wcw 7-26

■ Arts: Sarasota Orchestra’s new home

■ Travel: Celebrating the 250th

■ Healthier you: Stretch Zone

■ Dining in: Easy to prepare shrimp

JULY 2026 contents departments

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 written permission of the publisher. Unsolicited manuscripts, photographs and artwork are welcome, but return cannot be guaranteed.

HOW TO REACH US:

Email: westcoastwoman@comcast.net

Here are our columns:

■ Out & About: includes fundraisers, concerts, art exhibits, lectures, dance, poetry, shows & performances, theatre, film, seasonal events and more.

■ You’re News: job announcements, appointments and promotions, board news, business news and real estate news.

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We’ve got an update on Sarasota Orchestra’s Music Center project including new architectural renderings p11

email: westcoastwoman@comcast.net website: www.westcoastwoman.com

Celebrating the 250th in Philadelphia means being where so much history took place. We’ve got a number of suggested places to visit.

Louise Bruderle Editor and Publisher

just some thoughts

This Month’s profile: Wendy Lee

Goldberg

You’ve heard of and read these kinds of news stories before, many times, in fact. Briefly, said builder acquires said property in downtown Sarasota, said project approved by the City, massive structure built. There’s online anguish, some speaking up at meetings and it still gets passed and built.

Well, you may have heard about the latest in overdevelopment in Sarasota that affects a block of Fruitville Road. I’m talking about that string of old and colorful cottages, siting on crushed shell that are home to a slew of businesses including Discover Sarasota Tours, Artful Giraffe, Cookie Cottage, Siegfried’s Restaurant and of course, The Breakfast House.

It’s been a thriving location for these businesses - some of them for years like Breakfast House which has been open since 2009. But their landlord sold the land to an out-of-town developer who will build an apartment complex that will cover - and I mean cover - 22 lots that will then become 324 units on five floors.

Like other parts of downtown, say good-bye to sunlight and also good-bye to those cottages which will be flattened and/or removed. Is it over for those businesses? Well, Wendy Lee Goldberg, owner of the Breakfast House, has other ideas. When we met a few months ago when things were still up in the air. But since then, the axe has fallen and the plans were approved. However, to Wendy, shutting down was not an option.

She has purchased landalso on Fruitville Road - and is leading the way to build a new space for The Breakfast House and for other businesses to join her there as part of what she’s calling a “retail village”.

As you’ll read in this month’s profile, Wendy is savvy, not just hard working. And she’s also a leader. For all you fans of the Breakfast House, please note, THEY ARE OPEN so keep dining at the current location.

And if you are a fan of those lavender pancakes Wendy serves, go to her new location in the future and support the other businesses there as well.

These are locally-owned businesses, after all.

For now, read about Wendy’s story - how she started and built her business back in 2009 and, it should be noted, that part of downtown Sarasota was highly unappealing and where most people chose to avoid. Kudos to her for hanging in there not once, but twice.

The U.S.’s 250th a Birthday and a Promise

The Declaration of Independence includes these ideals: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

On July 4, 1776, the Declaration was adopted unanimously by the Second Continental Congress, who were convened at the Pennsylvania State House, later renamed Independence Hall, in the colonial city of Philadelphia. The U.S. has had those ideals tested over the years and some interpret them differently. Bold as it is, it is an 18th century document that even though steeped in the Enlightenment, it excluded the rights of many - Blacks, women and Indigenous peoples.

Travel Plans?

Yes, it’s going to be busy in places like Philly, New York, DC and Boston for the nation’s 250th celebration. If you’re venturing out, we have highlighted some exhibits and places to see in Philadelphia.

Being from the Philadelphia suburbs, I can attest to Philly having lots to do related to the colonial period plus great restaurants. If not July, save our info for future months. It’s beautiful in the fall in all of those locations will be less crowded then.

The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia has two new galleries on America’s founding and the separation of powers have opened for America’s 250th anniversary.

Their Founding gallery explores early battles for independence, showcasing rare artifacts alongside high-tech snapshots of Revolutionary America.

Governing the Nation, their latest addition, takes visitors on an immersive journey through the checks and balances of the three branches of government with historic artifacts paired with hands-on experiences.

There will be a loaned copy of the U.S. Constitution—one of the 14 known original official printed copies—as well as a rare first printing of constitutional amendments being debated by Congress that would become our Bill of Rights, are displayed just steps from where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were signed.

These rare documents will be on display throughout 2026. The National Constitution Center is the nation’s only museum dedicated to the U.S. Constitution. More info at constitutioncenter.org

And later, when the crowds die down, consider visiting Independence Hall - “the room where it happened” where both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States were debated and adopted by the Founding Fathers of the United States.

The building, which is the centerpiece of Independence National Historical Park, was designated a World Heritage Site in 1979. It’s a stone’s throw away from the Liberty Bell - another special site.

Your Cat Always Knew This

It’s stretching. Chances are, you’ve heard about the many benefits of stretching. And maybe you’ve thought about getting up and doing some healthy moves. Hmmm, but did you?

Probably not, as with so many things that are good for us, it requires frequency, a precise process and time.

And yet, you notice you’re stiff getting out of a chair or maybe your range of motion seems more limited. Or, maybe you know the benefits and you just need some motivation.

There’s a local business that can help and it’s called Stretch Zone. There they literally do the stretching for you, gently working arms, legs, hips, shoulders and more while you relax. Read more in our feature this month.

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.

Wendy Lee Goldberg Image: Louise Bruderle

West Coast Woman

Current location Plans for a new place

Senior Friendship Centers Ambassador Association

Cochaired by Jane Icely & Paula Falk

Mix & Mingle

Ambassadors Summer Social

July 14 , 2026, 5–7 PM

Sarasota Center, 1888 Brother Geenen Way

Pizza & Salad Bu et Refreshment Station

$25 tickets, registration by July 10

(Please indicate if you’d like to join Erin at the Creation Station)

Ambassadors & friends welcomed. Invite a friend!

Creation Station

Color Your Brain Happy

Through color, creativity, and social connection, with our President & CEO, Erin McLeod, participants will engage multiple areas of the brain while enjoying a relaxing and rewarding artistic experience. No experience necessary.

All are invited to join the Ambassadors Association! $25 annual membership. Friendshipcenters.org

You may use your smartphone camera and this QR code or via SFC website: friendshipcenters.org/special-events, scroll to July 14.

For more information, Georgann Nugent: gnugent@friendshipcenters.org

Erika Wise Borland, MA, Vice President

Susanne S. Wise, RN, MBA, CEO & Owner Courtney Wise Snyder, MSG, CMC, President

out & about

Editor’s Pick:

▼ Discover Sarasota Tours offers a Murder Mystery Trolley Next up is Who killed The Circus Queen? It’s an interactive musical whodunnit led by circus-themed characters where you are part of the show. Shows are offered Thursdays and Saturdays on July 9, 11, 18 and 25 all at 7:30 p.m.

They also offer a Sing-Along Trolley. Rock and roll to your favorite 70’s and 80’s tunes on this throwback totally tubular trolly show with cast members, Michele Pruyn and Brandon Newman. Includes a bar stop at 99 Bottles. Dates: Fridays, July 7, 14, 24 and 31 all at 7:30 p.m. Tickets and info: www.discover sarasotatours.com or call 941-2609818 . They’re located downtown at 1826 4th St., Sarasota.

Bookstore1 Events

▼ July 1, noon and weekly through July 29 they have Poetry Writing Workshops . For both new and published poets.

• July 6, 5:30 pm. Write Night. Overcoming Isolation and Procrastination, Together. A monthly gathering for writers of all genres and experience levels.

• July 8, 2 pm. Poetry Book Club. We’ll be reading Peter Balakian’s New York Trilogy. Led by Doug Knowlton.

• July 16, 2 pm. Mysteries to Die for Book Club, led by Elsie Souza, will discuss Ragnar Jónasson’s Snowblind

• July 21, 11 am. Banned Book Club will talk about A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. Led by Bryn Durgin. Visit www.sarasotabooks.com

At Fogartyville

▼ Fogartyville has Remi Goode with opener Emily Frost| on July 12

A nylon-string guitarist with classical training and contemporary influences, she creates her own version of modern-day American roots music: one that’s intimate one minute and cinematic the next, making room for folky bedroom recordings, full-band studio performances, and all points in between.

• Selwyn Birchwood Band is on July 17. Although award-winning Florida musician Selwyn Birchwood is firmly rooted in the tradition, the young guitarist, lap steel player, songwriter and vocalist sets a course for the future of the blues with his original music.

Birchwood, whose band features the interplay of his guitar with Regi Oliver’s baritone sax, deploys a singular sound and style all his own. He calls it “Electric Swamp Funkin’ Blues,” a mix of deep blues, psychedelic-tinged rock, funk and Southern soul.   Visit www.wslr.org/fogartyville

At the Galleries

▼ At Art Center Sarasota:

 To August 1:

• Anja Palombo: Architects Who Art: Designing the Cultural Coast Palombo presents a new body of work inspired by the natural world and her love of art history.

Anja has participated in many art exhibitions, including curated group and solo shows on three continents, venues including The American Center and The India International Center in New Delhi, India. This exhibition highlights the creative

breadth of individuals who blur the lines between architecture and visual art. Both disciplines demand a deep understanding of space, form, structure, and imagination—skills that manifest in strikingly different yet complementary ways. Whether through sculpture, drawing, painting, or design, these architect-artists translate their spatial thinking into expressive, multidisciplinary works.

• Cat Tesla: Living by the Water. Tesla shares new works from her Exhale and Feeling Good series resulting in a meditation on healing, presence, and the quiet power of beauty.

Cat’s work has been exhibited internationally including at the Knoxville Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art in Atlanta, and the Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art north of Atlanta. Her paintings are held in corporate and private collections and nearly 1,000 hospitals and medical centers in the U.S. including in the Emory Winship Cancer Institute, Royal Caribbean, Capital One, and the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab.

• Featuring local artists who are also trained architects, Architects Who Art draws from Sarasota’s unique cultural and visual landscape. Renowned for its architectural legacy—particularly the Sarasota School of Architecture—and its vibrant arts community, the city has long been shaped by the dynamic interplay of design and creative expression.

Co-curated by Morris (Marty) Hylton III, this exhibition features work by a number of architect-artists including but not limited to Carl Abbott, Jerry Sparkman, Javier Suárez, and Javi Suárez. Architects Who Art presents both fine art and architectural renderings and models, offering a fuller picture of each artist’s range and vision. Together, these works reflect not only individual talent, but also the enduring role of architecture in shaping Sarasota’s sense of place, identity, and aesthetic experience. Location: 707 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Info: www.artsarasota.org

▼ 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 2-4 p.m. Admission is free.

