative 

palette includes 

watercolors, oils, 

acrylics and digital 

painting and 

he likes to experiment 

with how 

different mediums 

can enhance 

a subject. 

Gary creates his 

art in a realistic 

style, capturing 

life’s moments, 

including figures, 

landscapes and 

still life compositions. A specialty of 

his is creating original automotive 

fine art on his digital canvas. He will 

be available at the gallery to discuss 

his art on November 29 from 10 am to 

5 pm. 

Island Gallery and Studios is located 

at 456 Old Main Street in downtown 

Bradenton. Visit www.islandgalleryandstudios.org 

▼ 

502 Gallery, Sarasota’s newest art 

gallery located in the Historic Burns 

Court District opens with inaugural 

exhibition Shopliftable which runs 

to November 9. Small artworks can 

have a significant impact and this 

exhibition, will feature artworks small 

enough to steal by 50 of Sarasota’s 

favorite artists, highlighting the gallery’s 

commitment to innovative and 

engaging presentations. They’re at 

502 S. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota. Info: 

https://www.502.gallery/ 

▼ 

▼ 

KISS Cancer Goodbye III is a three-day KISS-themed music festival on December 6-8 on the Harvest 

House campus, 3650 17th St., Sarasota. It will benefit the American Cancer Society. Tickets: kisscg.com 

In the photo: musicians (from l-r) Joe McGinness, Todd Kerns and Bruce Kulick performing at last year’s event 

Art Center Sarasota 

• Cycle 1 runs to November 16. 

• Born in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, 

Gabriel Ramos explores identity, 

community, and cultural heritage, 

bridging personal narratives with 

shared history to inspire reflection 

and connection. 

• In “pouring, storing, and ore-ing,” 

Amy Sanders employs utilitarian 

objects, focusing on vessels designed 

for pouring and storing. These everyday 

items are imbued with layers 

of meaning beyond their functional 

roles. Pouring vessels symbolize 

abundance, charity, and generosity, 

while storing vessels convey themes 

of containment, preservation, and 

prosperity. The concept of “ore-ing” 

references the primitive essence of the 

iron ore colorants that decorate these 

vessels, connecting them to the earth’s 

elemental origins. 

• David Fithian’s exhibition, “Faces 

and Places,” presents a series of 

paintings and drawings deeply rooted 

in Cubism and Abstract Illusionism, 

where divergent and eccentric 

perspectives converge into dynamic 

compositions. Fithian’s structured 

approach invites viewers on a visual 

and intellectual journey, challenging 

both the eye and mind to explore new 

dimensions of perception. 

• Juried exhibit: “Euphoria!” invites 

artists to express their exuberant 

selves and explore diverse interpretations 

of the theme, capturing the 

essence of euphoria in a myriad of creative 

forms. The juror is Leslie Butterfield, 

an artist and designer. 

Art Center Sarasota, 707 N. Tamiami 

Trail, Sarasota. Info: www.artsarasota. 

org 

“SPAACES Studio Artists present” 

Novemberta Daa’ and the journey 

goes on. It’s a solo exhibition by Ake 

Arnerdale. Exhibition dates: November 

1- December 14. 

In this relatively uncertain time, Ake 

Arnerdale observes how individuals 

can easily feel adrift amidst a torrent 

of images, text, and conflicting viewpoints, 

compounded by the pervasive 

influence of unbridled power across 

societal realms and the persistence of 

longstanding issues due to enforced 

fragmentation. 

Consequently, the challenge of discerning 

truth and charting a course 

forward looms large. Arnerdale’s 

artwork for the exhibit explores this 

fragmentation, employing an array of 

materials including paint, discarded 

objects, fabric, photos, papier-mâché, 

and text, crafting an immersive experience 

that invites viewers to delve 

into introspection. Themes of longing, 

belonging, decision-making, and progress 

resonate throughout Arnerdale’s 

work, drawing inspiration from diverse 

sources such as graffiti, children’s art, 

outsider art, folk art, and the baroque. 

SPAACES (www.spaaces.art) is 

located at 2051 Princeton St., Sarasota. 

▼ 

MARA Art Studio + Gallery 

has Small Talk, a solo exhibition by 

Julia Rivera. “Small businesses are the 

heartbeat of our community, the spine 

of our economy, and the spirit of our 

town…. particularly in times of challenge 

and struggle. It is during these 

most trying of times that art lifts, stimulates 

exchange, interaction, introspection, 

perspective, and community…. 

Art heals. The show goes on. 

“I dedicate this show to the people of 

Sarasota and our resilient small businesses. 

I believe deeply that art heals 

the soul and inspires us to persevere, 

even in the toughest times. I look forward 

to seeing you, whether in person 

or virtually, as we breathe in art and 

continue to move forward together.” 

Runs to November 16. M A R A Art 

▼ 

Studio + Gallery, 76 S Palm Avenue, 

Sarasota. www.marastudiogallery. 

com/exhibitions 

▼ 

Arts Advocates’ November events 

includes Robert C. Manteiga’s street 

photography exhibit, Sarasota Ballet 

and Van Wezel tours, Holly Freedman’s 

“Listening to Women” art talk, 

and a luncheon celebration of Arts 

Advocates’ 55th anniversary. Registration 

is required at ArtsAdvocates.org. 

Robert C. Manteiga’s “From 

Street Photography to Street Art: A 

Photographic Journey” will be on 

exhibit from November 2-30. In the 

1970s and ‘80s, Manteiga worked as 

a freelance photographer in Pawtucket, 

Rhode Island. Since coming 

to Sarasota in 2013, he has worked 

independently as a photographer and 

videographer. Admission is free; registration 

not required. 

On November 11, from 9:30 to 11:00 

a.m., the Sarasota Ballet Tour offers 

participants an exclusive behindthe-scenes 

tour including backstage 

areas, a peek at dancers in class, and a 

presentation by the costume designer 

in the costume shop. Learn about the 

history of the Sarasota Ballet, their 

community engagement and education 

programs, their current season, 

and get a chance to win a seat at the 

Friends of the Ballet luncheon. This 

tour takes place at the FSU Center for 

Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami 

Trail, Sarasota. 

The Behind the Curtain: Exploring 

the Van Wezel from the Art to 

the Stage tour takes place November 

18 from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. The art in 

the Van Wezel 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 Robert Chase, William 

Hartman, Eugene White, Ben 

Stahl, Thornton Utz, Frank Colson, and 

others. Participants then step onto the 

stage where a Van Wezel guide shares 

stories and anecdotes about the colorful 

world of show business. Tickets 

can be purchased at the Van Wezel box 

office or by calling (941) 263-6799. 

Holly Freedman presents the art 

talk “Listening to Women – The Origin, 

The Women, The Future” on 

November 19 from 4-6 p.m. in the 

Arts Advocates Gallery. Freedman is 

the founder of OLLI at Ringling College’s 

Listening to Women annual 

lecture series which highlights the life 

stories and achievements of women 

who are influential figures in their 

respective fields. Freedman is instrumental 

in selecting the speakers who 

are making a difference in today’s 

communities. She will delve into her 

selection process and share her interactions 

with these remarkable women. 

Arts Advocates celebrates their milestone 

55th anniversary during their 

lunch on November 21, 11:00 a.m. to 

1:00 p.m. at Sarasota Yacht Club. Actor 

and educator Kathryn Chesley will 

portray artist Martha Hartman. Martha 

and her husband William Hartman 

founded The Hartman School of Art 

in Sarasota in 1951, but Martha is best 

known for founding the famed Sarasota 

Petticoat Painters in 1953. 

Chesley – in her Life and Times 

portrayal of Martha – tells the story 

of the development of all the arts in 

Sarasota County with references to the 

men and women who helped create 

the cultural coast of Florida. 

The Arts Advocates’ collection of 

Sarasota Art Colony and Florida 

Highwaymen works is on permanent 

display in the Arts Advocates 

Gallery, which is open every Saturday 

from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Admission 

is free. Free docent-guided tours 

are available for gallery visitors who 

wish to learn more about the art and 

written information is available for 

self-guided tours. 

To register for events, visit ArtsAdvocates.org. 

Perlman Suncoast 

Zota Quarter with Clara Neubauer, 

violin; Tong Chen, violin; Cassie 

Drake, viola; Connor Kim, cello, 

performs Tuesday, November 12 at 

The Ringling Courtyard East Loggia. 

Included in museum admission. Also 

on Wednesday, November 13 at First 

Presbyterian Church, 2050 Oak Street, 

Sarasota, 

Program: Debussy’s String Quartet 

in G minor, Op. 10 and Felix Mendelssohn 

String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, 

Op. 13. Tickets: (941) 955-4942 or visit 

www.perlmanmusicprogramsuncoast.org/ 

▼ 

Sarasota 

Art Museum 

Molly Hatch: Amalgam runs to 

April 26, 2026. Hatch’s newly commissioned 

“plate painting,” Amalgam 

(2023), was created specifically for 

Sarasota Art Museum. Consisting of 

more than 450 earthenware plates 

hand-painted in white, blue, and gold 

luster, the abstract lines and shapes 

in Amalgam are drawn from a variety 

of historical ceramics from around 

the globe. 

• Modern Masterpiece Uncovered: 

Galloway’s Furniture Showroom by 

Victor Lundy runs through October 

27, 2024. This exhibition uncovers the 

modernist masterpiece of Galloway’s 

Furniture Store designed by architect 

Victor Lundy. 

Learn more about the iconic building 

through exploring the building’s 

architectural and cultural significance 

in the context of the Sarasota School of 

Architecture and the pioneering work 

of this renowned architect. The physical 

and digital analysis examines the 

building’s wood-laminated structure 

and extant architectural features. 

Info: sarasotaartmuseum.org/visit 

▼ 


happening this month 

The Climate Adaptation Center’s 

4th Annual Florida 

Climate Conference Nov. 14-15 

Hurricane Helene is one of 

the most expansive and 

damaging hurricanes on 

record for the Southeast 

United States due to its 

rare size, rapid intensification, 

storm surge, massive flooding 

and high winds. 

On Thursday, Sep. 28, Helene made landfall 

in Florida’s Big Bend region, about 10 

miles west-southwest of Perry, Florida, as a 

powerful Category 4 hurricane with maximum 

sustained winds reported at 140 mph, 

according to the National Hurricane Center. 

The Climate Adaptation Center (CAC) 

knew this was no ordinary hurricane and 

had concerns well before the storm neared 

Florida. Before the storm actually formed, 

they indicated storm surge would be a 

huge problem for the Suncoast and much 

of the Florida West Coast. Sadly and tragically, 

they were right 

The Climate Adaptation Center is having 

its 4th Annual Florida Climate Conference, 

focusing on “Climate and Human Health.” 

The event will take place on Thursday 

and Friday, November 14-15, at the University 

of South Florida, Sarasota-Manatee, in 

the Atala Ballroom. 

As the world experiences the warmest 

days in recorded human history, this 

conference will explore the profound and 

urgent impacts of a warming climate on 

human health, bringing together leading 

scientists, healthcare professionals, and 

community leaders to explore the intricate 

connections between our changing climate 

and public health. 

The traumatic experience of more dangerous 

hurricanes and historic storm surges 

is significantly impacting human health, 

leading to various physical and mental 

health issues. Individuals may experience 

increased rates of PTSD, anxiety, and depression 

following such disasters. 

The stress from displacement, loss of 

property, and the threat to life contributes 

to these mental health challenges. This 

interactive conference is made for the 

public and will address the growing impact 

of extreme weather events like hurricanes 

and storm surges on mental and physical 

well-being. 

The conference will address pressing 

medical concerns related to infectious 

diseases, air and water quality’s impact on 

public health, and the broader implications 

of climate change for healthcare systems. 

Participants will be able to ask questions 

and learn about the critical link between 

climate adaptation and health resilience, 

empowering them with essential 

knowledge to tackle these challenges. This 

interactive conference is for the general 

public and will help our community make 

better decisions. 

The conference will provide essential 

insights into how these historic changes 

The focus will be on Climate and Human Health 

St. Armands Circle Friday afternoon after Hurricane Helene’s storm surge. 

Thomas Bender/ Sarasota Herald-Tribune 

are already affecting human 

health and what can be done 

to adapt. 

The storm was historic along 

our coastal areas with major 

damage, and the storm surge 

set records in many locations. 

In Cedar Key, a town of barely 

700, the storm delivered more 

than nine feet of surge. 

Even though the storm was 

about 100 miles off the coast 

during the storm’s passage, Manatee County 

recorded peak storm surges of between 

5.5 feet and 7 feet at various data points 

throughout the county. 

Emergency operators answered more than 

a thousand 9-1-1 calls, and along Florida’s 

west coast, that number exceeded 10,000. 

Similar storm surge flooding was experienced 

in Sarasota County. Two days after 

the storm passed, there was no access to 

St. Armands, Lido and Longboat keys. Casey 

Key and Manasota Key had impassible 

roads and lost water service. 

With over $100 billion in property damage, 

this is one of the most devastating storms 

in history. For comparison, Hurricane Ian 

caused $112 billion in total damage. Like 

other high-profile climate-fueled storms of 

the last few years, Helene also experienced 

“rapid intensification,” gaining strength at a 

phenomenal pace as it passed through the 

exceptionally warm waters of the Gulf. 

Rapid intensification is defined as an 

increase in wind speeds by at least 35 

mph within 24 hours. The more energy the 

storm absorbs from the warm water, the 

stronger and more dangerous it becomes. 

Helene began the day Thursday as a 

Category 1 hurricane, and quickly transformed 

into one of the largest, most 

powerful Gulf storms on record, with its 

maximum sustained winds of 140 mph at 

landfall that night. 

It made landfall as a Category 4 storm, 

just days after first forming in the Caribbean. 

It ballooned into one of the widest 

storms on record, allowing it to bring 

life-threatening winds and rain as far inland 

as Tennessee 

Last year was the warmest year in over 

120,000 years, and 2024 is on track to 

break new records. Nearly five years ago, 

the CAC predicted that the 1.5°C temperature 

rise target would be surpassed in the 

2020s—a prediction that has now come 

true. At the conference, renowned experts 

will present the latest data and discuss its 

implications for our collective future. 

The conference will kick off with a keynote 

address by Bob Bunting, a climate 

scientist and CEO of the Climate Adaptation 

Center, who will highlight the latest research 

on how climate change is impacting 

human health. His opening presentation 

titled “The Heat Is On”, will set the stage 

for a series of discussions that will delve 

into various aspects of this critical issue, 

from the rise of climate-sensitive diseases 

to the mental health impacts of extreme 

weather events. 

Other experts who will also present 

include: Judy Schaechter, President of the 

American Board of Pediatrics, Dr. Judy 

Monroe, President and CEO of the CDC 

Foundation and David Altig, Executive 

Vice President and Chief Economic Adviser 

of the US Federal Reserve Bank as 

well as many medical professionals who 

are already dealing with climate impacts 

on human health. 