To register, visit ArtsAdvocates.org

▼ Calling all artists. Sarasota

Orchestra invites artists to submit applications to exhibit their work during the 2026-2027 concert season in the Orchestra’s Harmony Gallery, located in the atrium of the Beatrice Friedman Symphony Center.

The application deadline for 20262027 Harmony Gallery exhibitions is June 30, 2026. Exhibitors will be selected by jury and announced August 15, 2026.

The application process is open to all Sarasota, Manatee, or Charlotte county artists and accepts two-dimensional works in any medium (excluding installation, video, performance or audio.) Exhibited in a public forum that regularly hosts children, subject matter deemed inappropriate for youth may be rejected at the sole discretion of the Sarasota Orchestra Art Committee.

The Committee has final approval of work presented for hanging. Interested artists should submit a completed application, along with 10-15 digital samples of their most recent work. Applications are available online at www.sarasotaorchestra.org/forms/ harmony-gallery-application

The Orchestra will host an artist reception for each exhibition in the atrium of the Symphony Center and a meet-and-greet opportunity at one Holley Hall concert during the run of the exhibit. 25% of the proceeds from the sale of Harmony Gallery artwork will be donated to the Orchestra.

The gallery is free and open to the public during Sarasota Orchestra office hours, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and during concerts that take place at Holley Hall in the Beatrice Friedman Symphony Center. For more information, visit: www. sarasotaorchestra.org/about/ community/harmony-gallery

Lifelong Learning

▼ Adult & Community Enrichment (ACE) at Suncoast Technical College offers lots of art classes. In the last year alone, ACE had an enrollment of approximately 4,000 registrations in the arts. Their art classes run the gamut from Beginning Watercolor to Advanced Pottery - and everything in between.

No matter whether you are a beginner or an experienced artist, instructors work with you to maximize your skills. No supplies or not much time? Some classes supply

all you need - and some classes are just one or two sessions.  If a class you are interested in is full, join the waitlist. It’s free and there’s no obligation.

The summer 2026 term runs to September 18. Register at www. campusce.net/acesarasota

Museums

▼ Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College of Art and Design (SAM) has these exhibits:

• Jillian Mayer: Slumpies to August 19. Mayer explores our ever-increasing relationship with technology and the impact device usage has on our bodies through her interactive sculpture series, Slumpies. Slumpies invites viewers to sit, climb, slump and curl up, using the sculptures much like furniture. In doing so, visitors explore how Mayer’s objects provide support for the various postures we assume while using technology.

• The 2025-2026 Season will come to a close with Beautiful Ideas: The Prints of Sol LeWitt, opening May 17, 2026. Regarded as one of the founders of both minimalism and conceptual art, Sol LeWitt (19282007) generated more than 350 print projects during his 40-year artistic career. This exhibition features over 100 of those prints, beginning with LeWitt’s earliest works and extending through his mature expressions in abstraction.

Beautiful Ideas: The Prints of Sol LeWitt runs to October 25, 2026 Regarded as one of the founders of both minimalism and conceptual art, Sol LeWitt (1928-2007) is best known for his large-scale wall drawings and modular structures. Alongside these works, LeWitt generated more than 350 print projects during his 40-year artistic career, including thousands of lithographs, silkscreens, etchings, aquatints, woodcuts and linocuts. Printmaking proved to be the perfect medium for LeWitt’s brand of conceptual art, in which the “idea becomes a machine that makes the art.”

Beautiful Ideas: The Prints of Sol LeWitt is organized in four thematic sections —“Lines, Arcs, Circles, and Grids,” “Bands and Colors,” “From Geometric Figures to Complex Forms,” and “Wavy, Curvy, Loopy Doopy, and in All Directions”—the exhibition reflects the bold geomet-

ric shapes and precise lines that defined LeWitt’s artistic style.

• Something Borrowed, Something New features works by such modern and contemporary artists as Louise Bourgeois, Chuck Close, Yoko Ono, David Hockney, Ai Weiwei and more, this never-before-seen exhibition offers a rare glimpse into private collections held throughout Southwest Florida.

From paintings, sculptures and prints to photographs and video works, Something Borrowed, Something New showcases a diverse range of artworks produced by some of the most prominent artists of our time. Complementing these borrowed selections, this show also features exciting new pieces and creates a dialogue between the works of late 20th-century trailblazers and today’s leading global artists.

• Maria A. Guzmán Capron: New Works to September 27, 2026 Maria explores the complexities of identity through her vibrant figurative textiles in a new solo exhibition. Born in Milan, Italy, to Peruvian and Colombian parents and later relocating to Texas as a teenager, the California-based artist understands first-hand the challenges of toggling between different cultures and geographies. Capron channels these personal experiences into her artwork, creating layered portraits of exuberant, multi-faceted characters. Common materials like cotton join with luxurious fabrics such as silk to explore power dynamics and hierarchies within society today. Through her use of various fabrics, Capron asks viewers to consider the way our own identities have been stitched together over time— beautiful, ever-evolving collages of ancestry, culture and life experiences. Capron’s plush, flowing figures merge, embrace and spill into one another, inviting us to recognize ourselves in others, see others within ourselves, and find comfort and beauty in being “in between.” Info: www.sarasotaartmuseum.org

▼ The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature presents the history and culture of Latinos and their impact on American culture and society through the lens of baseball in a new bilingual (Spanish and English) exhibition, ¡Pleibol! In the Barrios and the Big Leagues / En los barrios y las grandes ligas. ¡Pleibol! is on view through June 28

¡Pleibol! In the Barrios and the Big Leagues / En los barrios y las grandes ligas was organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service in collaboration with the National Museum of American History.

The exhibition captures the excitement of the game, from community baseball teams to the Major Leagues, highlighting how it can bring people together regardless of race, class, or gender. It will feature reproductions of historic and personal photographs, graphic elements, and a short bilingual video produced by La Vida Baseball.

Throughout the 20th century in the United States and Latin America, baseball provided a path for a better future. Workers in agriculture and industry in the United States used baseball to make ends meet and to find a socially acceptable space to build community and organize for rights and justice.

¡Pleibol! In the Barrios and the Big Leagues / En los barrios y las grandes

Lynn Goldsmith and Patti Smith: Flowers and Friendship runs to September 13, at the Downtown Sarasota Selby Gardens. Info: selby.org

ligas has been made possible through close collaborations with over 30 partners in 14 states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico to help bring visibility to Latino community histories through baseball. Smithsonian curators collaborated with partners and local communities across the country to document and preserve baseball stories at the heart of Latino communities.

• Manatee County residents will get the opportunity to experience The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature for free on select weekends this year, thanks to a grant from The Rotary Club of Bradenton.

Visitors will be able to enjoy everything the Museum has to offer, including the Mosaic Backyard Universe, the Parker Manatee Rehabilitation Habitat, and all the daily shows in the Planetarium at The Bishop

The free admission weekends funded by The Rotary Club of Bradenton will be: September 5-6; December 5-6 and January 9-10 2027

• The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature is turning up the volume this summer with the return of Laser Light Nights at the Planetarium

Running through September 5, this fan-favorite experience transforms the Planetarium dome into a full-sensory concert event packed with synchronized lasers, immersive visuals, and iconic music.

Following another high-demand season, Laser Light Nights returns bigger than ever with an expanded lineup featuring rock legends, pop superstars, themed throwback nights, and special event experiences throughout the summer.

Guests can experience laser shows set to the music of Queen, Pink Floyd, Elton John, Taylor Swift, Prince, Metallica, The Beatles, Lady Gaga, Foo Fighters, Journey, Michael Jackson, The Weeknd, and many more.

Special themed events this season include RED, WHITE, and BOOM! on July 4 , Swift Night: The Double Feature Event, Bishop After Hours laser experiences, and the Summer Time Rewind finale over Labor Day weekend.

Shows take place Thursdays through Saturdays with multiple evening showtimes throughout the season. Each performance combines cutting-edge laser projection, immersive sound, and music-driven visuals inside The Bishop’s all-digital Planetarium. Full schedules, showtimes, FAQs, and ticket information are available at: www. bishopscience.org

The Bishop Museum is located at 201 10th St W, Bradenton.

▼ The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art has:

• In the Flesh: The Nude in Modern Japan, is on view to August 23, in the recently dedicated Charles and Robyn Citrin Gallery. Spanning from the 1920s to the 1980s, the exhibition features prints and a magnificent painting by Ishikawa Toraji, exploring how Japanese artists reimagined the nude over the twentieth century.

Almost all of the works are images of women, reflecting the conventions of the genre, as well as the preferences of male artists and their audience. The assimilation of the modern nude into the Japanese canon is distinct in Japan, where, historically, representations of nudity had been largely limited to pornographic prints that flourished during the

The Van Wezel has singer-songwriter Boz Scaggs on October 11 Tickets at VanWezel.org

Edo period (1615–1868). However, in modern Japan, the artistic merit of the nude gained respectability and entered the repertoire of Westernand Japanese-style painting, printmaking, sculpture, and beyond.

In the exhibition’s singular painting, Before the Mirror (1935), by Is hikawa Toraji, the subject’s bobbed hairstyle, the fashionably bohemian interior she inhabits, and her cool, self-appraising gaze mark her as a “modern girl,” or moga—Japan’s version of the flapper in the 1920s and 1930s.

Shin hanga (New Prints) artists of the 1920s–30s, almost exclusively male, drew from the themes and sensibilities of eighteenth- to nineteenth-century ukiyo-e, catering largely toWestern audiences. While artists like Torii Kotondo created serene images of demure young women, Ishikawa Toraji’s racy paintings and prints of confident “modern girls” tested the limits of decorum. In the postwar era, life drawing sessions invited new explorations of form and surface texture in the work of Sait¯o Kiyoshi, while Maekawa Senpan reclaimed the nude in a multi-series ode to Japan’s hot spring resorts.

Finally, Kobayashi Donge reprised the femme fatale Salome as a symbol of female desire and agency during the rise of the postwar feminism movement.

• The Ringling’s newest exhibition, Unfolding Futures: Stories in Digital Design, is on view at The Ringling’s Community Gallery in the Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Center for Asian Art through August 11

The exhibition, presented by Suncoast Technical College, features the creative voices of emerging artists and designers, capturing their exploration of design, art, and illustration from the past decade. Works on view trace the evolution of student work as ideas move from early exploration to refined, portfolio-ready design.

The exhibit includes a variety of digital mediums, such as graphic design, digital illustration, typography, and mixed media works that blend digital and traditional elements. Artworks will range from posters, branding projects, and illustrated narratives to conceptual art pieces and interactive digital designs, representing the wide spectrum of skills students develop in the program.

The Community Gallery, a free

public exhibition space, is dedicated to displaying works from community-based, non-profit, or student groups in the local Sarasota/ Manatee area.

Exhibitions at The Ringling’s Community Gallery are always free to visit; visitors can check in at the museum’s Visitor Pavilion upon arrival and ask for a Community Gallery wristband.

• The Ringling Museum has mixed-media visual artist Andrea Carlson’s first museum survey, Andrea Carlson: A Constant Sky The exhibition features 16 works which are on view through November 15, 2026, in the Keith D. Monda Gallery for Contemporary Art.  Carlson (descended from the Grand Portage band of Ojibwe and European settlers, born 1979) creates works that challenge the colonial narratives presented by modern artists, museum collections, and cannibal genre horror films. Utilizing a combination of text and complex visual references to animals, art objects, and cultural belongings, Carlson creates prismatic landscapes that foil American landscape genre painting.

Known for her intricate, colorful works drawn and painted with many different mediums, Carlson recently expanded her practice to include sculpture. The DAM commissioned Columns for a Horizon (2024–2025), a large-scale sculptural work which, when placed in front of Carlson’s painted works, obscures her imagined landscapes and encourages viewers to contemplate ideas of access and denial.

 The Ringling also offers tours:

• Slow Looking Tour. Did you know that the average museum visitor only spends 15-30 seconds looking at each artwork? We invite you to slow down and experience in-depth engagement with just a few works of art. These special tours, appropriate for all levels of art enthusiasts, are designed to give you the time and space to discover new insights through close and careful looking. This guided tour is free with museum admission and is offered on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month at 1:00 PM Price: Free with Museum Admission

• Museum of Art Tour. Get acquainted with The Ringling’s art collection on these 40-minute tours. Led by volunteer guides, each tour is different and may include artwork from the Original 21 Galleries, Searing Galleries, Monda Gallery, or Chao

Center for Asian Art.

This guided tour is free with museum admission. The tour is offered Tuesday through Sunday at 12:00 PM, 1 p,.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m.

The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, 5401 Bay Shore Rd., Sarasota. For additional information and hours , visit ringling.org

▼ The Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg , presents Babs Reingold: After Venus, a pivotal exhibition on view through August 30, 2026

The exhibition features a collection of large-scale drawings, monotypes, and encaustic collages — many of which have never been publicly exhibited — by the acclaimed multidisciplinary artist Babs Reingold (American, b. Venezuela, 1954).

Based in St. Petersburg, Reingold is celebrated for her use of unconventional, tactile materials—including tea-stained silk organza, human hair, and rusted metal—to create visceral works. Her practice is deeply informed by her own history of poverty and displacement, themes she weaves into a broader commentary on the social inequities that shape our perception of the self.

In After Venus, she uses repetitive labor, organic textures and art historical appropriation to reflect on the body and agency.Centered on the After Venus series, the exhibition draws inspiration from Upper Paleolithic-era

“Venus” figurines, notably the Venus of Willendorf (c. 30,000 BCE).

To provide historical context, the installation includes select objects from the museum’s permanent collection that examine the evolution of these enigmatic figures.

Among these is a Fertility Idol (Iranian, 14th–13th Century BCE), whose abstracted, symbolic form predates classical definitions of beauty, and a Red-Figure Column Krater (Greek, 440–430 BCE). The latter depicts Amazons, the mythic warrior women of antiquity, serving as an ancient precursor to Reingold’s interest in the gendered power of muscularity.

From 1990 to 1998, Reingold delved into the world of women’s bodybuilding, finding a sense of empowerment in the chiseled bodies of female weightlifters. These figures stand in striking contrast to the soft, curvilinear, feminine ideals exemplified by works like the museum’s Torso of Aphrodite (Roman, c. 100–200 CE). By juxtaposing the

smooth marble of the goddess with the hyper-defined musculature of modern women athletes, Reingold investigates how human bodies are policed and regulated, expressing a woman-centered strength that challenges traditional male-dominated narratives of art history.

For more information, visit mfastpete.org. The Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, 255 Beach Drive NE, St. Petersburg.

▼ Tampa Museum of Art has Avant Garde: Remarkable Women in the Permanent Collection through April 4, 2027

The Tampa Museum of Art’s permanent collection of art continues to grow. Many recent acquisitions highlight art made by women who are celebrated both nationally and locally for their creative achievements.

The exhibition Avant Garde: Remarkable Women in the Permanent Collection features works by Selina Román, Ya La’Ford, Nneka Jones, Wendy Babcox , and Lorraine Genovar—all artists with roots in the Tampa Bay area. Avant Garde also features artists new to the museum’s holdings including Tau Lewis, Mika Rottenberg , Hannah van Bart, Kirsten Hassenfeld, and Quisqueya Henriquez alongside artists such as Alma Thomas, Niki de Saint Phalle, Marisol, Mernet Larsen, and Elisabeth Condon

• Here and Now: Selections from the Contemporary Collection runs to January 31, 2027. Here and Now: highlights key holdings and new acquisitions of contemporary art in the Tampa Museum of Art’s permanent collection.

As the works in this gallery demonstrate, contemporary artists portray life around them from the vantage point of observer, inquisitor, cartographer, or cultural historian. Moreover, the works on view often blur the boundaries of traditional media—for example, paintings may be enhanced with sculptural or photographic materials; the ready-made or found object serves as the source of inspiration; or an assortment of images creates a whole picture.

• Jun Kaneko: Silence Before Sound runs to August 23, 2026

The exhibition Jun Kaneko: Silence Before Sound celebrates the Tampa Museum of Art’s recent acquisition of Jun Kaneko’s monumental sculpture Untitled (Dango).

Jun Kaneko: Silence Before Sound represents the first major exhibition of Kaneko’s oeuvre in Florida and will present an overview of the artist’s prolific career—from the early sculptures he made as a member of the influential California Clay Movement in the 1960s to the groundbreaking projects that blurred the boundaries of painting, ceramics, and sculpture.

The title Jun Kaneko: Silence Before Sound serves as a metaphor for the artist’s creative process and the Japanese concept of Ma ( ), an idea defined as a pause in time. Each application of glaze and paint is carefully considered with the appropriate space between the mark or gesture.

• Eye of the Beholder The William Knight Zewadski Legacy runs to January 3, 2027. The treasures displayed in this exhibition reflect a very personal passion for ancient Greek and Roman art and archaeology, ancient theater and architecture — as well as their reception in modern prints

out & about continued

and photography. Culled from the collection of William Knight (“Bill”) Zewadski, the works on view reflect the zeal of an amateur — in the true sense of the word. In addition, the exhibition is a testament to his immeasurable generosity to the Tampa Museum of Art over a period of four decades.

Eye of the Beholder is part of a series of exhibitions dedicated to the Museum’s permanent collection that have been on view since the Centennial Celebration. The photographs on view in this exhibition span the history of the medium itself from the early 19th century.

As such, they reflect the emergence of a new artform developed from an initial documentary approach. Over the years, Zewadski has donated innumerable antiquities, prints and photographs to two dozen organizations, including the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Kinsey Institute, the Library of Congress, the Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University (his alma mater), and the University of South Florida. Since 1980, he has enriched the Tampa Museum of Art with over 1,240 invaluable works of art. The objects on view in this exhibition represent but a small yet evocative selection of Zewadski’s passions and serve to celebrate his enduring legacy to the Tampa Bay community.

Tampa Museum of Art, Cornelia Corbett Center, 120 W. Gasparilla Plaza, Tampa. www.tampamuseum. org/current-exhibitions

Outdoors

▼ UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County has these events:

 EcoWalk: Meditation in the Parks is at Red Bug Slough on July 11, 9-10 a.m. Join them for a contemplative walk where where you can practice mindfulness, breathwork, and use all the senses to connect with nature.

Marvel at one of Sarasota County’s spectacular natural areas during a mostly silent, meditative walk. Join a UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County educator or volunteer for an exploration of finding peace within nature and get healthier along the way. Register for this event at ufsarasotaext.eventbrite.com. For questions or further information, call 941861-5000 Location: Red Bug Slough Preserve, 5200 South Beneva Road, Sarasota.

 Demonstration Garden Tour: Twin Lakes Park is on July 20, 10 a.m. to noon . Join Sarasota County Master Gardener Volunteers the third Monday of the month for a free tour of the Florida-friendly gardens at Twin Lakes Park in Sarasota. Join Sarasota County Master Gardener Volunteers the third Monday of the month for a free tour of the demonstration garden at Twin Lakes Park in Sarasota. The garden integrates beautifully into the natural environment, using FloridaFriendly Landscaping techniques that you can adopt for your home or business landscape. There is no charge for this tour, but register at ufsarasotaext.eventbrite.com

Selby Gardens

▼ Robert Louis Stevenson: A Child’s Garden of Verses runs to August 30, 2026 at the Historic Spanish Point campus. The exhibit celebrates childhood and the imagination of youth through the words and images of A Child’s Garden of Verses, the beloved book of poetry for children by

The exhibition has photographs of pages from a vintage edition of the book, combining Stevenson’s poetry with illustrations by the notable American artist, Alexander Dobkin Accompanying the photographs are simple interactives that draw their inspiration from Stevenson’s poems and enhance the visitor experience. An audio element will enable visitors to hear the poems read by Selby Gardens’ artist-in-residence, Patti Smith

 Lynn Goldsmith and Patti Smith: Flowers and Friendship runs to September 13, 2026 at the at the Downtown Sarasota campus. The exhibit celebrates the collaboration between two longtime friends, photographer Lynn Goldsmith and singer-songwriter Patti Smith, who is Selby Gardens’ artist in residence.

The exhibition has Goldsmith’s photographs of Smith, past and present, in the Richard and Ellen Sandor Museum of Botany & the Arts. The images offer a portrait of an iconic artist over the course of her career. Supplementing the photographs in the museum is a selection of Goldsmith’s art photographs of flowers set in the gardens of the Downtown Sarasota campus.

Over the past 50 years, Goldsmith’s photography has appeared on or between the covers of magazines including Life, Newsweek, Time, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Sports Illustrated, and many others. Her work is held in numerous private art collections and museums, including the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Seventeen books have been produced of Goldsmith’s images, including Flower by Rizzoli in 2000 and Patti Smith: Before Easter After, published as a Deluxe Limited Edition by Taschen in 2019 and as a trade edition by Rizzoli in 2024.

Lynn Goldsmith remarked, “At Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, my photographs of flowers linger in that brief territory between bloom and surrender, where beauty is never separate from fragility. In the Museum, the portraits and moments beside them suggest that our relationships unfold much the same way as flowers do — reaching toward light, opening in trust, bruised by time, yet carrying an elegance that survives even in fading.”

American photographer Lynn Goldsmith is renowned for both her celebrity portraits and fine art imag-

Fogartyville has Remi Goode with opener Emily Frost| on July 12 Visit www.wslr.org/fogartyville/

Patti Smith. Visit selby.org for tickets Downtown Sarasota Campus, 1534 Mound Street Sarasota. Info: 941-366-5731

Historic Spanish Point Campus, 401 North Tamiami Trail, Osprey. Info: 941-366-5731

Special Events

▼ Village of the Arts (VOTA) in Bradenton has monthly art walks

Themed Art Walks take place on the first Friday and Saturday of the month, from 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM . Galleries and studios open their doors for a vibrant celebration of creativity, featuring live music, local art, handcrafted goods, and other crafts.