Each session will also be moderated by 

local leaders including Teri Hansen, President 

and CEO of the Charles & Margery 

Barancik Foundation, Dr. Kirk Voelker, 

Medical Director and Clinical Research of 

Sarasota Memorial Hospital, Anand Pallegar 

of CEO Dream Large, Inc and Sarasota 

Magazine, Jennifer Rominiecki, President 

and CEO of Marie Selby Botanical Gardens 

and a CAC Climate Champion Award 

Winner for 2024 and Elizabeth Moore a 

philanthropic conservationist and a CAC 

Founding Director. 

As the event concludes, participants 

will leave with a deeper understanding of 

the complex relationship between climate 

and human health, as well as actionable 

insights to apply in their own work and in 

our community. The 4th Annual Florida 

Climate Forecast Conference promises to 

be a pivotal moment in the ongoing effort 

to prepare our community from the increasing 

impacts from a warming climate.. 

“This conference is for all of us, and I 

promise you that by attending, you’ll make 

better decisions for your family, your 

company, your government, and your own 

philanthropy. You don’t want to miss it!” 

said Bob Bunting, CEO of the Climate Adaptation 

Center. 

To see the entire speaker schedule and 

to buy tickets now, click here or visit 

https://theclimateadaptationcenter.networkforgood.com/events/74937-2024-annual-florida-climate-conference 

About the Climate 

Adaptation Center 

The CAC is the region’s only non-profit 

climate organization committed to our 

community’s climate warming adaptation 

while working with our decision makers 

in protecting our current and future 

Florida lifestyle. 

They also monitor the tropics and 

potential hurricanes making sure you’re 

aware of any threat before the threat develops. 

To learn more, visit www.theclimateadaptationcenter.org 

NOVEMBER 2024 WEST COAST WOMAN 11

DISCOVER ENGAGE CONNECT 

Senior Centers are dynamic places 

offering classes, exercise, music, games, 

art, dance and more! 

Adult Day Care & Caregiver Resources 

offers support groups and classes as well as 

premier, licensed adult day services in 

Sarasota and Venice. 

Friendship at Home services include 

reassurance phone calls or visitors, and help 

for those facing a one-time financial crisis. 

You’ve Got 

Friends 

We believe in the power of friendship. 

In addition to providing music, dancing, games, 

exercise, and fun ways to connect 

with other seniors, we also offer a 

wide array of support programs and services. 

Dining Centers and Home Delivered 

Meals help feed hearts and souls with 

nutritious meal sites or delivered. 

In-Home Care helps low-income older adults 

secure care to age in place in their home. 

We bring joy to seniors of all ages 

Call (941) 955-2122 

Sarasota: 

1880 Brother Geenen Way, 34236 

Venice: 

2350 Scenic Drive, 34293 

Visit us online at friendshipcenters.org 


feature 

Rather than publish images of 

the aftershocks of Hurricane 

Milton, we’re sharing some of 

the wonderful stories of caring 

that took place in our community. 

Plus there are some resources and 

news of fundraisers. Thank you to those 

people who worked to help make recovery 

go easier, safer and faster. 

would love the opportunity to spread a 

little light and feed you and your families 

at least one hot meal. You have all 

supported us through our last 14+ years 

in business and we would love to show 

our gratitude to you all in this small way 

this weekend, as we all recover and pick 

up the pieces post-Milton.” 

A Community Comes Together 

City Public Works teams worked hard 

cleaning the canals and other essential 

elements of the infrastructure. City crews 

also worked hard clearing roads and sidewalks, 

restoring city facilities, and removing 

hazards from public spaces. 

The City of Sarasota smartly opened 

its parking garages at no charge for 

those wanting to move their cars to 

safety before the hurricane. 

Shop to Support Market Night will be 

held from 6-9 p.m. Nov. 8 at Lakewood 

Ranch Main Street. This is a special 

event to give those who have lost their 

storefronts – permanently or temporarily 

– an opportunity to sell salvaged and 

incoming inventory. The vendor line-up 

will feature stores from Siesta Key, St. 

Armand’s Circle, Longboat Key, Anna 

Maria Island, and more. For more information 

visit www.lakewoodranch.com. 

A cup of Coffee and 

a Break from the Heat 

Church of the Redeemer Sarasota invited 

people to stop by its Gillespie Hall and 

enjoy a hot cup of coffee, air conditioning, 

and a place to charge phones and 

other devices. Little things mean a lot. 

Free Museum Admission 

The Sarasota Art Museum offered free 

admission October 15-20. Their Bistro 

served free coffee, water, and a warm 

cup of soup for those “looking for an 

opportunity to take your mind off the 

storm and its aftermath, your friends at 

Sarasota Art Museum welcome you to 

visit with us.” 

The Ringling also offered free admission 

for a few days. The Ringling Museum 

and Ca’ d’Zan suffered very little 

damage and no damage to its glass 

façade facing Sarasota Bay. The Historic 

Circus Museum had roof damage, and 

was closed for a couple of weeks (check 

to make sure). 

The Museum of Art galleries and Tibbals 

Learning Center are functioning well, 

and the collections are safe. The biggest 

impact of the storm was on the grounds. 

They lost several trees, and there was a lot 

of damage to the banyans. 

Free Empanadas 

On October 13, The Empanada Girl in 

Sarasota offered free hot empanadas. 

“Due to the recent storm, both of our 

weekend markets @sarasotafarmersmarket 

and @themarketlwr have been 

cancelled. As a result, we decided to do 

a small pop-up on October 13.” 

They parked their food truck at 4141 

S Tamiami Trail in 

Sarasota, right by 

the Trader Joe’s. 

“Our community 

has been through 

so much lately. 

Between Debby, 

Helene, and now 

Milton, we have 

all been through 

the ringer. We 

All hands on deck in 

City of Sarasota 

Finance Department employees rolled 

up their sleeves and joined the Parking 

Division Saturday cleaning the St. Armands 

Garage and Fillmore Lot. 

Working in the post-Milton muck, 

they swept, picked up debris, collected 

downed palm fronds and more. Their 

efforts are a great help in kickstarting 

the restoration process for St. Armands 

Circle. Teamwork! 

AC, Showers and WIFI - 

all free 

Sarasota and Manatee area YMCAs 

morphed into a community relief center 

offering AC, showers and free WiFi— 

even to non members starting on October 

11. All ten wellness branches offered 

these services through October 31. 

They offered: Showers, WiFi, charging 

stations and a safe break from the elements 

Shoutout to City of 

Sarasota and Sarasota 

County workers 

Special thanks to Public Utilities crews 

that have worked through the night every 

night following Hurricane Milton to 

restore water service to our community. 

Sarasota County workers were also 

out quickly dealing with burst wastewater 

pipes, leaks and debris on the 

roads. Sarasota County Parks crews 

used magnets to remove small metal 

debris like nails, ensuring athletic fields 

are safe for play. Additional cleanup includes 

debris removal, fence repair, and 

light checks. 

During Hurricane Milton, Sarasota 

County Public Utilities lost power to 

the majority of our nearly 800 lift stations, 

causing a total of 33 minor spills 

and three larger spills throughout the 

county totaling 146,660 gallons. Staff 

deployed as soon as conditions were 

safe to bring generators to the areas 

and limit any additional spillage that 

may have occurred and restore service. 

Streets of Paradise 

Warehouse helps with 

household needs 

They opened their warehouse at the 

Airport Mall (8251 15th St East, Sarasota) 

for anyone affected by recent hurricanes 

who needed household items, 

including furniture like sofas, chairs, tables, 

and bedding. 

Their LoveArtRepeat Gallery, 734 

Central Ave., Sarasota, offered AC, 

charging stations, showers, coffee and 

snacks. They also hosted their Foodshare 

at the gallery instead of the warehouse, 

serving more than 150 meals. 

Lakewood Ranch Unites 

for Hurricane Relief Efforts 

While LWR was fortunate to avoid the 

worst of the storm, they wanted to help 

those on the barrier islands, coastal regions, 

and major flood zones who were 

severely impacted. In response, Lakewood 

Ranch hosted and supported 

several relief efforts. 

They held a food and supply drive for 

hurricane victims in partnership with 

Meals on Wheels Plus/The Food Bank 

of Manatee County. They also offered 

free meals from any of the food trucks 

for all first responders or linemen. 

The relief efforts continued with food 

and supply drives at the weekly Farmers’ 

Market at Waterside Place. There 

were also blood drives held around 

Lakewood Ranch at various locations. 

The Lakewood Ranch Information 

Center also collected food items for 

Meals on Wheels PLUS/The Foodbank 

of Manatee County and will do so 

through the end of November. 

For more information visit www.lakewoodranch.com 

. For additional storm 

resources and volunteer opportunities, 

visit www.lakewoodranch.com/hurricane-information. 

RESOURCES: 

Hurricane Fundraisers 

Gamma Omicron is holding a fundraiser 

on Saturday, Nov. 16 at Beneva 

Christian Church from 10-1 pm. 100% of 

the profits will be distributed to local 

groups in need. They have designated 

Schoolhouse Link as one of their recipients. 

They provide a multitude of services 

to homeless or unaccompanied 

youth in Sarasota County. They also 

hope to distribute funds to other organizations 

in particular need at this time. 

www.akalambdaomicronomega.org 

Habitat for Humanity 

Sarasota 

Habitat Sarasota’s Critical Home Repair 

program supports families during 

both blue skies and grey skies. This 

program is available to income-eligible 

residents, offering assistance for necessary 

repairs—whether caused by a hurricane 

or simply due to wear and tear. 

Repairs include: 

• Roof replacement 

• Tree removal when needed for safety 

& to protect the housing structure 

• HVAC units 

• Water heaters 

If you, or someone you know, could 

benefit from these services, reach out 

Critical Home Repair Program Specialist 

Estrella Wilkinson at (941) 866-2219 

or email CriticalHomeRepair@Habitatsrq.org. 

Online applications are 

accepted 24 hours a day seven days a 

week at www.portal.neighborlysoftware.com 

Hurricane Milton recovery: 

Those who need help with damages 

can call Florida’s Crisis Cleanup hotline 

at 844-965-1386. Residents may also 

call 833-438-4673 for free assistance 

and resources such as food, household 

goods and debris removal. 

FEMA assistance is available to residents 

who experienced damages or 

losses due to Hurricane Milton. Financial 

help is available for temporary 

lodging, basic home repairs and other 

disaster-caused expenses. Apply online 

at DisasterAssistance.gov, the FEMA 

app or 1-800-621-3362. 

Business Recovery assistance is available 

to businesses in Sarasota impacted 

by Hurricane Milton. For information 

and additional resources, visit sarasotafl.gov/business-resources 

and select 

“Business Hurricane Assistance” 

from the menu. 

Vegetative debris: Sarasota County 

(including City of Sarasota) residents 

can drop off vegetative debris free of 

charge at two locations. The closest vegetative 

debris drop-off location to the 

City of Sarasota located at Rothenbach 

Park, 8650 Bee Ridge Road. Sites are 

open Monday - Saturday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

Roof damage—Residents whose 

roofs were damaged by Hurricane 

Milton can sign up for free assistance 

through Operation Blue Roof, which 

provides and installs temporary roof 

coverings until more permanent repairs 

can be completed. To sign up, call 

888-ROOF-BLU or visit blueroof.gov 

Florida flood insurance policyholders 

affected by Hurricane #Milton now 

have until Dec. 10, 2024, to renew their 

policies. This extension helps ensure no 

lapse in coverage during recovery efforts. 

Contact your insurance agent for 

details and inquire about advance payments 

for damages. 

For more info: www.fema.gov/.../ 

fema... 


FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 2025 

6:30 – 10:30 P.M. | RITZ-CARLTON, SARASOTA 

Join us for an uplifting evening featuring a special performance 

and keynote by Broadway artist Chester Gregory, powerful 

stories about our Blue Door programs, and a look into the 

future of Sunshine From Darkness. 

Proceeds Support: 

Blue Door Services: Emotional literacy workshops for youth. 

Youth Mental Health Research: Advancing treatments and solutions. 

Let’s connect, inspire, and spark lasting change—together. 

Presented by the Lee & Bob Peterson Foundation 

Tickets & Sponsorships 

Scan the QR code with the camera 

on your phone to purchase tickets or 

visit SunshineFromDarkness.org. 

MEDIA SPONSOR 

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Scan the QR code with your phone's camera to hear from 

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they share the inspiring sparks that drive them. 

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BEFORE & AFTER GALLERY AT WWW.VisionaryCentreForWomen.com 


healthier you 

s a r a s o t a 

VENUE 

AESTHETICS 

Should We Accept the 

“Realities of Aging”? 

DINING & 

DRINKS 

PLENTIFUL 

PARKING 

STATE OF THE ART 

TECHNOLOGY 

Whether planning a wedding or a corporate event, The Ora 

is the place to be. With versatile spaces to choose from, including 

one of the largest ballrooms in the region, you will find the perfect 

space to meet your needs and exceed your expectations. 

Elevate your event with our exclusive caterer, Michael’s On East. 

Can we find hope and inspiration 

amidst the physical 

changes that come with 

aging? 

I recently read a few opinion pieces 

by doctors that left me unsettled. Their 

message? We should simply accept 

health issues as part of the “normal 

aging process” and that doctors must be 

candid about the inevitability of degeneration. 

Really? Are we just meant to 

give up? I can almost hear Jack LaLanne 

rolling in his grave—he dedicated his 

life to promoting health, wellness, and 

the benefits of a proactive lifestyle. He 

passed away at 97, having lived an active 

and vibrant life. 

Contrary to these views, I strongly 

believe that it is possible to slow, halt, 

and even reverse some signs of aging. 

While we can’t stop the passage of time, 

we can take proactive steps to maintain 

our physical and mental health. I see 

this reality every day, both in my own 

life and in my patients. 

Moreover, evidence from independent 

laboratories supports my observations. 

Studies measuring the impact of improving 

just three bio-factors—nutrition, 

exercise, and hormone balance—showed 

remarkable improvements in seniors: 

energy levels increased by 85%, memory 

by 59%, productivity by 65%, strength 

by 73%, libido by 80%, sexual performance 

by 60%, and fat reduction by 

68%. We also observed enhancements 

in facial appearance, skin tone, athletic 

performance, sleep quality, overall 

well-being, and frequency of illness. 

These findings demonstrate that we can 

enhance both the quantity and quality 

of our lives without simply accepting the 

“normal aging process.” 

These examples barely scratch the surface 

of the benefits of Integrative Medicine. 

By combining nutrition, exercise, 

and hormone balance with additional 

tools like detoxification, genomics, and 

psycho-spiritual therapies, the positive 

outcomes continue to grow. 

On Integrative Medicine 

A thorough evaluation of an individual’s 

symptoms, along with appropriate 

lab tests, can reveal many underlying 

issues. Each person is unique, shaped by 

their genetic makeup, life experiences, 

and complex histories. Celebrating and 

addressing this individuality is crucial to 

the success of Integrative Medicine. 

Regarding the costs associated with 

doctor visits, lab tests, nutrient supplements, 

or detox programs, these expenses 

pale in comparison to just a year or 

two of skilled nursing or memory care. 

Plus, the journey is far more enjoyable 

with Integrative Medicine. 

Why Keep Going? 

Just as our genetics are unique, so are 

our motivations for wanting to maintain 

our health and enjoy a high-quality life 

for as long as possible. What drives you 

to stay healthy? 

At The Renewal Point, we’ve been 

helping patients get to the root cause of 

their symptoms for decades. By listening 

to our patients and carefully reviewing 

test results, we can get an accurate 

picture of what’s going on and move 

forward with a personalized plan of care. 

We are here to help! To learn more or 

schedule a consultation, you can give us 

a call at 941-926-4905. 

————————————————— 

SOURCE: Dr. Watts, MD, ND, MSNM 

and Deb Spinner, ARNP, MSN, are 

experts in Integrative 

Medicine. With over 

25 years experience in 

Hormone Balancing, 

a Post-doctoral Certification 

in Metabolic 

Endocrinology, and a 

Fellowship in Anti-Aging, 

Regenerative, and 

Functional Medicine, 

Dr. Watts has put 

together programs that 

have helped thousands 

of patients renew their 

love and vigor for life. 

Dr. Dan Watts 

MD, ND, MSMN 

The Renewal Point 

FOUNDER/DIRECTOR 

4905 Clark Road, Sarasota 

Phone: 941-926-4905 

www.TheRenewalPoint.com 

To book, contact Julie Burton at 941.343.2107 or Julie@theorasrq.com. 

t h e o r a s r q . c o m 

ROBERTA LEVENTHAL 

SUDAKOFF FOUNDATION 

Sarasota Youth Opera & Education Program 

by DEA N BUR RY 

THE MUSIC OF 

GIUSEPPE VERDI 

Nov. 15 & 17, 2024 

Victor DeRenzi, conductor 

& the Sarasota Orchestra 

The operas of Giuseppe Verdi have 

been an important part of the history of 

Sarasota Opera, the only company to 

have presented all his works. Principal 

Artists from the Sarasota Opera, with the 

Sarasota Orchestra conducted by Victor 

DeRenzi, will present selections in concert. 

TICKETS: (941) 328-1300 

SARASOTAOPERA.ORG 

ONLY 2 

SHOWS! 

Nov. 9 • 7:30 PM 

Nov. 10 • 1:30PM 

Sarasota Youth Opera 

presents The Hobbit 

by Dean Burry, a prelude 

to Tolkien’s The Lord of the 

Rings, sponsored by the 

Les and Carol Brualdi 

Endowment Fund. 

The Hobbit and the names of the characters, items, 

places and events therein, are trademarks or registered 

trademarks of Middle-earth Enterprises, LLC under license 

to Sarasota Opera Association. All rights reserved. 



Samantha 

Bennett 

Aviolinist, 

she 

and her 

husband 

George Nickson, 

a percussionist, 

are cofounders 

and 

co-artistic 

directors of 


which performs 

and advocates 

for the music of 

contemporary 

composers. 

Their 9th 

season is 

underway 

in Sarasota. 


Our area has an abundance 

of classical music 

choices including 

a full orchestra and 

a symphony, a pops 

orchestra and several 

chamber music ensembles. 

There are also full 

orchestra operas, as well as visiting symphonies 

and musicians from around the 

country and the world. 

And that passion for music extends to 

relative newcomer EnsembleNEWSRQ 

(usually called simply enSRQ). Founded 

in 2015 by violinist Samantha Bennett and 

percussionist George Nickson, enSRQ’s 

ninth season is already underway. Trained 

as classical musicians, enSRQ is “dedicated 

to playing and advocating for the music of 

contemporary composers.” 

So how are they doing? “We have a 

strong, loyal fanbase - many have been 

with us from the beginning,” Samantha 

explains. Word of mouth and “organic” 

curiosity - meaning not necessarily advertising 

and social media - have created a 

following which is very different from most 

other music entities. She hastens to add, 

“We have an adventurous audience.” 

Samantha describes what enSRQ offers 

as “cutting edge - we’re the only ones doing 

this type of music.” Sarasota is supportive 

of traditional, but also shows a lot of love 

towards arts groups that take creative 

risks. Over the years, the only place for 

contemporary music and performance 

was New Music New College (which was 

canceled last year by the current president 

of the school) - a program she called 

“wonderful,” but said with sadness at its 

termination. 

So what is contemporary music? “We get 

this a lot. It takes influence from all genres 

of classical music.” Typically, she explains, 

“We play music that is less than 25 years 

old.” The upcoming November concert is a 

bit different in that it’s a look back at composers 

who influenced or helped start contemporary 

music and features the works of 

Arnold Schoenberg and Charles Ives. 

In general, “Every concert is different,” 

Samantha explains adding, “sometimes 

you want people to be uncomfortable.” By 

that she makes the comparison to modern 

art, “You can move when you look at 

modern art. In a concert, you’re trapped,” 

she laughs. Twentieth century modernist 

painters Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock 

come to mind whose works are somewhat 

challenging to some, but a rewarding experience 

to others. Get over the initial uncomfortableness 

and contemporary music 

“can be life-changing,” she feels. 

Both musicians were with the Sarasota 

Orchestra, but also wanted to pursue their 

dream and began by first offering a few 

concerts held in the chapel at First Congregational 

Church - a “totally welcoming” 

place she adds, and they’re still there. At the 

beginning of enSRQ, “We did a recital, a few 

solos and the response was really positive. 

The chapel was an intimate space and we 

thought maybe we can make this as a series.” 

In their second year it was an all-percussion 

series at First Presbyterian Church. 

Then it was time to, as she calls it, “codify 

this” and they got their 501(c)(3), created a 

board and set up their nonprofit. Each year 

they’ve added more concerts. 

Samantha, who grew up in Ames, Iowa, 

studied at the New England conservatory 

in Boston, earning both Bachelor’s and 

Master’s degrees. She came to Sarasota to 

perform with the Sarasota Orchestra which 

she did as principal second violin from 

2016-2022. 

Prior to her position with Sarasota Orchestra, 

she was a member of The Florida 

Orchestra, and has performed with the 

Fort Worth Symphony, the Dallas Symphony, 

Minnesota Orchestra and the Boston 

Symphony to name a few. 

enSRQ concerts are typically 70 minutes 

long with no intermission. Artists will talk 

about the pieces they’re playing and as she 

explains, that gives context. Other concerts 

are a series of shorter pieces. Obviously, if 

you want to be surprised in the best sense, 

this is perfect for you. 

November’s concert is their “most traditional” 

concert and will have an intermission. 

It’s casual and there’s a reception 

after the concerts where audiences can talk 

with the musicians. The goal is always to 

“build a more personal connection.” And, 

she adds, you may find at a certain concert, 

“I hated this” or “this reminds me of…” and 

she responds with “Exactly! That’s what we 

want you to feel.” 

You’ll likely recognize local accomplished 

artists performing with enSRQ 

such as clarinetist Bharat Chandra, cellist 

Natalie Helm, violinist Jennifer Best Takeda, 

flutist Betsy Hudson Traba and percussionist 

Marcelina Suchocka — all affiliated 

with Sarasota Orchestra. Mezzo-soprano 

Thea Lobo also performs and has been 

seen at concerts by Artist Series Concerts, 

Key Chorale, and numerous arts art entities 

around the country. Plus there are several 

talented guest artists who have performed 

at many orchestras across the country. 

Samantha does the grant-writing and 

hiring and they count on their board members 

who offer a variety of valuable skills. 

They contract out things like web design, 

artwork, PR. The rest: “It’s all on us.” While 

she admits to even enjoying grant-writing, 

it was tough to lose funding from the state 

of Florida. It involved a year-long process 

that required 25 pages to fill out. And it was 

10 percent of their funding. 

After the November concert their next is 

on January 13, 2025. “Beginning with Anna 

Clyne’s contemplative ‘Rest These Hands’ 

for solo violin, Visions & Miracles highlights 

five superlative works for strings, 

flute and clarinet from Han Lash, Dai Wei, 

Gabriela Lena Frank, and two composers 

who have received residencies from The 

Hermitage Artist Retreat (Clyne and Christopher 

Theofanidis).” 

Following that is Truth and Mayhem on 

February 17, 2025 which is an all-percussion 

concert led by Co-Artistic Director, 

George Nickson and includes works by 

Ellen Reid, Jon Cziner, Nico Muhly and a 

World Premiere from composer Paul Mortilla 

preclude Tan Dun’s magnificent Elegy: 

Snow in June for solo cello and percussion 

quartet. 

March 17, 2025 has “George Perle’s sparkling 

musical wit and humor on display in 

his sextet, Critical Moments, paired alongside 

exquisite string and wind works from 

Carolyn Chen, and Kenji Bunch. A commissioned 

work by rising star, Kitty Xiao, anchors 

this program of enchanting musical 

worlds while Samantha Bennett solos in 

Marcos Balter’s beguiling Violin Concerto 

to close this unique program of musical 

masterpieces, large and small.” 

And wrapping up is Jagden und Formen 

on May 12, 2025 at the Sarasota Opera 

House. The program includes “Wolfgang 

Rihm’s singular, tour de force for 25 musicians, 

Jagden und Formen (Hunts and 

Forms). George Nickson conducts this evening 

length masterpiece, joined again by 

enSRQ favorite Conor Hanick on piano.” 

As for now, on November 25 they have 

“Ives and Schoenberg at 150” at First Congregational 

Church in Sarasota. “This 

year marks the 150th birthday of Arnold 

Schoenberg and Charles Ives, whose Pierrot 

lunaire and Piano Sonata No. 2: Concord, 

Mass., 1840-1860 make up this celebratory 

program. Stephen Drury, one of the 

world’s leading pianists and interpreters of 

Ives’ music, will make his enSRQ debut at 

this performance, and Thea Lobo will bring 

the half spoken, half sung poetry of Pierrot 

lunaire to life.” 

Intrigued? Like exploring new artistic 

styles? Tickets: www.ensrq.org/ 

Story: LOUISE BRUDERLE 

Image: Courtesy photo by 

MATTHEW HOLLER 

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news and notables 

Season Highlights: 

events we think you’ll find interesting or unique 

Carole King Looking 

Beautiful at the Asolo 

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical 

with Words and Music by Gerry Goffin, 

Carole King, Barry Mann and Cynthia 

Weil is at Asolo Rep November 16 – 

January 5, 2025. 

At eighteen, King wrote number one 

songs for Aretha Franklin and The Drifters. 

At twenty-nine, she was the voice of 

a generation. The road along the way was 

full of love, heartbreak, and self-discovery. 

A smash hit on Broadway and London’s 

West End, the musical features two 

decades of King’s hits, including “You’ve 

Got a Friend”, “(You Make Me Feel Like) 

A Natural Woman” and “I Feel the Earth 

Move.” asolorep.org/. 

Urbanite 

For season 11, Producing Artistic Director 

Summer Wallace has scheduled one world 

premiere and three regional premieres 

along with the Modern Works Festival, 

which puts a focus on female playwrights. 

The festival also has been a source of future 

full productions for the company. 

SPACEMAN, running January 3-February 

16, is a weightless, full-sensory, 

surround-sound exploration of both the 

challenges of space travel. 

Astronaut Molly Jennis has embarked 

on an interplanetary expedition following 

her husband’s tragic, failed attempt to 

reach Mars. As the first to the Red Planet, 

she faces not only the dangers of solitude 

and the unknown frontier, but also the 

haunting reflections of her past decisions. 

www.urbanitetheatre.com 

Ravel’s 150th Birthday 

Sarasota Orchestra “Ravel’s Bolero” 

is on January 10 at the Neel Performing 

Arts Center and on Jan. 11-12 at the Van 

Wezel. Shiyeon Sung leads a concert that 

marks the 150th anniversary of Maurice 

Ravel’s birth, including his popular “Bolero” 

and Natash Paremski playing his Piano 

Concerto in G Major. 

Joseph 

Maurice 

Ravel 

Joseph Maurice Ravel (March 7, 1875 – 

December 28, 1937) was a French composer, 

pianist and conductor. He is often 

associated with Impressionism along with 

his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, 

although both composers rejected the 

term. In the 1920s and 1930s Ravel was internationally 

regarded as France’s greatest 

living composer. 

For more information, visit sarasota 

orchestra.org 

Sarasota Art Museum 

Larry Fink / Martha Posner: Flesh 

and Bone opens November 17 and will 

immerse visitors in the creative dialogue 

between acclaimed photographer Larry 

Fink (1941-2023) and sculptor Martha 

Posner (born 1956), who were romantic 

partners for more than 30 years. 

Radically different artists, their work 

nonetheless shares common themes of desire, 

vulnerability, and brutality. Both also 

explore myth throughout their art: Posner 

explicitly, through her re-imagining of 

female subjects from various legends and 

mythic traditions; Fink implicitly, through 

his shrewd eye for human impulse, folly, 

and bravado, qualities he found in almost 

every scenario no matter how base or exaltedLarry 

Fink (American, 1941-2023). 

Venice Symphony 

Music Director to 

Conduct New Year’s 

Eve Concert with 

the Boston Pops and 

Bernadette Peters 

Music Director of The Venice Symphony, 

Troy Quinn, has been selected for the 

opportunity to conduct with the Boston 

Pops during their New Year’s Eve Concert, 

featuring Broadway icon Bernadette 

Peters to ring out 2024. The event takes 

place December 31 at 8 p.m. 

Bernadette Peters 

Troy Quinn 

Emmy-nominated conductor Troy Quinn 

will lead the orchestra during the first 

half of the concert. The second half of 

the program will be conducted by Joseph 

Thalken, Peters’ music director, who will 

also accompany her at the piano. Tickets 

are available at www.bso.org 

Percussion Quartet 


will present Excelsis Percussion Quartet, 

winner of the 2024 Chamber Music 

America Artistic Projects Grant. 

This concert, on November 24, features 

music spanning from classical to avant 

garde to pop. Excelsis Percussion Quartet 

is made up of Marcelina Suchocka, Aya 

Kaminaguchi, Britton-Renee Collins and 

Mariana Ramirez. 

With a repertoire spanning from classical 

to avant garde to pop, Excelsis has 

been featured on NPR’s From the Top with 

Christopher O’Riley. 

For more information, visit ArtistSeriesConcerts.org 

or call (941) 306-1202. 

Glenn Close at TOWN 

HALL Lecture Series 

The 44th season of TOWN HALL returns 

in January 2025. Kicking off the series 

in January will be actor Glenn Close. 

Close is a powerhouse in the world of film, 

television, and theater best known for her 

iconic roles like “Alex Forrest” in Fatal 

Attraction or “Patty Hewes” in Damages. 

She has been nominated for the Academy 

Award an impressive eight times, 

starting with her feature film debut in The 

World According to Garp. Glenn has also 

graced the stage, earning Tony Awards 

for her performances in The Real Thing, 

Death and the Maiden, and her captivating 

portrayal of “Norma Desmond” in Sunset 

Boulevard. 