Art Walks are an opportunity to stroll their colorful streets, meet local artists, explore unique shops, and discover something new around every corner.  Find artistic treasures at one of the many galleries and studios, have that dress fixed up at The Village Seamstress, or snag some new vinyl at Jerk Dog Records. Enjoy a bite from local restaurants (Arte Cafe, Ortygia, Cottonmouth Soul Kitchen, The Village Patio).  Grab a kombucha, coffee, or Kava from Adobe, or sip a craft beer from local breweries (Sun Lab and Flamingo Bay).

Street parking is available throughout VOTA as well as a City of Bradenton free parking garage located at 615 12th St West. www.villageofthearts.org

Theatre

▼ Asolo Repertory Theatre presents The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition in Sarasota, a summer children’s musical running July 8–August 2 at the Cook Theatre. Follow Dorothy, Toto, and friends down the Yellow Brick Road in this family-friendly production perfect for audiences of all ages.

Written by Frank Baum with music and lyrics by Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg. Background music by Herbert Stothart. Dance and vocal arrangements by Peter Howard. Orchestration by Larry Wilcox. Adapted by John Kane for the Royal Shakespeare Company. Directed and Choreographed by Cat Brindisi. Music Direction by Carl Haan. Visit AsoloRep.org

▼ Florida Studio Theatre (FST) has from the creator of Always… Patsy Cline and featuring hits like “9 to 5” and “Stand by Your Man,” this high-energy celebration of country’s greatest is full of laughter and heart. Dog Mom runs to July 26 National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere. Liz is a tough-as-nails New Yorker with a life falling apart faster than her morning bagel. When a scruffy stray dog shows up on her stoop, Liz – the least “dog person” on the planet – reluctantly agrees to foster it. This temporary inconvenience quickly turns into a heartwarming and hilarious journey of self-discovery and unlikely friendships. Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?

 Leaving on a Jet Plane runs to July 12 . Rediscover the heart and harmony of the 1960s in this intimate and joyful tribute to the era that shaped a generation. Featuring acoustic favorites from Simon & Garfunkel, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Cat Stevens, The Lovin’ Spoonful, and Bob Dylan.

 Comedy Lottery (FST Improv) July 11-25 at 7:30 p.m. in Bowne’s Lab. Twelve audience members determine the fate of the FST team by selecting the night’s lineup of games. Then the cast of funny people is off to the races spinning scenes, sketches, and songs.

 Freedom! The Musical (FST Improv) is on July 4 at 7:30 p.m. in Bowne’s Lab. Red coats vs. colonialists. Taxation without representation. Hotdogs and fireworks. But do you know the back, back, backstory behind the major historic events? Join a cast of patriotic improvisers as they celebrate the birth of our great nation and reveal an untold story of the American Revolution in this never-before-seen musical.

 The Last Romance by Joe DiPietro starts July 22 in the Gompertz Theatre. A chance meeting. An unexpected spark. A second chapter. When widower Ralph takes a different path on his daily walk, he meets Carol, an elegant woman who just might change his life. What begins as a simple conversation blossoms into a journey of second chances. A comedy about discovering how love can arrive when you least expect it – at any age.

Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org

▼ Tree Fort Productions has Under the Covers - Covers of the best ’80’s and ’90’s hits featur-

ing Martina Long and Katherine Michelle Tanner on July 24 and 25 Location: 3501 S. Tamiami Tr. (enter at Chico’s) Suite #136 in Sarasota. www.eventbrite.com/o/ tree-fort-productions

▼ Venice Theatre has Head Over Heels - Songs by The Go-Go’s Based upon The Arcadia by Sir Philip Sidney Conceived and with Original Book by Jeff Whitty. Adapted by James Magruder. Runs, July 24–August 8 . A hilarious, exuberant celebration of love, this bold musical comedy follows the escapades of a royal family on an outrageous journey to save their beloved kingdom from extinction.

https://venicetheatre.org/events/ head-over-heels/

At the Van Wezel

▼ The Van Wezel has singer-songwriter Boz Scaggs on Sunday, October 11 as part of his Rhythm Review 2026 Tour. Known for his smooth blend of rock, blues, and soul, Scaggs continues to captivate audiences with his timeless sound and celebrated catalog of hits.

• June 25 - Celtic Throne: Psalter of Ireland. Experience the electrifying fusion of Irish dance, music, theater, and cinema in Celtic Throne II—Psalter of Ireland, an epic journey exploring the ancient origins of Ireland. This trailblazing new show tells the story of Ollav Fola, the legendary Irish sage and legislator who carried the legacy of one of the world’s greatest kings to the British Isles.

• August 6 - Derek HoughSymphony of Dance: New York Times Best-Selling author Hough began dancing at age 11 and trained at London’s prestigious Italia Conti performing arts school. A four-time Emmy winner and 13-time nominee, he holds the record for most choreography nominations in Television Academy history and has appeared in film, television, and stage productions!

• Terry Fator comes to Sarasota on March 2. as part of his Pure Imagination: Once Upon a Voice - a 90 minute spectacular, featuring the incredible impressions, comedy and ventriloquism that has made Terry and his characters a must see show for fans across the nation.

• Jay Leno returns on January 14, 2027. Acclaimed TV late night show host, admired stand-up comedian, best-selling children’s book author, much-in-demand corporate speaker, TV and movie voice-over artist, pioneering car builder and mechanic, and philanthropist.

• The Golden Girls are back and better than ever with a stage show that’s more exciting than a trip to the Rusty Anchor. Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue will be playing, October 31 Sophia out is on bail after being busted by the DEA for running a drug ring for retirees. Blanche and Rose have founded CreakN, a thriving sex app for seniors. And Dorothy is trying to hold it all together with help from a new (much) younger sex-crazed lover. Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue allows audiences to relive the heartfelt hilarity of the four ladies who never stopped being best friends.

• Tickets at VanWezel.org , by calling the box office at 941-263-6799

the celebrated Scottish writer, Robert Louis Stevenson.

es. Goldsmith’s exhibition combines stunning images of flowers with intimate portraits of Selby Gardens’ artist in residence –

focus on the arts

Update on Sara ta Orchestra’s Music Center project

An $11.7 million investment and new architectural renderings

Sarasota Orchestra’s vision for a Music Center has taken another step, thanks to an additional $11.7 million investment and the release of new architectural renderings that offer a closer look at the future home for music, education and community connection. The Music Center will be located at 5701 Fruitville Road near Interstate 75.

With the schematic design phase now complete and design development nearing its conclusion, the Orchestra now enters the final phase of construction planning as it advances the project.

The newly released renderings reflect meaningful evolution across the Music Center’s design, illustrating how the project is being shaped to deliver an exceptional experience for audiences, a worldclass performance environment for the Orchestra’s musicians and the renowned artists it will attract, a permanent home for music education, and a welcoming campus

for the broader community to enjoy.

“What this design team has achieved is something exceptionally rare: a building that makes no compromises. From the acoustics of the concert hall to a location that makes the Music Center more accessible to the entire region, every element has been thoughtfully considered,” said the anonymous Orchestra patron behind the transformational $11.7 million gift.

“Creating a home where the Orchestra can fully control its artistic calendar, safeguard its instruments and library, and expand opportunities for music education made this a deeply meaningful investment. It’s a vision that strengthens both the artistic future of the Orchestra and its role in the broader region.”

“In every great endeavor, there comes a moment when a shared vision truly begins to take shape, and for our community, that moment is now,” said Sarasota Orchestra President and CEO Joseph McKenna. “We are deeply grateful for the extraordinary generosity that is bringing this Music

Center to life. While the design is breathtaking on paper, it is the community’s belief and support that will make it extraordinary in person. As we move into this exciting next phase, we warmly invite other leaders to join us with visionary commitments that will carry us confidently forward.”

Rising on a 32-acre campus devoted to performance, rehearsal, and learning, the Music Center will expand what Sarasota Orchestra can offer both young people and lifelong learners. It will create more opportunities for students to engage in music through lessons, ensembles, and yearround youth programming, while providing a purpose-built space designed to elevate every aspect of the musical experience.

With a state-of-the-art concert hall designed specifically for acoustic music and education spaces built for growth, the Music Center will elevate and expand Sarasota’s cultural infrastructure while advancing the Orchestra’s impact on the artistic, educational, social and economic vibrancy of the region.

Music Director Giancarlo Guerrero, now having completed his inaugural season with Sarasota Orchestra, added “These inspiring designs—made possible by the extraordinary generosity of this remarkable community—fill us with excitement as we envision Sarasota Orchestra’s richly deserved future home,” Giancarlo says. “What is emerging is far more than a concert hall—it is a shared cultural haven, a place where music in all its forms can flourish, where creative partnerships can thrive, and where Sarasota’s voice can resonate powerfully across the global musical landscape.”

“Sarasota punches above its weight in design and culture,” the donor added. “This project continues that legacy in a way that will serve the community for generations.”

To learn more about Sarasota Orchestra’s Music Center, visit www.sarasotaorchestra.org/ musiccenter

Sarasota Orchestra’s future Music Center will be located at 5701 Fruitville Road near Interstate 75.

A view from behind the stage of the concert hall at Sarasota Orchestra’s Music Center, which will be purpose-built for acoustic music and the first of its kind on Florida’s Gulf Coast.

A look at the lobby space. Open and welcoming by design, the space is intended to foster connection among patrons, musicians, students and visitors.

Suncoast Nonprofits Strained as Political Polarization Impacts Federal Funding

Cultural and political division in Florida and across the country has spread beyond heated arguments on social media and around Thanksgiving tables

Since Donald Trump took office in January 2025, federal funding policies based on culture-war debates have created uncertainty around grants, contracts and other kinds of government support that charitable organizations rely on to provide food, housing, and other critical services.

In November, an extended federal shutdown caused by partisan debates about how funding should be used led to millions of people losing food stamp benefits, and turning to an already overwhelmed nonprofit food system for support.

Earlier this year, federal housing officials introduced a divisive new funding approach that included stipulations on diversity, equity and inclusion policies, inspiring a lawsuit from national advocacy groups and delaying the distribution of billions of dollars usually dispersed to nonprofits fighting homelessness around the country.

Closer to home, Manatee County officials in April considered — and ultimately dismissed — a proposal that would have prevented nonprofits from receiving county funding unless they were able to verify their clients were not undocumented immigrants. Officials said the proposal was an attempt to align the county with a federal law, but critics warned it could discourage vulnerable individuals from seeking help and place an unnecessary strain on charitable organizations.