Glenn Close 

Excelsis 

Percussion 

Quartet: 

Marcelina 

Suchocka, 

Aya 

Kaminaguchi, 

Britton-Renee 

Collins and 

Mariana 

Ramirez 

The Haircut, Hellertown, Pennsylvania, 2015. 

continued >> 


season highlights continued 

Others include super bowl champion 

Rob Gronkowski will be joining the series 

in February. Dr. Moiya McTier will 

take the TOWN HALL stage in mid-March. 

Dr. McTier is an astrophysicist, folklorist, 

and science communicator based in New 

York City. In late March, Former National 

Security Advisor H.R. McMaster will share 

insights from his career. H. R. McMaster 

was the 25th Assistant to the President for 

National Security Affairs. 

In mid-April 2025, Dr. Anthony Fauci 

will close out our TOWN HALL season. Dr. 

Fauci is perhaps the most recognized figure 

in public health and policy in modern 

time. With a career bookended by the HIV/ 

AIDs and COVID-19 pandemics, Dr. Fauci’s 

impact spanned seven presidents, covered 

50 years of public service, and touched 

billions of lives. 

All lectures will be presented at Van 

Wezel. Visit www.rclassociation.org. 

Lakewood Ranch 

Blues Festival 

The inaugural Lakewood Ranch Blues 

Festival will take place Dec. 7, 8-8 

at Waterside Park. Weeks after Realize 

Bradenton announced in February the 

permanent cancellation of the Bradenton 

Blues Festival, the event’s co-founder said 

he plans to revive it with a new name and 

location, according to multiple reports. 

“Following the 2023 festival, we conducted 

a thorough analysis of the event. 

With thoughtful consideration to the mission 

and goals, we have made the decision 

to discontinue the Blues Festival in 2024,” 

Andrea Knies, communications director 

for the organization, said in a statement 

last month. 

Paul Benjamin, who has served as the 

festival’s artistic director since it launched 

in 2012, recently announced his partnership 

with Independent Jones, an events 

company, to produce the inaugural Lakewood 

Ranch Blues Festival 

The festival was a passion project for 

Realize Bradenton founder, Johnette Isham, 

who died last year. 

“It was important to us to keep the legacy 

that was created by Johnette and Realize 

Bradenton alive,” Benjamin said. “After 

looking at a number of places, we decided 

that Lakewood Ranch was the best place 

to host the event, which will draw in blues 

fans from across the world.” 

Artists include Melody Angel, Dylan 

Triplett, Kat Riggins, Monster Mike 

Welch, Vanessa Collier and the Danielle 

Nicole Band. Tickets/Info: www.lakewoodranch.com/event 

Perlman Music 

Program Suncoast 

Presents Zota Quartet 

Nov. 12 

The Perlman Music Program Suncoast 

(PMP Suncoast) presents the Zota Quartet 

on November 12, noon-1 p.m., at The 

Ringling’s Courtyard East Loggia, 5401 

Bay Shore Road, Sarasota, and Wednesday, 

November 13, 7:30 p.m., at First Presbyterian 

Church, 2050 Oak Street, Sarasota. 

The program features Debussy’s String 

Quartet in G minor, Op. 10 and Felix Mendelssohn’s 

String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, 

Op. 13. Tickets for The Ringling performance 

are free for museum members or 

included in museum admission. 

Zota Quartet 

The Zota Quartet features Clara Neubauer, 

violin; Tong Chen, violin; Cassia Drake, 

viola; and Connor Kim, cello. Zota Quartet 

was formed in 2023 at the Perlman Music 

Program Chamber Music Workshop and 

that members hail from New York, Florida, 

Shanghai, and Korea. 

Their name is deeply connected to 

Sarasota’s history. “In its original spelling 

from the 1700s, Sara-zota, ‘Zota’ is believed 

to come from a Native American word 

describing something clear, blue, and 

beautiful — perhaps Sarasota’s bay,” says 

Lisa Berger, Executive Director of PMP 

Suncoast. “The Zota Quartet feels this 

perfectly reflects the nature of chamber 

music. When four musicians unite, all 

distractions fall away, leaving a single, 

clear purpose: to celebrate the beauty of 

great art and share it with the audience.” 

Tickets: PMPSuncoast.org. 

Little Women at 

Sarasota Players 

Directed by Amanda Heisey, Little Women 

runs December 5-15. The timeless story 

is a musical filled with personal discovery, 

heartache, hope and everlasting love. 

Based on Louisa May Alcott’s life, Little 

Women follows the adventures of sisters, 

Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy March. Jo is trying 

to sell her stories for publication, but 

the publishers are not interested – her 

friend, Professor Bhaer, tells her that 

she has to do better and write more from 

herself. Begrudgingly taking this advice, 

Jo weaves the story of herself and her 

sisters and their experience growing up 

in Civil War America. 

Tickets: theplayers.org or call 941- 

365-2494. 

Selby Gardens 

presents Patti Smith: 

A Book of Days 

Selby Gardens will collaborate with 

Artist-in-Residence Patti Smith on 

an upcoming exhibition running November 

9 to August 25, 2025, at the 

Historic Spanish Point campus which 

will feature a selection of photographs 

taken by the poet and musician that 

offers an intimate view of her life on 

and off the road. 

The photographs are taken from Smith’s 

recently published, New York Times 

bestselling publication, A Book of Days. 

Inspired by the popularity of her Instagram 

account, where she began posting 

photographs back in 2018, this beautiful 

book offers a window into her world and 

illustrates her unique aesthetic. 

The exhibition at Selby Gardens will 

feature large prints of Smith’s photographs 

outdoors, bringing them into dialogue 

with nature, which has long been 

a source of inspiration for the legendary 

artist. Her images will take visitors on a 

journey through time and space, charting 

both the course of a year and the natural 

environment of the Historic Spanish 

Point campus. 

An Evening with Patti Smith and 

her Book of Days is on November 14 at 

the Historic Spanish Point campus tied to 

Historic Spanish Point exhibition, A Book 

of Days. www.selby.org/ 

Hermitage Sunsets @ 

Selby Gardens 

The Hermitage Artist Retreat’s series, 

“Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens,” 

continues into its fifth anniversary as part 

of the Hermitage’s 2024-2025 season. 

The outdoor series — a celebrated 

collaboration between the Hermitage and 

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens — features 

performances and explorations of worksin-progress 

by Hermitage artists-in-residence 

and alumni. 

“Solo Flute — Destiny of Density,” awardwinning 

flutist, composer, and returning 

Hermitage Fellow Claire Chase 

The second of these events is “Solo 

Flute — Destiny of Density,” where 

award-winning flutist, composer, and returning 

Hermitage Fellow Claire Chase 

will share selections of her genre-defining 

work and discuss her innovative approach 

to music. 

This event will take place on December 

5 at 5:30pm, at Selby Gardens’ Historic 

Spanish Point campus in Osprey. Chase is 

a world-renowned musician and composer 

who was also one of the inaugural artists 

in the “Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens” 

series, in addition to performing at 

two past Hermitage Artful Lobster events. 

A soloist, collaborative artist, curator, 

and advocate for new and experimental 

music, she has been described by The 

New York Times as “the most important 

flutist of our time.” Chase was named a 

MacArthur Fellow in 2012, and in 2017 

was the first flutist to be awarded the 

Avery Fisher Prize from Lincoln Center 

for the Performing Arts. 

Admission for these events has no ticket 

cost; advance registration is required ($5/ 

person) at HermitageArtistRetreat.org. 


Venice Theatre’s 

75th Anniversary Season 

They’re reviving six “look-back” titles along with familiar crowd-pleasing musicals 

The 2024-2025 75th Anniversary 

Season reflects Venice Theatre’s 

legacy by reviving six “lookback” 

titles produced in different 

decades in its production 

archive while anchoring the season with 

the familiar crowd-pleasing musicals audiences 

have come to expect. 

“The Torch Bearers” 

From the 2022 production 

c A Christmas Carol. Original Book & 

Lyrics by Scott Keys; Original music by E. 

Suzan Ott; Additional music by Scott Keys, 

Jason Brenner, and Eli Schildkraut; Adapted 

from the original story by Charles Dickens. 

In the Raymond Center December 6-22. 

upgrade her station in life develops into an 

unlikely friendship. Widely considered one 

of the greatest musicals of all time - Winner 

of six Tony Awards ® . 

c The Lightning Thief, The Percy 

Jackson Musical. Music and lyrics by 

Rob Rokicki; Book by Joe Tracz. Based on 

the 2005 novel of the same name by Rick 

Riordan. In the Pinkerton Theatre Feb. 

28-March 23, 2025. 

This action-packed pop-rock musical follows 

teen demi-god Percy Jackson’s quest 

to find Zeus’s missing lightning bolt and prevent 

a war between the Greek gods. 

c The Silver Foxes present “Life Upon 

the Wicked Stage.” In the Raymond Center, 

March 11-16, 2025. The “youngest” 

cast in town will once again regale you with 

song, dance, and ribald humor in their new 

variety show. Being 

“mature” never looked 

and sounded so good. 

About Venice Theatre 

Venice Theatre is the second-largest 

of 6,000-plus community theatres in the 

United States. They’re located at 140 

Tampa Ave. W. in downtown Venice. Its 

432-seat Jervey Theatre is in the process 

of being restored after suffering severe 

damage from Hurricane Ian with plans to 

reopen in 2025. 

Its Yvonne Pinkerton Theatre is a flexible 

black box theatre that seats 90 patrons. 

Its Raymond Center houses a 130-seat 

temporary theatre which is being used 

until the Jervey Theatre reopens. In addition, 

Venice Theatre offers a wide range 

of education and community engagement 

programs for children, teens, and adults. 

Jervey Theatre Needs 

Your Help 

A highlight of the fall season that is underway 

was “The Torch Bearers”, the first 

production Venice (Little) Theatre ever 

produced in November of 1950. This 1922 

classic comedy of manners by George Kelly 

is about polite, well-heeled society in 1922 

America mounting a play. According to Benny 

Sato Ambush, Venice Theatre’s Artistic 

Director, he describes it as Venice Theatre’s 

origin story. This show ran September 

20-October 13. 

According to Ambush, “Venice Theatre’s 

75th Anniversary Season celebrates 

three-quarters of a century of theatrical 

accomplishments while looking forward to 

its next 75 years. It complements a Venice 

Theatre Video Oral History Project now underway 

told by those who lived it, coincides 

with the City of Venice’s 100th Anniversary, 

and will precede the reopening of a rebuilt 

proscenium Jervey Theatre, demolished by 

the September 2022 Hurricane Ian.” 

Here are their 

Upcoming Performances: 

c 9 to 5, The Musical. Music/Lyrics 

by Dolly Parton. In the Raymond Center 

through November 24. With a Tony-nominated 

score by Dolly Parton, three women 

take control of their lives in a man’s world 

and stand up for friendship and what’s right. 

c Syncopation by Allan Knee. In the 

Pinkerton Theatre Nov. 1-24. It’s 1911 NYC. 

The passion for dance and a search for a 

more meaningful life brings two unlikely 

souls together who tango and foxtrot their 

way to new possibilities. 

A Christmas Carol 

Venice Theatre’s musical version of A 

Christmas Carol returns with the joyous 

spirit of the year-end holidays. Intergenerational 

veterans from past productions (including 

Brad Wages as Scrooge) join with 

new cast members to tell Charles Dickens’ 

story of redemption and rebirth. 

c Venice Laughs. Stand-Up Comedyfest 

for Adults Who Love the Funny Side of Life. 

In the Pinkerton Theatre December 6, 8, 

14, and 15. Stand-up comedians from the 

local community offer a series of fun-filled 

laughfests, including Hanukkah and Jewish-themed 

humor. 

c Don’t Touch That Dial by Roger Bean. 

In the Pinkerton Theatre Jan. 17-Feb. 9, 

2025. A fast-moving, nostalgic visit of hit 

show theme songs from television’s bygone 

golden age, presented as an audience participatory 

trivia contest. Test your memory 

and win a prize. 

c Lerner and Loewe’s My Fair Lady. 

Composed by Frederick Loewe; Book and 

lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. In the Raymond 

Center Jan. 31-March 2, 2025. Professor 

Henry Higgins’s effort to teach young 

Cockney accent-speaking flower seller Eliza 

Doolittle how to speak like a proper lady to 

c An Evening with 

Norm Lewis. Co-production 

with Venice 

Institute 

for Performing 

Arts. At 

the Venice 

Performing Arts Center 

Norm Lewis 

March 16, 2025 at 7 p.m. 

Emmy, Tony, and SAG 

Award nominee Norm Lewis 

sings Broadway favorites and 

timeless classics in a special 

production brought to you by 

The Venice Institute for Performing 

Arts in partnership 

with The Venice Theatre. 

c Alice in Wonderland. 

By Lewis Carroll. Adapted by 

Alice Gerstenberg. In the Raymond Center 

April 4-27, 2025. 

Alice’s rabbit-hole adventures into a fantasy 

world of unusual creatures and riddles 

comes to life in this Family Friendly production 

featuring young performers. 

c The Learned Ladies. By Moliere, 

Translated by Richard Wilbur. In the Pinkerton 

Theatre April 11-May 4, 2025 

Moliere’s witty classical verse comedy 

skewers the haughty pretensions of a women’s 

self-educating salon amid love triangles 

that scandalize the household. 

c Pinky’s Players. In the Raymond Center 

May 8-11, 2025. 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. 

Buy tickets online at VeniceTheatre. 

org or by calling the box office at 941-488- 

1115. The box office is not open for walkup 

business at this time. Seating is limited 

due to the unavailability of the main stage 

Jervey Theatre. 

Venice Theatre, especially its main 

building, suffered devastating damage 

during Hurricane Ian. Since then, 

Venice Theatre has worked to restore and 

renovate its iconic facility, with an annual 

economic impact of $50 million in the 

heart of Sarasota County. 

VT has also maintained most of its 

programming, albeit in different locations 

and with greatly reduced capacity and income. 

The restoration has moved forward 

steadily, with anticipated funding and 

completed plans to re-open by late 2025. 

However, much has changed since mid- 

June. First, $6 million from the Office of 

Housing and Urban Development was denied 

to Venice Theatre, the largest community 

theatre in the State of Florida, 

and second largest in the nation. Venice 

Theatre had anticipated this funding for 

more than a year since the Resilient SRQ 

Hurricane Relief Plan was introduced. 

Then, promised funding from VT’s 

commercial lender never materialized. 

And last, the gubernatorial veto of arts 

funding from the state—funding used responsibly 

for more than 25 years—came 

as another shock. These losses will push 

back the anticipated date of saving the 

75-year-old theatre. 

With a firm $25 million campaign goal, 

of which nearly 40% has been raised, the 

remaining funds must be secured to completely 

restore the Jervey Theatre. Venice 

Theatre has already completed $5.9 million 

in repairs. The need is urgent. Steel 

beams must be raised, the roof installed, 

and the interior finished. 

You can give to their Save Venice 

Theatre Fund. Stand with us when we 

host a campus-wide Grand Opening and 

celebrate Venice Theatre’s next 75 years. 

To donate, visit www.venicetheatre.com. 


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Embracing Our Differences and Sarasota Art Museum Present 

Embracing Our 

Differences 

has announced 

the return of 

“Embracing 

Kindness,” its collaborative 

exhibition with 

Sarasota Art Museum of 

Ringling College of Art 

and Design. Now in its 

second consecutive year, 

this year’s exhibition runs 

to December 18 on the 

Museum’s great lawn, parallel 

to the Tamiami Trail. 

It features 14 enlarged 

images of original artwork 

created by students under 

the mentorship of Sarasota 

artist and educator Jeffery 

Cornwell. 

Spanning more than two 

decades, these selected 

works celebrate the transformative 

power of kindness 

and respect, as expressed by 

young artists from Booker 

High School’s Visual and 

Performing Arts program, 

as well as NewGate School, 

who participated in Cornwell’s 

visionary art programs. 

Admission to the “Embracing 

Kindness” exhibition 

is free during Museum hours 

and can be accessed through 

the Museum’s lobby, leading 

to the great lawn. 

Jeffery Cornwell, a distinguished 

artist and educator 

with strong connections to Ringling College 

of Art and Design, 

exemplifies the 

synergy between 

the organizations. 

Having studied fine 

art at Ringling College, 

Cornwell has 

been a professional 

artist ever since. He 

Sarasota artist 

and educator 

Jeffery Cornwell 

“Embracing Kindness” 

This special showcase of 14 original artworks Runs to December 18 

recently retired after 

a 33-year tenure 

as the coordinator 

and instructor 

for the College’s 

Teen Studios. He has also been an adjunct 

instructor in advanced foundation studio 

art at Booker High School’s Visual and Performing 

Arts program for the past 13 years. 

Over these years, 21 of his students have 

had their works accepted into EOD’s annual 

exhibition. 

Cornwell says that when he first learned 

EOD was taking submissions for its annual 

exhibition, he immediately realized it 

was an invaluable teaching opportunity. 

“I thought there are two inherent qualities 

we all are born with—differences and creativity. 

What better way is there to teach 

students they’re all creative, can embrace 

2007 EOD Exhibit: “Broken World” by Cory Gallagher, 11th Grade, 

NewGate International Montessori School. 

2017 EOD Exhibit: “Let’s Play Together” by Fiona Greenleaf, 9th Grade, 

Booker High School. 

differences and show that art can effect 

change? My task was to simply direct them 

artistically and guide them to tap into that 

creativity so their message will be effective 

and clear for people to understand.” 

Sarah Wertheimer, president and CEO 

of EOD, notes, “Jeffery’s long-standing 

connection with Ringling College enhances 

the collaborative spirit of our work. His 

involvement underscores the shared commitment 

of Ringling College, Sarasota Art 

Museum, and Embracing Our Differences to 

fostering creativity and celebrating individual 

potential.” 

Cornwell studied fine art at Ringling College 

and further honed his skills through an 

apprenticeship with Toro Yamamoto, focusing 

on drawing media. As a painter, Jeffery 

draws inspiration from the natural environment, 

particularly the interplay between 

sky and land. His work, exhibited in both 

solo and group shows, has been featured 

in galleries and alternative spaces across 

Florida, Georgia, Texas, and the West 

Coast, and is included in private collections 

throughout the United States and Europe. 

Cornwell’s upcoming exhibition will be at 

Sarasota’s 502 Gallery in November. He resides 

and works in Sarasota. 

Since 2019, Sarasota Art Museum has 

2015 EOD Exhibit: “Modern Day Wonder Woman” by Emma Siegel, 

10th Grade, Booker High School. 

2021 EOD Exhibit: “Journey to Self-Love” by Ella Mirman, 12th Grade, 

Booker High School. 

provided visitors a place to experience 

boundary-pushing exhibitions from renowned 

contemporary artists, inspiring and 

bringing together diverse community members. 

Located in the historic Sarasota High 

School, the Museum offers opportunities 

for the community to engage in dynamic 

educational programming—introducing 

visitors to diverse voices and experiences 

while fostering an appreciation for the art 

of our time. 

While Embracing Our Differences is best 

known for its annual international art exhibitions, 

its educational initiatives continue 

all year long. These include professional 

development opportunities for educators, 

reading days, unity days, and other learning 

programs and events. Since 2004, more 

than 642,000 students have participated, including 

55,357 students and 2,048 teachers 

during the 2023-2024 school year alone. 

For more information about Embracing 

Our Differences, call 941-404-5710, or visit 

EmbracingOurDifferences.org. 

About Embracing Our Differences 

Embracing Our Differences is a not-for-profit organization that uses the transformational 

power of art and education to celebrate and promote the diversity of the human 

family. It accomplishes this through an annual, large-scale outdoor juried art exhibition 

and a comprehensive series of educational initiatives, programs and resources 

designed for teachers and students. Visit www.embracingourdifferences.org. 

About Sarasota Art Museum 

As Sarasota’s only museum solely focused on contemporary artists and their work, 

Sarasota Art Museum offers visitors a place to see thought-provoking exhibitions 

and participate in education programs that start conversations and amplify the city’s 

creative spirit. 

Located in the historic Sarasota High School, Sarasota Art Museum opened to the 

public in 2019 and features 15,000 square feet of dedicated exhibition space, the outdoor 

Marcy & Michael Klein Plaza, the Great Sarasota Art Museum is located at 1001 

South Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org for more information. 


NEW 

Alumni 

Senior Friendship Centers 

Association 

Past - Present - Future 

Dedicated socials and seminars for our Alumni Association members 

Annual membership $25 

Join today on our website homepage: friendshipcenters.org 

Questions? Please email alumni@friendshipcenters.org 

OUR MISSION: We build vibrant communities by advancing wellness, connection, and enrichment throughout the journey of aging. 

S R SOT CONCERT 

SSOCI TION 

Chanticleer Holiday Concert 

Dec 3, 2024, 7:30 pm 


Renaissance classics and holiday favorites. 

Pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet 

Jan 15, 2025, 7:30 pm 

Riverview Performing Arts Center 

Debussy’s Preludes Books I and II. 

The Cleveland Orchestra 

Kahchun Wong, conductor | Sayaka Shoji, violin 

Jan 26, 2025, 7:30 pm | Van Wezel 

Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. 

Czech National Symphony Orchestra 

Steven Mercurio, Music Director | Maxim Lando, piano 

Feb 13, 2025, 7:30 pm | Van Wezel 

Dvořák’s New World Symphony 

An Evening with Yo-Yo Ma 

Reflections in Words and Music 

Feb 27, 2025, 7:30 pm | Van Wezel 

Vivaldi Four Seasons 

Les Arts Florissants 

March 14, 2025, 7:30 pm | Riverview 

Performing Arts Center 

National Symphony Orchestra 

Gianandrea Noseda, Music Director 

Hilary Hahn, violin 

March 24, 2025, 7:30 pm | Van Wezel 

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5. 

SINGLE TICKETS ON SALE NOW! 

SCASarasota.org | 941-966-6161 

INSIGHTS & 

INSPIRATIONS 

PEOPLE OF THE BOOK: 

BAGELS AND BOOKS 

10 am | The Ora 

at the Joel & Gail Morganroth Event Center | $72 

Gather your friends and join us for a 

delightful morning of bagels and books, 

featuring three popular historical fiction 

authors! 

2024 

2025 

Be Safer, Smarter, and More Connected 

PEOPLE OF THE BOOK: 

AUTHOR PANEL FEATURING 

JULIE SATOW AND DANIEL SCHULMAN 

7 pm | Temple Emanu-El | $18 

The Federation welcomes two authors, Julie Satow and Daniel Schulman, 

for a fascinating panel discussion on how well-known companies got 

their starts. 

Julie Satow, author of When Women Ran Fifth Avenue, shares 

a glittering portrait of the golden age of American department 

stores and highlight three ceiling-shattering women who led them. 

DECEMBER 

Daniel Schulman, author of The Money Kings, discusses the 

incredible saga of the German-Jewish immigrants with now-familiar 

names like Goldman Sachs, Jacob Schiff, and Lehman Brothers, 

who profoundly influenced the rise of modern finance. 

JANUARY 

The New York Times best-selling author 

Kristin Harmel (The Paris Daughter) 

will speak along with The New York Times 

best-selling author Lisa Barr (The Goddess 

of Warsaw) and Emily Matchar (In the Shadow 

of Greenbrier, her debut novel). Brunch will be provided 

by Michael’s On East. Book sale and signing to follow the presentation. 

Presented in partnership with 

the Jewish Book Council. 

19 

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW 

12 

Media Sponsor: 



Presents One Quartet, Two Trios, and Three 

Statewide Piano Competition Winners in November 

Artist Series Concerts 

of Sarasota 

presents these 

concerts in 

November. 

The Yamazalde Trio – Sandy 

Yamamoto, violin; Matthew 

Zalkind, cello; and Julio Elizalde, 

piano – performs on November 

2 at Church of the Palms. 

Described by the New York 

Times as playing with “explosive 

vigor and technical finesse,” Yamamoto 

has dazzled audiences in 

concert performances around the 

globe for the past three decades 

as a soloist and as a member of 

the award-winning Miró Quartet. 

Zalkind is a top prize winner in 

multiple international competitions, 

and Elizalde is one of the 

most sought-after recital partners 

in the country. This program includes 

music by Haydn, Mendelssohn, 

and Paul Schoenfeld. 

Winner’s Circle opens the 

Lunch and Listen series on November 

7 with a performance followed 

by lunch at Sarasota Yacht 

Club. The top three prize winners 

of Artist Series Concerts’ 2024 

Statewide Piano Competition will 

be showcased. First prize winner 

Yance Zheng graduated from 

Lynn University Conservatory 

in Boca Raton and is pursuing a 

master’s degree at Northwestern 

University, while second and 

third prize winners Le Phuong 

Pham and Quang Vo attend Florida 

Gulf Coast University in Fort 

Myers. 

PROJECT Trio is a dynamic 

and innovative music group 

known for its genre-blending performances 

and captivating stage 

presence. The trio of Peter Seymour, 

double bass; Greg Pattillo, 

flute; and Daniel Berkey, saxophone 

pushes the boundaries of 

traditional chamber music with 

their fusion of classical, jazz, hip 

hop, and world music influences. 

PROJECT Trio has gained worldwide 

acclaim for its electrifying 

performances for audiences of all 

ages. This concert is on November 

19 outdoors at the Marie Selby 

Botanical Gardens Downtown 

Campus. 

Winner of the 2024 Chamber 

Music America Artistic Projects 

Grant, Excelsis Percussion 

Quartet is comprised of four 

international women whose unique programs 

are rooted in their belief that music 

possesses an ability to unite us all. In this 

performance, Marcelina Suchocka, Aya 

Kaminaguchi, Britton-René Collins, and 

Mariana Ramirez join to speak the universal 

language of rhythm. With a repertoire 

spanning from classical to avant garde 

to pop, Excelsis Percussion Quartet has 

been featured on NPR’s From the Top with 

Christopher O’Riley. Their concert, at First 

Presbyterian Church, is November 24 followed 

by a reception. 

Information and tickets: ArtistSeries 

Concerts.org or call (941) 306-1202. 

Excelsis Percussion Quartet 

PROJECT Trio 

Remaining 

2024-2025 Season 

Lunch and Listen 

Raise Your Voice—Joseph Parrish, baritone 

with Jesse Martins, piano on December 

12, performance followed by lunch at 

Sarasota Yacht Club 

Winner of the 2022 Young Concert 

Artists’ Susan Wadsworth International 

Auditions, Parrish is equally at home with 

operatic and popular repertoire. He has 

had a robust concert career performing 

with orchestras and in recitals at venues 

Sandy Yamamoto of Yamazalde Trio 

Yance Zheng 

of Winners Circle 

such as Carnegie Hall, The 

Kennedy Center, and Alice 

Tully Hall. Following his 

Artist Series Concerts debut 

in 2023, he is joined in this 

return engagement by Sarasota 

Opera’s Jesse Martins 

at the piano. Their program 

includes opera arias and art 

song, featuring the music 

of William Grant Still, Donizetti, 

and Rachmaninoff. 

Top Shelf 

Tuesdays 

James Ehnes, violin and Orion 

Weiss, piano, December 

17 at First Congregational United Church 

of Christ, Sarasota 

Ehnes is a regular soloist with the world’s 

greatest orchestras, performs recitals 

worldwide, and has been awarded Grammy, 

Gramophone, and JUNO awards for 

his recordings. Joined by colleague Orion 

Weiss, whom the New York Times called “a 

brilliant pianist,” the pair perform Beethoven’s 

“Kreutzer” Sonata. After intermission, 

Ehnes joins forces with violinist Daniel Jordan, 

violists Stephanie Block and Nathan 

Frantz, and cellists Natalie Helm and Bjorn 

Ranheim for Tchaikovsky’s exceptional 

string sextet, Souvenir de Florence. 

Top Shelf 

Tuesdays 

Aznavoorian Sisters—Ani 

Aznavoorian, 

cello and Marta 

Aznavoorian, piano, 

January 7, 2025 at 

First Congregational 

United Church of 

Christ, Sarasota 

Virtuoso performers 

of Armenian and 

classical repertoire, 

Ani and Marta Aznavoorian 

made their 

first public performance 

at the ages of 

4 and 8. First prize 

winners in the Illinois 

Bell Young Performers 

Competition, they 

performed live with 

the Chicago Symphony 

Orchestra on PBS 

and went on to win 

the National Foundation 

for the Arts 

Award, leading to 

their appointment as Presidential Scholars 

in the Arts. They have performed at 

the White House, Kennedy Center, and 

Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall and 

tour internationally. This program includes 

Robert Schumann’s Piano Quintet 

with violinists Daniel Jordan and Shawn 

Weil, and violist Philip Payton. 

Lighter Fare 

Violinist to the Stars with Caroline 

Campbell, violin with Joseph Holt, piano 

on January 14, 2025, followed by 

dinner at Plantation Golf and Country 

Club, Venice. 

Caroline Campbell is one of the most 

sought-after classical crossover artists 

performing today, having shared the stage 

with the likes of Barbra Streisand, Beyoncé, 

Michael Bublé, Paul McCartney, Andrea Bocelli, 

and Sting. She tours regularly with jazz 

trumpeter Chris Botti, with whom she has appeared 

nationwide with orchestras including 

the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Boston 

Pops. She can be heard on the soundtracks 

for the blockbuster films The Hunger Games 

and Frozen. This program includes music 

from West Side Story and Sting. 

Soirée 

Sarah Fleiss, soprano and Delvan Lin, piano 

on January 26 and Monday, January 27, 

2025. Performance followed by reception 

at the Fischer/Weisenborne Residence, 

7459 Cabbage Palm Court, Sarasota. 

Two current superstars from the Curtis 

Institute of Music – long considered among 

the most prestigious conservatories in the 

world – Sarah Fleiss and Delvan Lin have 

already set themselves apart in performances 

throughout the United States and 

in Lin’s native New Zealand. These concerts 

focus on folk music from different 

traditions, including works by Manuel de 

Falla, Isaac Albéniz, and Benjamin Britten. 