These federal changes have compounded with inflation and a rising demand for services to create a new financial strain for nonprofits. Many organizations are now left wondering how much longer they can keep the lights on.

“The politicization of nonprofit work has accelerated at a rate we just were not expecting or anticipating,” Sabeen Perwaiz, the president and CEO of the Florida Nonprofit Alliance, said during a presentation to local nonprofit leaders earlier this month. “We’re getting pulled into a fight that’s not ours.”

Perwaiz shared data from the alliance’s annual survey of nonprofits around the state.

But the numbers weren’t encouraging.

“Regardless of barriers, nonprofits are getting it done,” Perwaiz said during the presentation. “This is a strength, but an unsustainable one.”

In Florida’s Central West Region — which includes Sarasota and Manatee counties, as well as Polk, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando and Citrus — just over half of the nonprofits surveyed said they served more clients last year than in 2024.

In some cases, the increase in clients was huge — as more and more individuals are impacted by changing federal funding priorities.

Dan Minor is the president and CEO of Harvest House, a Sarasota nonprofit that focuses on providing housing and runs

a weekly drive-through food pantry. Minor said for one week during the government shutdown in November — which delayed food stamp benefits — they served 700 families. That was more than double the pantry’s predicted weekly clientele, based on previous service data.

“A lot of the people coming in were people who had never even been to a

Sabeen Perwaiz, the President and CEO of the Florida Nonprofit Alliance, presented the results of the alliance’s annual statewide nonprofit survey to nonprofit leaders from Sarasota and Manatee counties on May 14.

food bank before, so these are not people that are used to the system,” Minor said. “One quick decision or delay … has an immediate local impact.”

This increase in demand has not corresponded with an increase in funding. About a third of nonprofits in the region raised less money last year than in 2024, according to the alliance’s survey.

This is partially due to federal funding changes, as 29% of nonprofits said their programs and services were impacted by federal policies.

“It does have ripple effects,” Perwaiz said. “We can’t just keep our heads down.”

Federal decisions leave local organizations in limbo

Taylor Neighbors, the CEO of the nonprofit Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness, has seen the impact of federal funding changes firsthand.

Suncoast Partnership is a continuum of care organization that coordinates the homelessness-focused nonprofits across Sarasota and Manatee counties. Every year, Suncoast Partnership organizes the sector’s federal funding applications through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

In 2025, HUD released its notification of funding opportunities in November, several months later than normal, and stated funds wouldn’t be made available until May 2026, leaving a funding gap of about four months.

The notice went back on funds that had already been promised under a two-year application cycle set up under former President Joe Biden in 2024, and was riddled with restrictions that Neighbors said went against accepted best practice for reducing homelessness. Rather than focusing on permanent supportive housing, it encouraged organizations to focus primarily on transitional housing, like shelters. It also threatened to take funding from any organizations using language related to diversity, equity and inclusion.

The National Alliance to End Homelessness filed a lawsuit against HUD and the funding notice, which led to the federal agency issuing a second one that still kept many of the same restrictions. The national nonprofit also challenged that notice in court, and the case is ongoing.

Within the last few months, some organizations have started to receive funding. The federal government is beginning to issue the amounts promised under the Biden administration’s initial two-year funding plan, since the new plan can’t be used while the court case is still pending.

But Neighbors said trust is low that the funding will continue with any consistency.

“We just got a letter the other day … that we should be receiving the funding, which is great,” Neighbors said. “When we get the contract, and we actually have the executed contract, we’ll feel a little bit better.”

Local philanthropy cannot fill the gaps It’s not the first time the local housing support sector has had to get by without federal funding.

Neighbors said a few years ago, the Suncoast Partnership’s combined grant application was rejected because of a filling error, so the entire sector had to band together with philanthropic organizations and local governments to make it through the year.

“That’s what we’re used to in the nonprofit realm, being able to quickly adapt to situations,” Neighbors said. “We all just do the best that we can … It’s a lot of problem solving, being creative and collaboration.”

That’s what organizations around the state are attempting to do now.

The difference this time is that the funding difficulties are spread across every facet of the nonprofit sector. All kinds of organizations — from those providing food and shelter to those helping with mental and physical healthcare — are facing federal cuts. Even those that aren’t now face greater competition for donors, who are already stretched thin.

“It comes down to a reckoning of what kind of country do we want to be?” she said.

“Are we willing to take care of people who, many, through no fault of their own, find themselves in difficult situations? It comes down to an ethical decision, in my mind, and

Photo by Emily Andersen, Suncoast Searchlight

Joel T. Lanfair Jr. has been homeless in Sarasota for more than two years and said he still struggles with substance abuse and does not have access to services. During freezing temperatures, Lanfair said he sheltered in a downtown parking garage.

Photo by Derek Gilliam, Suncoast Searchlight

searchlight continued

“Is this something that philanthropy can make up? No, there is absolutely no way,” said Wendy Deming, the CEO of the Bishop-Parker Foundation, a nonprofit funding organization in Manatee County.

everybody, individually, needs to ask themselves that question.”

Deming said the number of funding requests the Bishop-Parker Foundation has received over the last couple years has stayed about the same, but types of requests are changing.

Instead of asking for funds to support new or ongoing programs, many organizations — especially those focused on health and human services — have been asking for operational funds, or money for things like building costs, electricity and staff salaries. In other words, they’re doing what they can to stay afloat.

“They’re looking for core support, rather than expanding what they’re able to do,” Deming said.

Unrestricted revenue, or funding that can be used for ongoing operations, can be hard for nonprofits to come by, since many funders want their dollars to go toward specific programs. Almost a third of nonprofits in the Central West Region saw a decrease in unrestricted revenue in 2025 compared to the year before, according to the Florida Nonprofit Alliance’s nonprofit survey.

“Once budgets start shrinking, then you’re looking at mostly laying off people,” said Leah McDermott, the program director for the Florida Nonprofit Alliance. “Oftentimes, it is your development staff who are raising the money, but you can’t afford to keep them on to do that, but then you’re in this vicious cycle.”

If Florida’s nonprofits start disappearing, the impact could go well beyond the clients they serve.

Nonprofit organizations make up 5% of Florida’s total workforce, according to data gathered by the Florida Nonprofit Alliance. That’s a larger economic impact than manufacturing jobs, which make up about 4% and similar to construction workers, which make up about 6%.

But no one wants to prevent the loss of nonprofits more than the nonprofits themselves, McDermott said.

“Nonprofits really just want to be able to provide the services, so they’re going to do what they need to do, within the confines of the law,” she said. “One thing about the nonprofit sector is that they really don’t like to stop helping people … ‘No’ is just not a word that you want to be able to say.”

SOURCE: Emily Andersen is a watchdog/investigative reporter at Suncoast Searchlight. Email her at eandersen@suncoastsearchlight.org.

About the Florida Nonprofit Alliance Survey

They have conducted regular surveys of the Florida nonprofit sector since April 2020, beginning in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2025 Florida Nonprofits Survey examines how nonprofits fared in six major categories – programs, human resources, finances, fundraising, recent external events, and barriers to sustainability – in the calendar year 2025.  It is a detailed picture of a sector under sustained pressure while continuing to adapt in service of its communities. Florida’s nonprofit organizations are facing rising demand for services, persistent fundraising difficulties, workforce (both staff and volunteer) pressure, and heightened uncertainty driven by economic, political, and environmental factors. At the same time, modest improvements in some financial indicators and continued optimism about mission impact demonstrate the sector’s resilience and commitment to meeting community needs.

The 2025 report shows a sector strained by financial volatility, human resources gaps, and rising community expectations - barriers that limit nonprofits’ ability to deliver services and plan confidently for the future.  Even so, Florida nonprofits remain deeply committed to improving and strengthening communities in every part of our state to advance a better future for Florida.

Key findings of the 2025 report include: Providing programs is getting harder.

Nearly 60% of Florida nonprofits experienced increased costs for recurring expenses in 2025, while 40% raised less money for program expenses, and demand for services continues to go up.

Nonprofit staff and volunteers struggled more in 2025 than in recent years.

Staff and board burnout affected about one in five nonprofits, and 16% reported staff experiencing mental health impacts, reflecting growing workforce strain.

CEO and Executive Director turnover remains around 25% over a three-year period, placing further stress on staff.

Financial health indicators are slightly improved from 2024 but still raise red flags about long-term sustainability.

Two-thirds of nonprofits saw no increase in unrestricted revenue, and 30% reported having no reserve funds at all, leaving many organizations financially vulnerable.

27% of nonprofits are very concerned about increased expenses, and 23% are very concerned about reduced future funding.

Fundraising remains the biggest concern and challenge for Florida nonprofits.

More than half of nonprofits did not raise more money in 2025 than in 2024, and, for the fourth year in a row, anticipated new fundraising sources consistently failed to materialize.

External factors, like the political landscape and disaster recovery, add additional stress to Florida nonprofits.

About 30% of nonprofits reported that recent federal changes impeded their ability to provide programs, including funding uncertainty, increased demand, and staff burnout. 12% are still experiencing negative effects from the 2024 hurricane season.

In 2009 she found an old bungalow on Fruitville Road and converted it into the popular Breakfast House in Sarasota. Forced to move due to her location being sold, she’s found a new place for a reimagined restaurant - also on Fruitville - set to open next year.

Say the word “breakfast” in downtown Sarasota and you have lots of options offering great food.

But if you want to dine in a charming 20's era bungalow that’s intimate and offers great food and service, there’s the Breakfast House on Fruitville Road.

Thus this could be an article about lavender pancakes that diners have loved for years and the people who serve themwhich isn’t a bad idea - but it’s much more than that.

No, it’s about a more serious thing like dealing with setbacks, and reinvention. The Breakfast House, which Wendy opened in 2009, is one of a number of businesses on north Fruitville Road in Sarasota. The bungalows are easily recognizable by their bright colors all sitting on crushed shell.

It’s no secret downtown Sarasota is on developer steroids and thus her location on Fruitville was sold to a developer who will convert the entire block to five-story apartments. Thus she and all the other renters on that 3.4 acre stretch will have to move.

But it’s worth a look at The Breakfast House story prior to this unsettling moment. It was April, 2009, and Wendy was driving on Fruitville Road and saw an old building for rent.

“Look at that little bungalow,” she recalls thinking, “That would make an adorable breakfast restaurant.” The building was “falling-apart,” but she saw potential. Her daughter Jazz, in the car with her at the time, was less than enthused.

“Little did we know, that dilapidated house was going to change our lives,” Wendy says. Though she didn’t have restaurant experience (she had been an interior designer in Naples for 18 years) she reasoned, “I knew how to cook” and that belief guided her.

On December 14, 2009, they opened and served 35 people in her 900 square-foot building with its 300 square-foot kitchen.

But it wasn’t all sunny side up eggs and pancakes. Renovations were costly - the old former home was in bad shape. It had to be replumbed and rewired. Wendy herself laid down new floors and put in new trim.