Karolina Mikołajczyk, violin and Iwo Jedynecki, 

accordion on February 6, 2025, 

performance followed by lunch at Sarasota 

Yacht Club 

24 WEST COAST WOMAN NOVEMBER 2024

Artist Series continued 

The duo of Karolina Mikołajczyk and Iwo 

Jedynecki is one of the most interesting and 

original chamber ensembles performing 

today, breaking all stereotypes about their 

instruments and defying categorization. 

First prize winners at multiple international 

competitions, they have given recitals in 

30 countries on four continents, including 

in Carnegie Hall, the Star Performing Arts 

Centre in Singapore, and the National Philharmonic 

in Warsaw. The duo’s repertoire 

includes everything from Bach and Mozart 

to Gershwin and Piazzolla. 

Top Shelf Tuesdays 

Imani Winds with Brandon Patrick George, 

flute; Toyin Spellman-Diaz, oboe; Mark 

Dover, clarinet; Kevin Newton, French 

horn; Monica Ellis, bassoon on February 

11, 2025 at Church of the Palms, Sarasota. 

2024 Grammy Award winner in the classical 

compendium category, Imani Winds 

has led both a revolution and evolution of 

the wind quintet through their dynamic 

playing, adventurous programming, and 

imaginative collaborations, inspiring audiences 

of all ages and backgrounds. Twenty-six 

seasons of full-time touring have 

taken Imani Winds to every major chamber 

music series, performing arts center, 

and summer festival in the United States. 

Lighter Fare 

KP Jazz Trio with Konrad Paszkudzki, piano; 

Pasquale Grasso, guitar; Dylan Shamat, 

bass on February 18, 2025, at Marie Selby 

Botanical Gardens 

Australian jazz pianist Konrad Paszkudzki 

established a reputation as a leading 

jazzman in his homeland while still a 

teenager. He toured extensively with jazz 

trumpeter James Morrison and performed 

over 1,000 performances with the John 

Pizzarelli Quartet. His trio focuses on standards 

from the Great American Songbook, 

staying true to the original musical and 

lyrical content with an emphasis on melodic 

elegance and swinging verve. 

Sunday Best 

Hannah Cope Johnson, Eleanor Kirk, 

Phoebe Powell, Katherine Siochi, harp on 

March 2, 2025, performance followed by 

reception at First Presbyterian Church, 

Sarasota 

In the rarified world of orchestral harp 

playing, there are gifted players and then 

there are “rock stars.” This program brings 

together four of the country’s most celebrated 

harpists, each of whom has Sarasota 

roots. These powerhouse players are 

true “harp royalty.” Their diverse program 

includes original works for harp ensemble 

by living harpist-composer Caroline 

Lizotte, innovative arrangements from the 

classical canon, and beloved hits from the 

Great American Songbook. 


Hugo Bliss and Scott Sanders, horns with 

Joseph Holt, piano on March 13, 2025, performance 

followed by lunch at Sarasota 

Yacht Club 

Sarasota Orchestra’s co-principal horn 

Hugo Bliss is joined by a fellow superstar, 

Milwaukee Symphony’s hornist Scott 

Sanders whose career also began in Sarasota. 

Together with Joseph Holt on piano, 

they offer a cornucopia of remarkable music 

for this most magnificent instrument. 

The program includes Beethoven’s mighty 

sextet for two horns and string quartet. 

Sunday Best 

Catalyst Quartet with Abi Fayette, violin; 

Karla Donehew Perez, violin; Paul Laraia, 

viola; Karlos Rodriguez, cello on March 

30, 2025, 4 pm performance followed by 

reception at First Presbyterian Church, 

Sarasota. 

The Grammy Award-winning Catalyst 

Quartet was founded by the acclaimed 

Sphinx Organization in 2010. The ensemble 

believes in the unity that can be 

achieved through music and seeks to 

redefine and reimagine the classical music 

experience. They have toured widely 

throughout the U.S. and abroad, including 

sold-out performances at the Kennedy 

Center, Chicago’s Harris Theater, Miami’s 

New World Center, and Stern Auditorium/ 

Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall. This 

program includes music by Gershwin, 

Piazzolla, and Ravel. 

Top Shelf Tuesdays 

Tessa Lark on April 8, 2025 at First Congregational 

United Church of Christ, 

Sarasota. 

Violinist Tessa Lark is one of the most 

unique and captivating artistic voices of 

our time. Nominated in 2020 for a Grammy 

in the best classical instrumental solo category, 

she is also a highly acclaimed fiddler 

in the tradition of her native Kentucky. 

This program is comprised of original 

works inspired by her combination of classical 

training and Appalachian upbringing 

– a style she lovingly calls “Stradgrass.” 

Soirée 

Diana Cohen, violin and Roman Rabinovich, 

piano on April 20 and Monday, 

April 21, 2025, performance followed 

by reception at Fischer/Weisenborne 

Residence, 7459 Cabbage Palm Court, 

Sarasota. 

The ultimate “power couple,” Diana 

Cohen and Roman Rabinovich have forged 

extraordinary careers as soloists, chamber 

musicians, and orchestral leaders. Cohen 

serves as the concertmaster of the Calgary 

Philharmonic, founder and co-artistic 

director of the acclaimed ChamberFest 

Cleveland, and has appeared at esteemed 

festivals worldwide. Rabinovich made his 

Israel Philharmonic debut under Zubin 

Mehta at the age of 10. These performances 

include music by Clara Schumann, 

Schubert, Strauss, and Lutoslawski. 

Sunday Best 

Scintillating Saxophones with Dan Graser, 

soprano saxophone; Zach Stern, alto 

saxophone; Joe Girard, tenor saxophone; 

Danny Hawthorne-Foss, baritone saxophone 

on May 4, 2025, performance followed 

by reception at First Presbyterian 

Church, Sarasota. 

Performing entirely from memory, the 

quartet provides a fresh take on chamber 

music that is beautiful, virtuosic, and a 

completely interactive experience. Gold 

medal winners at the prestigious 2018 

Fischoff Chamber Music Competition, 

the quartet’s programming mixes classics 

from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries 

with commissions by today’s composers 

and rollicking in-house arrangements from 

various folk traditions. 


Beijing Guitar Duo with Meng Su and 

Yameng Wang, guitar on May 8, 2025, performance 

followed by lunch at Sarasota 

Yacht Club 

Born in Qingdao, China, both Meng 

Su and Yameng Wang won multiple international 

competitions as young guitar 

prodigies before joining forces to form the 

Beijing Guitar Duo. Launching their international 

concert career with a 2010 Carnegie 

Hall debut, the duo has performed 

extensively throughout the United States, 

Europe, Asia, and Australia. They toured 

and recorded with legendary guitarist 

Manuel Barrueco and were nominated for 

a Latin Grammy. 

Susan Goldfarb 

PROGRAM DIRECTOR 

2025 

LECTURE SERIES ✱ PAINTING 

LANGUAGES ✱ QIGONG 

YOGA ✱ MEDITATION ✱ BRIDGE 

MAH JONGG ✱ CANASTA 

SUPREME COURT ✱ THEOLOGY 

WELLNESS ✱ AMERICAN HISTORY 

LITERATURE & POETRY 

MOVIE & BOOK GROUPS 

MUSIC & ART APPRECIATION 

MORNING FORUMS & TED TALKS 

WORLD POLITICS & CURRENT EVENTS 

FILM FESTIVALS ✱ JAZZ NIGHTS 

AUTOBIOGRAPHY 

iPHONE & iPAD ✱ NATURE WALKS 

BIRDING ✱ WOMEN’S GROUPS 

SUNDAY CONCERTS 

BROADWAY BIOS ✱ CRAFTS 

SPECIAL ONE-TIME EVENTS 

& MUCH MORE! 

Programs Available In Person and on Zoom 

567 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key, FL 

www.TBIeducationcenter.org 

email: Admin@tbieductioncenter.org 

For a brochure call: (941) 383-8222 


THESE DOCTORS ARE AMONG 

THE BEST 

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SPINAL DECOMPRESSION 

PHYSICIANS 

PHYSICIANS 

IN IN AMERICA 

2023 

(Sarasota, Florida) Dr. David Cifra, DC who is 

board certified in the specialty of Non-Surgical 

Spinal Decompression has been peer-nominated 

and recognized again in 2023 by the International 

Medical Advisory Board on Spinal Decompression. 

This advanced certification is provided 

in conjunction with Disc Centers of 

America, which sets the gold standard 

in training and research, on the 

latest, most effective options for the 

alleviation & treatment of 

spinal disc disorders, which 

often cause low back 

pain, neck pain, sciatica, 

numbness, tingling, pins 

and needle sensations 

and more. 

Dr. Cifra is committed to helping 

his patients AVOID narcotics, epidural 

injections, and unnecessary surgeries. 

Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression 

provides safe, gentle, and effective 

relief for upwards of 90% of patients that 

qualify for care. 

DR. CIFRA IS LOCATED AT: MIDTOWN MEDICAL PARK 

1215 S. EAST AVE. SUITE 210, SARASOTA FL 34239 

SarasotaDiscCenter.com 

CALL (941) 358-2224 OR (315) 345-7390 TODAY 

TO SCHEDULE A FREE CONSULTATION 

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Call us today 

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FLORIDA 

Dr. David Cifra, D.C. 

2415 University Parkway 

Sarasota, Fl 34243 

315-345-7390 

WASHINGTON 

Dr. Steven Thain, D.C. 

14700 NE 8th St. # 115 

Bellevue, WA 98007 

425-644-8386 

Urbanite Theatre’s 

NEW MEXICO 

2024-25 Season — It’s 11th 

Urbanite Theatre, Sarasota’s 

contemporary 

black-box theater, will 

mark its eleventh year 

with three regional premieres 

and one world premiere. Season 

11 will be “a fearless exploration of: 

self-reliance, independence, and the 

unbreakable human spirit.” 

Underway is the regional premiere of 

Jennifer, Who Is Leaving by Morgan Gould, 

a recent graduate of the Lila Acheson 

Wallace Playwriting Fellowship Program 

at Juilliard. Running through December 1, 

2024), Jennifer, Who Is Leaving, described 

as a “hilarious and meaningful play” (The 

Washington Post) that “should be destined 

for Broadway” (DC Theater Arts), 

poignantly and humorously captures the 

demands placed on women, delving into 

the physical, emotional, and mental toll of 

caregiving–and the moments that push us 

to the edge. 

Next, Urbanite Theatre will present the 

one-woman odyssey of astronaut Molly 

Jennis in Spaceman by Leegrid Stevens 

(January 3 to February 16, 2025). This 

weightless, full-sensory, surround-sound 

play will star a favorite of Urbanite audiences, 

Terri Weagant, with direction by 

Summer Wallace. 

The award-winning Spaceman, hailed 

as an “engrossing and very fine piece of 

theater” (Stage Buddy), will shine light on 

the challenges of space travel, solitude, and 

the uncharted future of a pioneer. Director 

Summer Wallace and actor Terri Weagant 

are teaming up for their second one-woman 

production together at Urbanite Theatre 

in Spaceman, after touring the production 

Bo-Nita with Two Chicks Production, 

around the country. The play will include 

visual effects of zero gravity 

Following themes of isolation and introspection, 

the season continues with the 

regional premiere of No One Is Forgotten 

by playwright and journalist Winter Miller 

(March 21 to April 27 2025). Described 

as a “brisk, well-structured, [and] boldly 

performed” play by The New York Times, 

No One Is Forgotten tells the story of two 

women held prisoner in a small, dirty cement 

cell, exploring intimacy, surrender, 

and the will to live for someone else. 

The world premiere of From 145th To 

98th Street, written by playwright and actor 

Nia Akilah Robinson, will close out the 

2024/25 season at Urbanite Theatre (May 

30 to June 

29, 2025). 

Nia, who 

also hails 

from the 

Juilliard 

School’s 

Lila 

Acheson 

Wallace 

American 

Dr. Brian Hesser, D.C. 

3850 E. Lohman Ave. 

Las Cruces, NM 88001 

575-521-0793 

Season themes: self-reliance, independence, 

and the unbreakable human spirit 

VIRGINIA 

Dr. Chris Lauria, D.C. 

4915 Brambleton Ave. 

Roanoke, VA 24018 

540-725-9501 

OHIO 

Dr. Carey Girgis, D.C. 

383 West Main Street 

Westerville, OH 43081 

Director 

614-890-3500 

Summer 

Wallace 

ILLINOIS 

Dr. Richard Lohr, D.C. 

3090 N. Main Street 

Decatur, IL 62526 

217-706-5551 

Playwrights Program and is a playwriting 

MFA candidate at David Geffen School of 

Drama at Yale. 

From 145th To 98th Street tells the story 

of a family that relocated from the heart 

of Harlem to 98th Street in an effort to 

create better economic opportunities for 

their children. But when their daughter 

questions her plans to attend college and 

their son is wrongfully accused of a crime, 

the Curtly family must reconcile what they 

each want for themselves and what they 

think is best for each other. 

“The 2024-2025 season promises to be 

an exhilarating experience for our audiences. 

This year, we offer a diverse range of 

performances that not only entertain but 

also provoke thought and reflection. Expect 

to laugh and reflect on societal roles, 

embark on an immersive journey beyond 

the ordinary, face challenging themes, and 

be inspired.” says Summer Wallace. 

Tickets: www.urbanitetheatre.com or 

call 941-321-1397. 

URBANITE THEATRE 

2024/2025 SEASON 

• JENNIFER, WHO IS LEAVING by 

Morgan Gould. A Regional Premiere 

that runs to December 1, 2024. 

• SPACEMAN by Leegrid Stevens runs 

January 3 - February 16, 2025 

• NO ONE IS FORGOTTEN by Winter 

Miller runs March 21 - April 27, 2025 

• FROM 145TH TO 98TH STREET 

by Nia Akilah Robinson runsMay 30 - 

June 29, 2025 

• SPACEMAN by Leegrid Stevens runs 

January 3 - February 16, 2025 

• NO ONE IS FORGOTTEN by Winter 

Miller runs March 21 - April 27, 2025 

• FROM 145TH TO 98TH STREET 

by Nia Akilah Robinson runs May 30 - 

June 29, 2025 


good news 

$3 OFF w/code WCW 

DAILY TROLLEY TOURS 

ENTERTAINING • INFORMATIVE 

Sarasota Children’s Museum 

Gets a New Set of Wheels 

This brings the museum’s hands-on education to 

families, children, and communities 

tRolley 

Letters To Santa 

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 

Loved the singers, lights 

& caroling! 

Kris 

December 1-23, 5:30PM or 7:30PM 

Ticket includes complimentary wine/beer before boarding. 

Celebrate the holidays on our heartwarming 

Christmas Carol Trolley downtown music and lights tour with 

performances by The Trolley Troubadours! 

The Perfect Gift! 