She went thrifting to find chairs and painted them bright colors. “It was 22 seats, a dishwasher, a cook and me,” she recalls. However, she had a “pretty building” but no money left to buy food until a relative helped her out.

On the menu, “Uncle Harry’s Hearty Breakfast” is her tribute to him - and it’s one of the Breakfast House’s most popular dishes.

Add to the challenges, that part of Sarasota in 2009 was crime-ridden due to drugs. Wendy hung in there even as criminal types who’d didn’t want her around harassed her by cutting her gas line and ripping out flowers she had planted.

But people discovered the Breakfast House and came back and told their friends. The number of diners grew to over 100 per day and they were serving breakfast and added lunch. Fast forward and that number has tripled especially after she added a large covered patio out back.

Both her daughters have helped with the restaurant. Ciara is Breakfast House’s head server and is a “customer service expert” according to her mother and has worked with Wendy for 17 years. Her other daughter, Jasmine, also helps with the business by providing photography and by managing the restaurant’s website.

All was going well and the restaurant celebrated its 16th anniversary in 2025. As well, the area around her restaurant had became a hub of unique stores and attractions - Discover Sarasota Tours, Siegfried’s German restaurant, the Artful Giraffe and the Cookie Cottage, to name a few.

And then came the news that they would all have to move as the landlord had sold the land to a developer. Wendy quickly met with city officials and the city’s zoning department, but to no avail. So Wendy made what is currently called a pivot - a major pivot.

She found and purchased land, also on Fruitville, just a mile east of the current location, and got together with her fellow businesses who also wanted to move and they linked arms: Discover Sarasota Tours, Siegfried’s restaurant, the Artful Giraffe and the Cookie Cottage.

The tract of land at Fruitville Road and Briggs Court has a 1947’s era house on it that needs lots of work. It’s déjà vu of a sort as Wendy is again renovating. All electric and plumbing have to be replaced. A new roof is also needed and hurricane windows have been ordered.

When completed (her estimate is January 2027), the restaurant will be larger and have more parking, and, according to images she’s shared, just as charming as the original.

By taking this initiative, she has helped her fellow businesses also find a new home. “We’re a family here…we all share,” she explains. She calls her current location a village and it’s something she’s “passionate about,” adding “I’ve got 17 years here,” and her voice trails off and tears came to her eyes.

Different tears will come as her new restaurant opens and she’s again surrounded by her fellow businesses.

It’s important to note that all of those businesses including Breakfast House are relocating and not closing. They will remain open until the new location is ready to be occupied.

So you can keep enjoying those lavender pancakes a good bit longer, but make sure in 2027 you visit the new location.

 STORY and IMAGE: Louise Bruderle

The Breakfast House 1817 Fruitville Road, Sarasota (941) 366-6860 www.sarasotabreakfasthouse.com

Stretch Zone makes stretching easy No excuses for putting it off any more

It�ssomething your cat has been doing all along - and was maybe giving you a hint that you should be doing it as well. It’s stretching.

Chances are, you’ve heard about the many benefits of stretching. And maybe you’ve thought about getting up and doing some healthy moves. Hmmm, but did you?

Probably not, as with so many things that are good for us, it requires frequency, a precise process and time.

And yet, you notice you’re stiff getting out of a chair or maybe your range of motion seems more limited. Or, maybe you know its benefits and you need motivation.

But why go to Stretch Zone when you can do it yourself? What makes them unique is that you leave the stretching to them.

Unlike PT (which is very beneficial but not what Stretch Zone is all about) you don’t have to stand, raise your limbs, work out those tight hips, or do those challenging shoulder pulls while an assistant watches and observes.

So how does it work? It’s unique in that after some questions about your health and any issues you may have, you get on a table as if getting PT or even a massage. Then they lock you in, so to speak, with their “proprietary strap system” that gently places a velcro strap across your middle to keep you in place - but don’t panic, it makes sense.

“It [the strap] isolates the muscles and allows the body to relax,” owner and Stretch Zone Regional Manager Tamy Aronow which allows the muscles to start lengthening. Then they go through a series or movements to evaluate your range of motion. Then they perform what they call “assisted stretching” where they take your leg or arm and gently move, rotate in and out - all the while making note of your flexibility - or lack thereof.

You may learn one side is more limber than the other, or that your arms and shoulders are pretty good, but your hamstrings are tight (hand raised). I mean, how easy is this?

And there’s no pain. Instead you start to feel like a piece of hard taffy that has warmed up and is starting to stretch out. Blood flow increases and you start to feel really chill.

Again dispel any thought of paint or discomfort. Tamy says some people even fall asleep during their sessions. This form of stretching can also help with improving posture, circulation, and helps to increase range of motion.

Most sign up for multiple sessions and the ages range from student athletes to retirees. The majority of her clients she says come in “because the body doesn’t move the way it used to.”

She has seen Parkinson’s patients and those having had knee or hip replacements. The bad news is, “At 30 we start to change” which means we start to lose flexibility due in large part to our sedentary lifestyle and micro injuries that make a kind of “glue” or scar tissue, that causes our body to tighten up or get “stuck.”

The good news is that you can get “unstuck.” Tamy has seen people coming in using canes or walkers and later leave without them. Afterwards, clients say they “feel lighter” and not sore. And while you’re sitting there reading this, she points out that “prolonged sitting” is the enemy.

The sample stretching session I experienced was in the North Venice location (2466 Laurel Road East) which is next to SMH’s Venice campus - making it an ideal spot if you’ve just gone through joint surgery and want to regain your fitness.

They offer a free 30-minute stretch that you can sign up for online. STORY: Louise Bruderle

Stretch Zone

2466 Laurel Road East in the North Venice in the Publix Plaza Venezia Shopping Center (941) 483-3900 or venice@stretchzone.com

There are several Stretch Zone locations in our area - Lakewood Ranch, Venice, Sarasota (2) and Bradenton

The Stretch Zone Research

“We’ve always known anecdotally that we were changing lives at Stretch Zone from the abundance of feedback we’ve received from our members over the years,” said Tony Zaccario, President and CEO of Stretch Zone.

“Now this new research proves just how powerful our approach is when it comes to improving overall health - from easing tension, discomfort and fatigue to improving sleep, recovery and range of motion. People feel better, move better and live better because of Stretch Zone; and now we have the data to prove it.”

The research study, The Stretch Zone Effect, is based on the results of evaluating the experience of 32 adults through 30 days of Stretch Zone’s standardized practitioner-assisted stretching program. Following FTC standards for quantifying meaningful change and durability, the study looked at people who followed the Stretch Zone program one time vs. two times a week and 30 minutes vs. 60 minutes a session.

The test period took place from March 31May 2, 2025 among participants who were brand new to the Stretch Zone Method and were not doing any stretching outside of the study.

Key findings

• 78% of participants saw a reduction in pain, easing tension and discomfort.

• 66% reported higher energy and reduced fatigue, making everyday life more vibrant.

• 58% reported better sleep, leading to improved recovery and wellbeing.

• 85% improved their range of motion, allowing them to move with freedom and confidence.

• 61% experienced increased ease in daily activities, from bending and lifting to walking and playing.

• 90% said they saw a full-body benefit to their general health, creating a stronger mind-body connection.

“These numbers translate into bending to tie a shoe, turning to check a blind spot or walking up stairs without discomfort. It reflects not just improved movement but restored ability to fully participate in life,” added Zaccario. SOURCE: Journal of Musculoskeletal Disorders and Treatment.

business focus

Aravilla in Sarasota

The area’s only all-female Memory Care Community

Google “memory care facilities for women” and plenty show up - just none of them are womencentered.

According to the National Institute for Health (NIH) dementia disproportionately affects women including persons living with dementia and caregivers. Almost two thirds of Americans living with Alzheimer’s are women.

They go on to say “Personcentered care, rather than disease-focused, is recommended to improve care for affected persons including caregivers.”

Opened this past February, Aravilla for Her and, as the name implies, is designed for women and is very much person-centered.

“Women make up the majority of individuals living with dementia, and they often have specific emotional and social needs that deserve specialized attention,” said Tracy D’Andrea, President of Aravilla Sarasota.

for Her is located within the

“Aravilla for Her is built around the belief that memory care should do more than support cognitive health. It should protect dignity, foster calm, and honor the life story behind every resident.” Within their campus, which also offers Independent Assisted Living, their dedicated women’s floor has an all female care staff—staff who understand the unique journey of women with dementia.

Arriving on the floor, you don’t see anything resembling a hospital or clinical setting. As you walk the corridor, you pass what looks almost like cottages as each unit has its own distinct “homey” look and feel.

There’s soft lighting throughout and the circular layout of the floor means women can easily walk - as many do- all the way around and back to their rooms.

attractively decorated but you can bring your own items if you like.

Rooms are attractively decorated but you can bring your own items if you like. They utilize the Amba system that gently supports each woman’s well-being through discreet in-suite sensors that monitor patterns like sleep and movement—never cameras or wearables—so staff can respond quickly and thoughtfully if something changes.

The walls have artwork familiar to these residents - Life magazine covers, ‘50s memories and the like. And there’s plenty to do. Tuesday they have non-denominational church services and arts groups like Key

Walls have artwork familiar to these residents - Life magazine covers, ‘50s memories and the like.

Chorale come and performs for residents.

Walking the corridors there are groups doing chair exercises while another group is having a tea party - complete with fancy hats and a tea service. These thoughtfully designed programs not only help reduce anxiety and restlessness, but also create a strong sense of belonging and sisterhood among residents.

There’s also a “lunch bunch” that heads out for meals with friends or for sight-seeing. “From leisurely walks in beautiful surroundings to engaging local adventures, each trip provides opportunities for social interaction, cognitive stimulation, and physical activity—all of which enhance overall health and well-being,” according to their website.

Activities can be high or low activity levels, but the goal is to have residents out of their rooms. Families are encouraged to

visit and one popular activity is when they offer root beer floats.

And yes, you can spend the rest of your life here if you so wish. They are fully licensed to provide for that.

Music is also a part of the lifestyle at Aravilla. In addition to visiting arts groups, they have musicians performing at meals. “We provide a higher level of specialty care designed to support every woman’s health and dignity. Music often awakens cherished memories, sparking joy and emotional connection, while art, movement, and social activities provide meaningful ways to express individuality,” says their website.

The best way to learn more about Aravilla for Her is to come in for a tour. They offer so much to women needing their services and make the transition as smooth as possible.

Aravilla for Her 3251 Proctor Rd, Sarasota Call 941-770-4373 to arrange a tour Assisted Living Facility License #12551

Exteriors of the rooms look like cottages as each unit has its own distinct “homey” look and feel.

Rooms are

Music is also a part of the lifestyle at Aravilla. They have musicians performing at meals.

Aravilla

Aravilla campus which also offers Independent Assisted Living.

healthier you

What is Functional Medicine?

It’s

an approach to healing that is patient-centered and values getting to the root of

the problem

If

you want to feel great in your body and mind now and going into the future, functional medicine could be

a good option for you.

”

Functional medicine is the new phrase to describe an ancient approach to healing that is patient-centered and values getting to the root of the health problem often by using natural treatments, dietary changes, and self-care at home. In natural medicine, our approach has always been patient-centered and sought to find the underlying cause of the problem rather than just cover up symptoms.

People who practice functional medicine look at the interrelationships between body systems, genetics, social and environmental influencers of health, the mind, and the spiritual/energetic components of being.

We are patient allies and help you understand what aspects of your body and life are preventing you from feeling great. We want you to be informed and make decisions that are best for you. My goal as a clinician is to help you understand your body so you can have clarity about what is right for you, and find your voice to be able to advocate for yourself.

We often will interpret traditional labwork from the lens of the ideal, rather than the lens of pathology. We also use non-traditional lab tests that can pick up early changes in the body and can help guide treatment before a process has developed into pathology.

Functional medicine practitioners often see cases that befuddle biomedicine. Because we are often the place people go after they have been to many other doctors, we tend to see a lot of zebras.

Each of us will be ticking through the things that tend to create zebras: mold/ mycotoxins, lyme/other tick-borne disease, autoimmunity, genetic mutations, leaky gut, traumatic brain injury, and more. Because we are looking for ideal function, our standards for intervention are different.

For instance, for us, it is not good enough to poop a couple times a week. It is not normal to have pain with your period. It is not normal to forget as we age.

What you can expect when you see Dr. Peterson

You will start by filling out a big health history. This is important because 80% of our diagnosis comes from the history. I need to know what you have already done, what has helped, what hasn’t helped, what exposures you have had, and what your environment and lifestyle currently are.

I will also ask you to upload your prior imaging and lab. Some people will say “Everything is normal”. And I will remind them

Caroline Peterson, DC, PhD, MPH

that in functional medicine we use the ideal range when looking at labs, so I really do need to see labs from the past year.

Before I ever meet you, I spend time reviewing your case and writing a list of questions for you so I am prepared to help you to the best of my ability.

When you come to the clinic we will generally spend one hour talking about your health journey and trying to piece together the puzzle. We will decide what additional information is needed, and what avenues have not yet been explored. I will commonly order additional lab tests and ask you to do some assessments of yourself and your environment at home.

After that, we will move to the table. I will take your vitals and begin assessing your body. Most people I see have conditions that benefit from a combination of internal medicine and manual therapy. Most of my patients will also need training in certain exercises, including breathing, to help them acquire ultimate health.

Most patients also need some dietary revision and supplement support. Many patients benefit from exploring ways to decrease stress in their lives.

I love working in teams. Maybe you are already improving with the care you are receiving but one or two pieces have yet to be addressed. If you already work with other clinicians, I can look for the gaps in your health care team and fit in without creating redundancy.

If you want to feel great in your body and mind now and going into the future, functional medicine could be a good option for you. For functional medicine to be effective, you must be willing to care for yourself on an ongoing basis at home. It’s not enough to check in once or twice a year, or wait until things are worse to intervene. Functional medicine is not for everyone because it does require more effort from you. However, the rewards are great. And if you want to shoot for your best self, it could be right for you!

Caroline Peterson, DC, PhD, MPH

Functional Medicine, Visceral Manipulation, Complex Cases

Natural Women’s Health Institute at Gulfgate Wellness

6981 Curtiss Ave #5, Sarasota, FL 34231

P 941-726-5679

Visit Natural Women’s Health Institute

Light, easy to prepare, and versatile: Shrimp

Citrus Marinated Shrimp with Avocado

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined with the tail on

2 pink grapefruit, peeled and segmented, seeds removed

3 tangelos, peeled and segmented, seeds removed

3 tangerines, peeled and segmented, seeds removed

1 sweet pepper, diced

1 large avocado, peeled, pitted and diced

2 tablespoons seafood boil seasoning

1 red onion, diced

1 tablespoon olive oil

PREPARATION:

INGREDIENTS:

3 Tbs of extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup of rice

2 cherry tomatoes

3 shrimp

3 mussels

4 pieces of calamari parsley, chives, salt, black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

3 limes, juiced½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 bag plantain chips or tortilla chips

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Fill a medium-sized sauce pot ¾ the way with water, and heat over medium-high. Add the seafood seasoning to the boiling pot of water. Add the shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes or until completely done. As soon as the shrimp are done, plunge them into an ice water bath to stop the cooking and cool them off.

When the shrimp are completely cool, strain them and put them into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add the citrus, sweet pepper, red onion, olive oil, lime juice, cilantro and avocado. Season the ingredients to taste with salt and pepper. Stir to combine ingredients. Serve ceviche with chips.

Shrimp Niçoise Salad

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound shrimp, peeled, tails on

½ pound small potatoes, halved and blanched

½ pound green beans, trimmed and blanched

1 cup a roasted red pepper, sliced thick

8 ounces salad greens

3 lemons, halved

1 cup lemon vinaigrette

1 cup cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup assorted olives, pitted

1 tablespoon fresh herbs (parsley, rosemary, dill), chopped,

1 tablespoon seafood seasoning blend

1 teaspoon olive oil, plus more as needed

LEMON VINAIGRETTE

1 lemon, zested

3 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed

PREPARATION:

1 teaspoon all-purpose seasoning blend, plus more to taste

½ cup plain Greek yogurt

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon fresh garlic, chopped fine

2 tablespoons fresh herbs (parsley, dill, rosemary), chopped fine

1 tablespoon Dijon or whole grain mustard

Preheat a large pan over medium-high heat. Char 5 lemon halves, cut side down. Remove from pan. Season the shrimp with ½ teaspoon seafood seasoning, 1 teaspoon olive oil and ½ teaspoon chopped herbs.

Drizzle the hot pan with olive oil and add the seasoned shrimp. Cook for 2 minutes on each side, until just done, then remove from pan. Arrange salad greens on a platter and drizzle with 1 tablespoon vinaigrette. Add green beans, potatoes, cannellini beans and roasted red peppers in small bunches. Scatter olives throughout and drizzle vinaigrette, to taste. Add shrimp, herbs, grilled

lemon halves and a light sprinkle of seafood seasoning. Serve immediately.

CREAMY LEMON

VINAIGRETTE

Whisk all ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Adjust seasoning, to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Chef Tip: Best if prepared the night before.

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound medium-sized shrimp, peeled

2 cups cabbage, shredded

2 tomatoes, diced

¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Vegetable oil (cooking)

8 corn or flour tortillas

Seafood Salad

Begin by boiling rice in salted water. Drain the rice and mix with 1 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil and let cool off. Add 1 tbsp. of oil and cook the shrimp for 2 minutes. Remove the shrimp. Add the mussels in the same pan and keep cooking them until they open.

Clean the shrimp, shell the mussels and mix with rice and sliced tomatoes. Add calimari. Season with chopped parsley, black pepper, salt, a pinch of chives and the last olive oil

Citrus Marinated Shrimp with Avocado

INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ pounds shrimp, peeled & deveined

2 cups orange juice

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon hot pepper, finely chopped

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

PREPARATION:

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook orange juice, soy sauce, sesame oil and garlic until liquid is reduced by half. Add pink shrimp and cook approximately 6-8 minutes or until shrimp is opaque in center and liquid thickens again. Add the chopped pepper and mix well, then taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately.

Grilled Shrimp with Mango & Sweet Chili Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

20 large shrimp, peeled and deveined

4 mangoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes

1 cup sweet chili sauce

½ lime, juiced

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated

1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped fine

¼ cup scallions, sliced fine

20 small bamboo skewers

DIRECTIONS:

Soak bamboo skewers in water for at least 1 hour (this reduces the chance of the skewers burning). Combine sweet chili sauce, lime juice, ginger and mint in a small bowl. Slice scallions and set aside. On a clean surface, place a mango cube in between the tail and top of a shrimp. Insert the bamboo skewer through the shrimp and mango. Repeat the skewering process until all shrimp are skewered and store in the refrigerator until ready to grill. Preheat a charcoal grill (or indoor grill pan) and cook the shrimp and mango skewers. When the shrimp is close to being cooked through, glaze with the sweet chili sauce. Sprinkle with sliced scallions and serve.

Shrimp Tacos with Cabbage

½ cup plain yogurt

1 fresh lime, juiced

1 teaspoon dried cumin

1 tablespoon hot sauce (your favorite)

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

PREPARATION:

Wrap tortillas in foil and warm in 300–degree oven. Preheat a medium saute pan over medium-high heat. In a small mixing bowl, combine the yogurt, lime juice, cumin and hot sauce. Stir ingredients to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Set aside the yogurt sauce for later use. Lightly season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the preheated sauté pan.

Carefully add the seasoned shrimp and cook for 2-4 minutes or until completely cooked. Assemble tacos by layering cabbage, cilantro and tomatoes in the tortilla shell. Place an even portion of shrimp on top of the vegetables. Spoon the yogurt sauce on top of the shrimp.

Summer Circus Spectacular happening this month Summer Circus Spectacular runs to Aug. 8

The Circus Arts Conservatory and The Ringling unite for circus fun

TThe Circus Arts Conservatory and The Ringling are partnering again to present the Summer Circus Spectacular

Saturday, August 8.

The Summer Circus Spectacular showcases circus artists from around the world. Tickets are adult: $20; child (age 12 and under): $15 and are available only at ringling.org.

Attendees can add admission to the Historic Circus Galleries and the Tibbals Learning Center for an additional $5.

FEATURED ARTISTS

Ashley Vargas, Ringmaster

As master of ceremonies for Summer Circus Spectacular 2026, Ashley Vargas introduces a new show format to the Historic Asolo Theater.

From a strong background in circus production, she went on to perform for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey for years before touring the world, performing in shows like Gebruder Knie, Schweizer National Circus in Switzerland, Circus Nikulin in Moscow, Russia, Circ Historic Raluy in Catalonia, Spain, and Werldkerst Circus in the Netherlands. Then Ashley won over Suncoast audiences as a comedic performer in Circus Sarasota, working alongside Davis Vassallo.

Davis Vassallo, Clowning and Slack Wire

A third-generation clown, Davis Vassallo returns to entertain Sarasota as only he can!He learned to walk on a slack rope, play musical instruments, and do somersaults from his father, eventually performing in his family circus.

At fifteen, he performed in England with the Billy Smart Circus, then in the fascinating old-style circus Il Florilegio. He has recently worked at Cirkus Arnardo in Norway, as well as on circuses and television shows in Belgium, Germany and Italy. As a child, Vassallo dreamed of working in the ring, being as funny as Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton or the Italian master of comedy, Totò. He says, “I'm happy to be a clown! Clowning is fun, it's a privilege, it's a dream. And the dream is the most beautiful job in the world.”