Lindsay Rothe and Christina “CC” Fredericks 

are part of a group of women trying to bring a 

children’s museum to Sarasota. Photo by Lori Sax 

Sarasota Children’s Museum, a rapidly growing 

local nonprofit, is getting a new set of wheels 

thanks to an investment from the Charles & 

Margery Barancik Foundation. The investment 

will bring the museum’s innovative, hands-on 

education to families, children, and communities 

across the region. 

The idea of a children’s museum came to 

Sarasota local Christina “CC” Fredericks while 

helping her 9-year-old twins with a school 

project. The kids had to come up with their 

‘dream job’, and when they turned to their 

mom for inspiration, Fredericks easily told 

them her dream was to build a children’s 

museum. Established as a 501(c)3 less than a 

year ago, Fredericks’ dream is quickly becoming 

a reality. 

“We have been in Sarasota for 20 years 

and have watched this community grow and 

evolve in incredible ways,” says Fredericks. 

“While Sarasota boasts arts, culture, philanthropy, 

and so much more, there’s a gap 

in accessible opportunities for kids to learn 

through STEAM in a holistic, interactive way, 

outside of the classroom.” 

Fredericks knows all about STEAM: integrating 

science, technology, engineering, 

art, and math explorations into teaching and 

learning. 

A mom of four, ages 4-11, Fredericks has 

assembled a group of local leaders, many of 

whom are parents, and comprise the museum’s 

board of directors and subcommittees. 

Fredericks, an operations manager for 20 

years at Sarasota-based Atlas Insurance, may 

be new to nonprofit work, but has built a network 

of supporters who believe in her vision, 

including the Barancik Foundation. 

“When we first connected with the Barancik 

team, I knew we were poised for an exceptional 

opportunity,” commented Fredericks. 

“I described our vision for a brick-and-mortar 

museum, but we both knew this community 

needed something sooner rather than later. 

This is when we really gave life to the idea of a 

museum without walls.” 

Thanks to Barancik’s investment, Sarasota 

Children’s Museum is securing a state-ofthe-art 

mobile museum offering high-quality, 

hands-on STEAM education. The 24-foot, fully 

solar-powered mobile museum is designed 

to meet children and families where they are, 

ensuring financial or logistical barriers don’t 

hinder access to quality learning experiences. 

Sarasota Children’s Museum marked its first 

year on October 19 

“While this is our first iteration of the museum, 

we know the future of Sarasota Children’s 

Museum is bright,” added Fredericks. 

“We have connected with several other nonprofits, 

schools, libraries, parks, county and 

city officials, to ensure we are meeting the 

community’s needs and going where children 

and families need us most.” 

“Sarasota Children’s Museum has assembled 

a motivated team of strategic thinkers 

who are passionate about STEAM education,” 

said John Annis, Senior Vice President of 

Barancik Foundation. “Through multiple collaborations, 

they have tested, tweaked, and 

proven their idea works, and we are excited to 

partner with them as they grow.” 

The mobile museum is expected to be completed 

by spring 2025, thanks to the Georgia-based 

trailer company and students from 

Ringling College supporting the mobile unit’s 

creative design. 

Sarasota Children’s Museum marked its 

first year and a new logo, designed by Ringling 

College, on October 19. To learn more, visit 

www.sarasotachildrensmuseum.org. 

About The Sarasota Children’s 

Museum 

The Sarasota Children’s Museum is a 501(c)3 

nonprofit dedicated to empowering, educating, 

and inspiring children through hands-on 

learning experiences. Established in 2023 by 

a local mother, the museum is supported by 

a board of directors comprised primarily of 

parents who are passionate about creating vibrant 

educational opportunities for children 

and families in the Sarasota community. 

The Charles and Margery Barancik 

About The Charles and Margery Barancik 

Foundation 

family has long believed in the power of philanthropy 

to shape our world and enrich the 

lives of all people. It was the expression of 

this belief that led them in 2014 to establish 

Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation—a 

private, family foundation located in Sarasota, 

Florida. Barancik Foundation creates 

initiatives and awards grants in Sarasota and 

beyond in the areas of education, humanitarian 

causes, arts and culture, the environment, 

and medical research. For more information, 

visit www.barancikfoundation.org. 

GiftCard 

Buy $200 Gift Card 

& Save $50 

W/CODE XMAS24 

The Perfect 

Gift! 

WHO KILLED THE CIRCUS QUEEN? 

MOTIVE. MEANS. OPPORTUNITY. 

Thursdays & Saturdays 7:30PM 

Ticket includes complimentary wine/beer before boarding. 

DiscoverSarasotaTours.com 

941-260-9818 

1826 4th Street, Sarasota | FREE Parking! 

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 

“My Whole Family 

Loved It!” 

-Jane 

Step right up to solve the murder of Dahlia the Queen of the High Trapeze 

on this interactive Murder Mystery Musical Tour where 

YOU ARE A PART OF THE SHOW! 


dining in 

This pistachio cranberry bread 

starts with a tender, buttery dough 

and is filled with smooth pistachio 

paste, tart cranberries, and crunchy 

pistachios. It’s rolled and cut before 

being twisted into a large wreath 

shape, making it a perfect, festive 

centerpiece for any table. Are you 

up for a challenge? There are a lot 

of steps but this does look delicious. 

Ingredients: 

It’s Holiday Baking Season 

Pistachio Cranberry Wreath 

DOUGH 

3 cups Unbleached Bread Flour 

3 tablespoons granulated sugar 

1 tablespoon instant yeast 

1 1/8 teaspoons table salt 

5 tablespoons water 

3 large eggs 

2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract or 1 

teaspoon vanilla bean paste 

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold; 

cut into tablespoons 

PISTACHIO PASTE 

1 cup pistachios, raw and unsalted 


3 tablespoons Unbleached Bread Flour 

1/8 teaspoon table salt 

4 tablespoons unsalted butter 

Here’s a “twist” on a holiday wreath 

1 large egg 

1/4 teaspoon almond extract, 

optional 

Assembly 

3/4 cup cranberries, fresh or frozen; 

diced 

2 teaspoons Unbleached Bread Flour 

1/2 cup pistachios, raw and unsalted, 

roughly chopped 

1 large egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon 

water (egg wash) 

GLAZE 


3 tablespoons water, hot 

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract 

Instructions: 

To make the dough: Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then 

sweeping off any excess. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix together all the dough ingredients 

except the butter on medium-low speed to make a smooth, stretchy dough. After 3-4 minutes, it 

should clean the sides of the bowl. 

Once the dough has developed some strength and elasticity, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of the 

butter and mix on medium speed until it’s fully incorporated into the dough, about 1-2 minutes. 

Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, if necessary, then continue adding the butter a couple 

of tablespoons at a time, mixing to incorporate fully before adding more. Continue this process 

until all of the butter has been added and the dough forms a soft, smooth ball, about 10-15 

minutes total. 

Form the soft dough into a ball, place it in a greased bowl, cover, and let it rise for 1 hour at 

room temperature. Then refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, or overnight (up to 16 

hours). This chills the butter and firms up the dough, making it easier to handle. 

To make the pistachio paste: In a food processor, pulse the pistachios until finely ground. Set 

aside 2-3 tablespoons of the ground pistachios to use as a garnish. 

Add the sugar, flour, and salt to the food processor and pulse to combine with the ground pistachios. 

Add the butter and pulse in 2-second intervals until the butter is pea-sized. 

Add the egg and extract, and process until smooth. Transfer the paste to a small bowl and 

store, covered, in the refrigerator until ready to use. Pistachio paste can be made up to 5 days in 

advance. If stored for more than 2 hours, allow the pistachio paste to sit at room temperature for 

10 minutes to make it easier to spread. 

To assemble the pistachio cranberry bread: Just before you are ready to assemble the pistachio 

cranberry bread, in a small bowl, stir together the diced cranberries and flour; set aside. 

Line a baking sheet that measures 13” x 18” with a piece of parchment. Transfer the dough to a 

lightly floured surface or a rolling mat. 

Roll out the dough into a 9” x 20” rectangle. Spread the pistachio paste evenly over the entire 

surface of the rectangle, leaving a 1” bare margin on one long end. Sprinkle the diced cranberries 

over the pistachio paste, followed by the chopped pistachios. 

Starting with the filling-covered long end, roll the dough into a cylinder and pinch the seams to 

seal. Gently roll the dough to stretch the cylinder to 24” in length. Use a bench knife or serrated 

knife to cut the cylinder lengthwise to make two 24” long strands; turn the cut sides up to 

expose the filling. 

Alternate overlapping the two pieces, keeping the cut sides up, to form a twist. Transfer the twist 

to the prepared pan and shape it into one large circle; overlap and pinch the ends together to 

seal as best you can. 

Cover the loaf and allow it to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until puffy. Towards the end of the rise 

time, preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush the pistachio cranberry bread with egg wash, then bake 

for a total of 32-36 minutes. The loaf should be golden brown and the internal temperature 

should be 190°F when measured with a digital thermometer. 

To make the glaze: In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, water, and vanilla until the sugar is 

dissolved. 

Brush the glaze over the warm bread as soon as it comes out of the oven. Immediately sprinkle 

the reserved ground pistachios over the glaze. Let the bread cool completely before cutting into 

slices and serving. 

Fresh or frozen cranberries will provide the biggest burst of tart flavor, but dried cranberries can 

be substituted in a pinch. To use dried cranberries, place 3/4 cup dried cranberries in a bowl, and 

cover with enough boiling water to submerge the berries. Cover bowl and allow cranberries to 

soak for 15 minutes. Drain well, then sprinkle the cranberries over the pistachio filling; no need 

to toss with flour. 

The recipe is here if you need it: www.kingarthurbaking.com 

This bread can serve as a 

stand-alone centerpiece, 

though you can also use it 

for a whole arrangement 

of snacks, like crudités, 

dried fruit, and dips. The 

dough can be mixed the 

day before and the bread, 

sans cheese, can be baked 

earlier in the day and 

reheated with the Brie 

tucked into the center so 

that it’s at the perfect temperature 

for serving. 

Ingredients: 

Instructions: 

Herb-Scented Baked Brie Bread 

DOUGH 

2 1/2 cups plus 

2 tablespoons 

Unbleached Bread Flour 

3/4 cup water, lukewarm 

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 

softened 

1 large egg, at room temperature 

rounded 1 1/4 teaspoons table salt 

3/4 teaspoon instant yeast 

1 1/2 teaspoons herbes de Provence 

or 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, 

finely chopped 

ASSEMBLY 

one 8-ounce wheel Brie cheese 

1 large egg, beaten with a pinch of 

salt (egg wash) 

flaky sea salt, for sprinkling 

1 1/2 teaspoons fig or cranberry jam 

2 tablespoons unsalted butter 

1 sprig rosemary, plus more for 

garnishing 

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, combine all of the dough ingredients. Mix 

on low speed until homogenous, then switch to the dough hook. Knead on medium speed for 

8-10 minutes, until the dough starts to pull away from the side of the bowl; it will remain tacky 

and stick to the bowl a bit. 

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl or container, like a 2-quart dough rising bucket, 

and let it rise at room temperature for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until puffy. Transfer the container 

to the refrigerator to continue rising for at least 4 hours and up to overnight. When the dough is 

finished rising, it will have doubled in size. 

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and divide it in half. Roll each piece into a 15” log 

that’s about 1” wide, then use a bench knife or kitchen scissors to cut each log into fifteen 1” 

pieces. Roll into 30 neat balls. 

Line a large cookie sheet, a rimless sheet pan, or an upside-down rimmed baking sheet with a 

piece of parchment; lightly grease the parchment. 

Unwrap the Brie and use a sharp serrated knife to cut the rind off the top; discard the rind. Rewrap 

the Brie and keep it at room temperature as the bread proofs and bakes. If your Brie comes 

in a sturdy outer container that’s not made of plastic, wrap the bottom portion of the container 

completely in aluminum foil, and then lightly grease the outside. Place the foil-wrapped container 

in the center of the parchment. If your Brie didn’t come in a sturdy container, see “tips,” 

below. 

To make a 5-point star, arrange 15 balls around the Brie container in a tight circle, leaving about 

1/4” to 1/2” of space between the container and the balls (they will expand as they proof and 

bake). Make 5 points, using 3 balls arranged in a triangle for each point, evenly around the 

circle. The balls should touch but don’t need to be tightly packed. 

Cover the baking sheet and allow the dough to rise at warm room temperature for about 1 

hour, until puffy. Towards the end of the rise time, preheat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the 

center. Brush the risen dough thoroughly with the egg wash, then repeat a second time. Sprinkle 

generously with flaky salt. 

Bake the bread for 15-20 minutes, until deeply golden brown. Remove the bread from the oven 

and lower the temperature to 300°F. Use tongs to carefully remove and discard the foil-wrapped 

container. Allow the bread (and oven) to cool for at least 5-10 minutes. (See “tips,” for details on 

how to pause the recipe here and then easily finish it to serve at a gathering). 

Place the room temperature wheel of Brie in the empty space in the center, then top with the 

jam. Return the pan to the oven and bake the bread with the Brie in it for 10-15 minutes, until 

the Brie is soft and gooey. Meanwhile, melt the butter and rosemary sprig on the stove over medium-low 

heat until the butter begins to brown and the rosemary sizzles, about 2 minutes. Once 

the bread is baked, promptly brush it with the rosemary butter. 

TIPS: 

The outer container of Brie, when wrapped in foil, holds up to the heat of the oven. If 

your Brie did not come in sturdy outer container, you can use an oven-safe bowl or container 

that’s close in size to the wheel of cheese; spray thoroughly with nonstick spray 

before placing it upside-down on the baking sheet in the center of the star. 

To make this bread ahead of a gathering, bake it through step 9. Allow the bread to cool 

completely, then cover and store at room temperature for up to 6 hours. Proceed with 

the recipe, preheating your oven to 300°F. Once your Brie is melty, you can turn off the 

oven, crack the door, and leave the pan inside for 10 to 20 minutes, until ready to eat. 


your healthier health you 

Craniosacral Therapy Can Be Life Changing 

CST treats the whole body physically, physiologically, mentally, emotionally and energetically 

Clients come to me because they are in physical 

pain such as neck, back, pain and TMJ as well as 

for chronic headaches and migraines. 

Pain and stress caused by 

shortened Fascia 

Fascia (strong connective tissue) encases all 

our muscles, organs, brain and spinal cord. 

Whenever fascia shortens any place in the 

body, the entire network of fascia creates an 

increased tension affecting the functioning 

of our physical body as well as our organs, 

our brain and spinal cord. 

Our body is the history of every major 

trauma we have experienced physically and 

emotionally beginning with birth issues, falls, 

head trauma, car accidents, childhood abuse 

issues, death, divorce and other emotional 

issues. Our body tries to minimize each trauma 

by shortening fascia to isolate the energy 

coming into the body from that trauma. 

Shortened fascia results in pain, loss of mobility 

and range of motion, organs becoming 

less efficient and with parts of the brain and 

spinal cord becoming stressed. 

To keep the brain functioning, the body 

transfers some of your functional work play 

energy (7:00 AM-10:00 PM) to the brain resulting 

in less energy to make it through each 

day. As we age, the accumulation of all the 

tightened fascia, from every major trauma 

in life, begins to restrict every aspect of our 

body’s functions resulting in pain, loss of mobility, 

mis-functioning organs, loss of energy, 

as well as our brain losing some its sharpness. 

How Craniosacral 

Therapy Works 

The Craniosacral Therapist creates a safe 

place, with gentle holding techniques, that 

engages your body’s ability to self correct, 

reorganize and heal itself with the release 

of some of that tightened fascia during 

each session. As the Craniosacral Therapist 

engages your body, you will feel fascia releasing. 

As the fascia releases, pain begins to 

decrease, range of motion and mobility improve, 

organs begin functioning better and 

with less stress on the brain feels, it returns 

the energy it borrowed at the time of each 

trauma resulting in an immediate increase in 

your energy levels. Rarely does anyone leave 

from my first session not feeling better. 

Short Leg Syndrome 

Eighty-five percent of my clients have one 

of their legs pulled up 1/2 to 1 by shortened 

fascia. The tension from short leg syndrome 

on the sacrum (5 fused vertebrae at bottom 

of the spine) is transferred up the dural tube 

that encases the spinal cord into the lower 

and upper back, the neck, the cranium and 

The physical stress in bodies caused by shortened 

fascia (connective tissue) shuts down 

energy flows to certain organs. Short leg syndrome 

by ½ to 1 in (where one leg is pulled up 

by shortened fascia) shuts down energy flow to 

the spleen (an important part of your immune 

system) and the small and large intestine. With 

the release of that shortened fascia, energy returns 

to these organs. 

the brain. Headaches, migraines, TMJ and 

neck problems can originate from the fascial 

stress in the sacrum. 

Releasing this sacral stress increases energy 

in the bladder, sex organs, kidneys and 

the chakras as well as releasing major stress 

in the upper part of the body. 

Cause of Shallow Breathing 

A great majority of the clients who come to 

me for various problems are also shallow 

breathers. Fascial stress in the diaphragm 

restricts the depth of breathing by restricting 

energy flow to the lungs, the pericardium 

and the heart. With the release of fascial diaphragm 

restriction, the client immediately 

starts breathing deeply and energy is restored 

to the pericardium and the heart. 

Shoulder blades that are cemented to the 

body also restricts how much the rib cage can 

open and thereby also restricting depth of 

breath. Without proper breathing, your cells 

do not get enough oxygen. Everyone, especially 

people suffering from bronchitis, asthma 

and COPD as well as shallow breathing can 

benefit when the fascial stress is released. 

Specialized Training 

to work with Brain 

Dysfunctions 

Just as the body physically gets stressed from 

physical and emotional trauma, the functioning 

of the brain is also affected by fascial stress. For 

our brains to remain healthy, we need dynamic 

production of craniosacral fluid which performs 

the important function of bringing nourishment 

to all the cells in the brain and spinal 

cord as well as cleansing all the metabolic 

wastes given off by those same cells. 

Once the craniosacral fluid cleanses these 

metabolic wastes, efficient drainage of these 

metabolic wastes into the lymph system is 

absolutely necessary. Research has shown, 

that at night, craniosacral fluid cleanses amyloid 

plaques from the brain. If the drainage 

is inefficient, then the brain is being bathed 

in a toxic slurry. How does 15 or 20 years of 

your brain being bathed in a toxic slurry 

affect you: senile dementia, Parkinson’s, 

Alzheimer’s and other brain dysfunctions? 

A Craniosacral Therapist, who has received 

training in working with the brain, can reverse 

that stress on the brain that eventually can 

result in those brain dysfunctions. As we all 

know, the proper functioning of the body is 

dependent on a healthy functioning brain. 

Babies and Children can benefit 

■ Our little boy Leo, four years of age, had a 

difficult birth and at 7 months was put on antibiotics 

for an ear infection and as a result developed 

c-diff. His development came to a stop. 

At 3 years, with the help of an OT, he started 

to walk and talk. In spite of the improvements, 

he was unable to answer questions and his 

communication skills were very poor. Leo 

had very poor muscle tone, a lot of stress in 

his body and physical activities such walking, 

jumping and climbing were difficult for him. 

Beginning with the first session with Terry, 

he began showing improvement and with each 

following session. Everyone from his teachers 

to his grandparents noticed an increase in his 

■ “I was in awful pain and the 

MRI showed 2 pinched nerves 

and stenosis. I scheduled surgery. 

My daughter suggested Craniosacral therapy. 

After only 2 visits the pain was reduced to 

advanced craniosacral about 80% and therapy I canceled the surgery. I went 

for a 3rd visit and I am about 90% better.” 

■ “Simply Amazing! One visit was all it took for 

Terry to relieve 85% of my year long, nagging 

(sometimes severe) neck/shoulder tightness/ 

pain!! My breathing improved tremendously.” 

physical strength, as well as improvements in 

comprehension, speech and communication 

skills. For the first time, he started participating 

in class lessons and interacting with his 

classmates. Terry has made a huge impact on 

getting Leo to a place a little boy should be at 

age four. We cannot thank Terry enough. 

■ Terry’s treatment helped our 6 week old 

baby boy from recent hospitalization into 

the first series of healthy bowel movements 

when seemingly nothing could help. Our son 

was able to latch onto the breast and for the 

first time completed his feeding. He was much 

calmer after working with Terry. 

■ “He was able to relieve tension that I have 

been carrying around for 15 years or more. 

I left his office table with more energy than I 

have had in years.” 

■ “I began working with him because I was 

dealing with anxieties, depression and lots of 

emotional pain inside and out. You don’t realized 

how much stress can cause damage to 

your body, mind and soul. I can say Terry was 

a big help.” 

Terrence Grywinski 

of Advanced 

Craniosacral Therapy, 

B.A., B.ED., LMT #MA 6049 

Testimonials from Clients 

SOURCE: 

■ Terrence Grywinski of Advanced Craniosacral Therapy, 

B.A., B.ED., LMT #MA 6049. Terry has specialized in Craniosacral 

Therapy since 1994 when he began his training at the Upledger 

Institute. Described by his teachers, clients and colleagues 

as a “gifted healer”, Terry’s intuitive sense and healing energy 

provides immediate and lasting relief from injury, pain, mobility 

issues as well as dysfunctions of the body and the brain. Part 

of Terry’s ongoing education, he has completed 4 craniosacral 

brain and peripheral nervous system classes which enables him 

to work at a cellular 

level and with brain 

dysfunctions. 

Call 941-321-8757 

for more information, 

Google Advanced 

Craniosacral 

Therapy. 

■ “On a recent vacation to Siesta Key, I re-injured 

my back. I found Terry online. I can say 

with complete joy that was the best decision 

I made in the history of my back pain. I have 

sought many modalities and visit a CST regularly 

and never have I had such a healing in 

my entire body. 

After 3 sessions, I made a 16-hour drive 

home with no pain or discomfort in my entire 

body. Unbelievable. My body has a sense of 

moving freely and that is completely new. I’m 

advanced craniosacral therapy 

so grateful to Terry for his knowledge, for his 

sensitivity to my needs and his kind generosity 

in healing my body. I will see him when I return 

next year.” 

■ “I am a snowbird who spends 7 months 

in Sarasota. I have had back problems for 25 

years. Terry’s techniques have led to a great 

deal of release and relief in areas that have 

been problematic. I have been seeing him over 

the years when my body says ”it’s time”. Usually 

after a few sessions, I can tell a huge difference.” 



Women’s Health 

& Acupuncture 

November 19 

Art Talk 

Listening to Women - The Origin, 

The Women, The Future 

4-6 pm 

Arts Advocates Gallery 

Holly Freedman founded OLLI’s 

Listening to Women annual lecture 

series. She’ll share how the remarkable 

women featured in this series are 

selected, their backstories, and how they 

can inspire us all. 

Acupuncture and herbal medicine 

are beneficial for various women’s 

health issues including: 

• Menstrual Irregularities 

• Menopause • Fertility Support 

Dr. Deborah 

Scandin AP, RRT 

Acupuncture Physician 

November 21 

55th Anniversary Celebration Lunch 

11 am-1 pm 

Sarasota Yacht Club 

Actor/educator Kathryn Chesley presents 

The Life and Times of Martha Hartman, 

which delves into the development of 

Sarasota County as the cultural coast of 

Florida. Join us for a chance to win an 

original painting by Hartman. 

Register at ArtsAdvocates.org 

941.955.8882 

Located at 

Dr. Luo’s 

Oriental 

Medicine 

3293 Fruitville Road, 

Ste 104, 

Sarasota FL 34237 

In addition to Acupuncture 

and herbs, Dr. Deb will provide 

nutritional guidelines, exercise 

and stress relief suggestions — a 

whole body approach to healing 

and inner balance. 

• Cancer Support 

• Stress & Anxiety 

• PMS, PCOS, Fibroids 

“It brings me true joy seeing my 

patients with more energy, mobility 

and wellbeing” 

Call today for your 

consultation appointment! 

MORE THAN A CIRCUS 

THE CIRCUS ARTS CONSERVATORY EMBODIES: 

PERFORMANCE 

TRAINING 

OUTREACH 

LEGACY 

The CAC offers year-round 

professional performances 

featuring international circus 

stars. Our seasonal Sailor Circus 

Academy shows are a Sarasota 

tradition—fun for the whole family! 

Try out our programs for 

team bonding, fitness, or just 

curiosity—You can even try 

the flying trapeze! Sign up for 

as many classes as you like or 

bring your whole corporate 

team for a one-of-a-kind team 

bonding experience. 

In addition to our arts-integrated 

classroom programs, we offer 

recreational classes for children 

and adults, summer camps, and 

events with community partners. 

The CAC makes it easy to find 

circus fun in the Sarasota area. 

The CAC, founded by 

Pedro Reis and Dolly Jacobs, 

preserves Sarasota’s rich and 

vibrant Circus Arts legacy 

through everything we do, 

including supporting annual 

events like the Circus Ring 

of Fame induction. 

FOLLOW YOUR CIRCUS DREAM and try a recreational class! Let your 

child join the circus for a week of camp or have an unforgettable circus 

team-bonding experience with your colleagues. Be dazzled and delighted 

by a circus show! 

Learn more about how you can Join the Circus at circusarts.org 


TRY A THERAPY 

THAT WORKS! 

Immediate Relief Beginning 

with the First Session: 

Chronic Pain: Sciatic, Back, Neck and TMJ 

Migraines, Foggy Brain and 

Lack of Concentration 

Sight and Eye Problems 

Asthma, Bronchitis, COPD, Shallow Breathing 

Digestive and Constipation Issues 

Leaky gut and Autoimmune problems 

Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia and Depression 

Concussions, Brain and Spinal Cord Health 

Mobility and Energy Issues for Seniors 

T. Grywinski specializes in difficult issues with great success 

How Craniosacral Therapy Can Be Life Changing 

“Doctors, physical therapists, massage therapists and chiros 

gave me little relief. Terry relieved my pain, after all these years! 

He has also helped four of my other friends. The man is an angel, 

with a gift from God....thank you Terry!!” 

“After 3 sessions, I had more range of motion and mobility in my 

neck, shoulders and hips. I was getting to the point where walking 

and moving was difficult. It feels like a weight has been lifted off my 

shoulders, my voice is stronger and my energy is greatly increased. 

I feel much calmer and more grounded!!” 

“I no longer feel physically sick each morning. No gastroenterologist 

or physician has ever properly diagnosed my mucus build up until 

now. As well as bringing about healing in my gut, he released an 

incredible amount of tension in my upper body.” 

“The question is where has he been all my life? Terry is a true healer 

and if you are serious about being well, you are in luck. 

He is effective and lovely.” 

advanced craniosacral therapy 

Terrence B. Grywinski 

B.A., B.Ed., LMT MA6049 

25 Years of Experience 

AAUW Sarasota mission is to advance gender equity for 

women and girls through education, advocacy, and research. 

Why AAUW Sarasota 

The need for women to stand united and champion each other 

has never been more crucial. At the heart of our mission is the 

unwavering belief that very woman deserves an equal opportunity 

to thrive, succeed and lead. 

AAUW has been empowering women as individuals and as a 

community since 1881. For more than 130 years we have worked 

together as a national grassroots organization to improve the lives 

of millions of women and their families. AAUW Sarasota has been 

actively involved in the local community since its inception. We 

support multiple education initiatives related to the AAUW mission. 

We Support 

Advocating for Womens’ Rights—The Sarasota branch of AAUW 

advocates for change by joining campaigns, lobbying efforts, and 

community outreach initiatives. Together we can work to close the 

gender pay gap and ensure equal compensation for equal work; 

challenge discriminatory policies in workplaces, schools and 

communities and work to create a world where every woman can 

reach her full potential. 

Advocating for Gender Equity—We provide a supportive network 

where you can connect with like-minded individuals fostering a 

sense of community and solidarity. You’ll find friends who’ve walked 

similar paths, sharing wisdom and forging connections that last 

a lifetime. AAUW plays a crucial role in empowering women and 

girls by fostering leadership skills, encouraging civic engagement, 

supporting academic success, and promoting personal growth. 

UPCOMING EVENTS: 

September Business Meeting and Picnic Lunch 

Speaker: League of Women Voters Sarasota 

Date: Wednesday, September 18, 1:00pm 

Location: Women’s Resource Center, 340 South Tuttle, Sarasota 

Cost: $15 Click HERE or go to https://aauwsarasota.org/ 

registration-single/ 

Registration Deadline: September 13, 2024 

Sheryl Faye as Eleanor Roosevelt 

A Fundraiser to Benefit AAUW Education 

Opportunities for Girls in Sarasota 

Eleanor Roosevelt’s legacy as a champion 

for women’s rights, her leadership and 

empowerment of women, her willingness to 

challenge gender norms, her commitment to 

humanitarianism and social justice, and her 

resilience in the face of adversity all make her 

incredibly important to today’s women and 

society as a whole. 

Date: Wednesday, January 15, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. 

Cost: $40.00 per ticket. Click HERE or visit https://aauwsarasota. 

org/events-eleanor-roosevelt/ 

Location: Unitarian Universalist Church, 3975 Fruitville Road, 

Sarasota 

• January, February and March 2025 — Book Reviews at the Selby 

Library Auditorium – no registration required 

• May 2025: Spring Luncheon 

advcst.com 

See full page explanation of Craniosacral Therapy and 

how it can help you in another section of this issue 

Downtown Sarasota • 941-321-8757 

Google “Advanced Craniosacral Therapy Sarasota” for more info 

Interested in joining? 

Let us take you out for coffee! Whether you’re new to Sarasota, 

are looking to get more involved in advancing equity for women 

and girls or just want to chat, we’d love to get to know you 

better. Email sarasota.AAUW@gmail.com for a coffee meeting 

with an AAUW member 

For more information visit www.aauwsarasota.org

WCW 11-24

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