Noel Aguilar, Juggling

Noel Aguilar debuts a thrilling new take on his world-famous juggling act at the Summer Circus Spectacular! A talented performer hailing from a multi-generational circus family in Mexico, he was introduced to the art of juggling at a young age by his father, a skilled juggler himself. Noel quickly developed a passion for juggling and honed his skills, winning multiple awards for his juggling act, including the prestigious Clown Award for the New Generation presented by the royal family of Monte Carlo. He has taken his fun, energetic, and charismatic performances to shows, theaters, and circuses around the world. Whether he’s performing in a circus tent or on a grand stage, Noel never fails to dazzle his audience with his incredible performances.

Emma Grace Clarke. Aerial Spiral

For the first time on the Historic Asolo stage, Emma Grace will present aerial artistry on the Spiral. Blending grace and strength in a performance that will showcase both the beauty and power of contemporary circus arts. Emma is accomplished in multiple aerial disciplines. She began training at the age of six, graduating from the Sailor Circus Academy and Sarasota High School’s Circus Arts magnet program. At 11 years old, she was the youngest circus performer at the 2017 Smithsonian Folklife Festival celebrating Circus Arts on the National Mall in Washington DC, performing for more than 1 million visitors.

She launched her professional career in 2023, performing across the United States and as a featured solo aerialist in the first two years of Nik Wallenda’s Wonderland. Most recently, Emma joined the world-renowned Flying Caballeros, considered the world’s best flying trapeze troupe, winning top honors at international circus competitions, including the prestigious Golden Clown award at the 2025 Monte Carlo International Circus Festival. She performed with The Flying Caballero at the 25/26 Werldkerst Circus at the Royal Theatre Carré in Amsterdam and continues to work with them internationally.

Duo Transcend, Duo Roller Skating and Duo Trapeze

Multi-talented circus artists Mary Wolfe-Nielsen and Tyce Nielsen, aka Duo Transcend, perform two stunning acts in the Summer Circus Spectacular. Tyce comes from a background in sports and daredevil high-diving from heights of up to 80 feet into a small 8-foot tank. Mary was a professional ballerina and aerial acrobat. The married couple from Salt Lake City, Utah also perform aerial silk, tramp wall, diving, and acting. Best known from America’s Got Talent Season 13, Duo Transcend have also performed for Cirque du Soleil, done halftime events for the LA Lakers and the Houston Rockets, and also appeared on MTV’s show Amazingness, Das Supertalent, The Great American Variety Show, and Cirque Adrenaline. Their edge-of-yourseat, thrilling acrobatic moves.

Yelitza Vivas, Hand Balancing

Yelitza Vivas embodies a legacy of seven generations of circus artists through her hand-balancing act. She grew up in her grandparents’ circus in Mexico, surrounded by the art, discipline, and tradition of the circus world. Since childhood, she trained for acrobatics, flexibility, and balance, and began professional training in hand balancing at the age of fourteen, developing an elegant style combined with strong technical ability. She has also performed in her family’s traditional Icarian Games act, and in major productions and international shows, including Barley Circus, Cirque Musica USA, theCircus of La Chola Chabuca in Lima, Peru, and the Atayde Circus in Mexico, as well as performances alongside the Charleston Philharmonic and the Orlando Philharmonic, and she was featured in the 500 Years Festival in Tlaxcala, Mexico.

For tickets and information

Contact the Historic Asolo Theater Box Office 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily Call 941 -360-7399 or visit www. ringling .org

Ashley Vargas, Ringmaster

Noel Aguilar,  Juggling

Emma Grace Clarke, Aerial Spiral

Yelitza Vivas, Hand Balancing

Davis Vassallo, Clowning & Slack Wire

Celebrating the 250th in Philadelphia

At the Philadelphia Museum of Art

On exhibit now, A Nation of Artists brings together three collections— the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and the Middleton Family Collection—for a once-in-a-generation presentation celebrating 250 years of American creativity. Spanning centuries, stories, and artistic traditions, the exhibition unfolds across two iconic Philadelphia institutions.

This is an opportunity to immerse yourself in a panorama of American art from 1700 to 1964. The installation traces the evolution of American identity—revealing exchanges between Native American, African American, European, and immigrant traditions.

Across painting, sculpture, photography, decorative arts, fashion, ceramics, and more, the galleries illuminate the creative forces that have shaped the nations visual culture.

On display are iconic masterpieces by Thomas Eakins, Henry Ossawa Tanner, Winslow Homer, Edward Hopper, Georgia O’Keeffe, Alexander Calder, and others. Runs to July 2027. Philadelphia Museum of Art 2600 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy, Philadelphia For information about the collaboration between PMA and PAFA, visit ANationofArtists.org

At The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (PAFA)

PAFA is the nation’s first museum and school of fine arts housed in a 19th century Frank Furness and George Wattson Hewitt designed Historic Landmark Building.

Artists with deep connections to Philadelphia, such as Horace Pippin, Mary Cassatt, and Charles Willson

The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts

118-128 North Broad Street, Philadelphia www.pafa.org/museum/ exhibitions/a-nation-of-artists

The National Constitution Center

Two new galleries on America’s founding and the separation of powers have opened in time for America’s 250th anniversary in 2026.

The National Constitution Center’s America’s Founding gallery explores early battles for independence, expanding upon the former American Treasures gallery and showcasing rare artifacts alongside high-tech snapshots of Revolutionary America.

Peale appear alongside contemporary figures including Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Rina Banerjee, María Berrío, Mickalene Thomas, and Kara Walker.

The exhibition is curated thematically, grouping artworks as never before assembled to explore new ideas, connections, and interpretations of American art. Through these juxtapositions, visitors will see centuries of American art through a powerful, new lens.

The installation will also include contemporary art from the 21st century, placing today's most exciting living artists in dialogue with those of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries.

The exhibition at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Art (PAFA) collaborates with a simultaneous presentation at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) in celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026. Across the two museums, A Nation of Artists will feature more than 1,000 works, including more than 100 iconic paintings and decorative arts from the Middleton Family Collection. Together, these works will offer fresh perspectives on the evolving story of American art and experience. Runs to September 5, 2027.

Governing the Nation, the latest new addition, takes visitors on an immersive journey through the checks and balances of the three branches of government with historic artifacts paired with handson experiences.

There will be a loaned copy of the U.S. Constitution—one of the

Story of We the People, since the National Constitution Center’s opening in 2003.

America's Founding Gallery tells the story of America’s founding principles, exploring how we declared independence, fought a revolution, learned from early challenges, and ultimately developed a new form of government.

Separation of Powers Gallery is a new exhibit about the separation of powers will explore how the Constitution defines roles and balances power between the three branches of government and between the federal government and the states.

The National Constitution Center is the nation’s only museum dedicated to the U.S. Constitution.

National Constitution Center 525 Arch Street, Philadelphia. Visit constitutioncenter.org Museum of the American Revolution

The Declaration’s Journey (to January 3, 2027), marks the 250th anniversary of our nation's founding by exploring the history and global impact of the Declaration of Independence from 1776 to today.

14 known original, official printed copies—as well as a rare first printing of constitutional amendments being debated by Congress that would become our Bill of Rights, are displayed just steps from where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were signed.

These rare documents will be on display throughout 2026 during the nation's 250th anniversary celebrations that will attract millions of global visitors to Philadelphia.

These galleries are part of the first major renovation of the main exhibit space, which currently displays The

With more than 100 nations having integrated its ideals into their own independence movements, the exhibition showcases how American Declaration of Independence has become one of the most influential political documents in modern history, gathering together for the first time in one place some of the most important and rare documents, works of art, and artifacts from around the world that reflect the complex 250-year history and legacy of the Declaration of Independence.

This exhibition gathers together for the first time in one place some of the most important and rare documents, works of art, and artifacts from around the world that reflect the complex 250-year history and legacy of the Declaration of Independence.

Through this exhibit, digital initiatives, and educational programs, we aim to facilitate widespread conversation about the meaning of the American Declaration of Independence and its ongoing legacy.

The Lee Shore (detail), 1941, by Edward Hopper, American. Oil on canvas

Benjamin West, Penn’s Treaty with the Indians, 1771–1772. Oil on canvas

The National Constitution Center is the nation’s only museum dedicated to the U.S. Constitution

travel 250th continued

The exhibition begins with the story of Jonas Phillips, a Jewish merchant in Philadelphia who tried to send a letter, written in Judeo-German to keep its contents secret, and a John Dunlap-printed broadside of the Declaration of Independence to Amsterdam in July 1776. That copy never arrived, as the ship carrying it was captured by a British warship.

The letter and Dunlap broadside will be on view alongside a discussion of Phillips’s efforts to remind government leaders about the Declaration’s promise of freedom of conscience — an early example of the emerging meanings credited to the Declaration.

The story moves abroad to examine how international interpretations of the Declaration of Independence in the early 1800s pressured Americans to clarify their own understanding of the founding document, especially its language about equality.

The narrative the explores the Declaration’s appropriation by abolitionists, suffragists, and Confederate secessionists. Items on display include a printing of Frederick Douglass’s oration from July 5, 1852, best known for the line “What to the American Slave, is your Fourth of July?” and a printing of the Seneca Falls Convention’s Declaration of Sentiments of 1848, which launched the modern women’s suffrage movement with the addition of the phrase “and women” to the Declaration’s statement that “all men” are created equal.

Examples of Native American declarations of sovereignty and independence, including those of the Mashpee Wampanoag and Cherokee, show ways that the Declaration’s language was re-fashioned in the 1800s by people described in the original document as “savage.”

The Declaration and the World Museum of the American Revolution 101 South Third Street, Philadelphia https://www.amrevmuseum.org/ about-the-declaration-s-journey

Paths to Independence 1765-1787

The Historical Society of Pennsylvania has an exhibit Paths To Independence, 1765-1787, that traces the transformation from loyal subjects to revolutionaries. The exhibition displays rare documents and personal stories to reveal how Philadelphians forged the complex path to American independence. Runs to September 18, 2026.

In 1763, most American colonists proudly saw themselves as members of the British Empire. Yet by 1776, many were ready to break from Britain and condemn King George III as a ‘Royal Brute.’ Paths to Independence explores how this remarkable shift happened in just over a decade.

The exhibit showcases rare documents from the Historical Society of Penn-

Pennsylvania Hospital Museum

In 1751, Benjamin Franklin and Dr. Thomas Bond founded Pennsylvania Hospital to treat Philadelphia’s poorest residents, free of charge. Their legacy lives on at the nation’s oldest hospital, now open as a museum on the historic campus.

The Pennsylvania Hospital Museum transforms the Pine Building into a series of galleries showcasing the evolution of modern medicine and the hospital’s long legacy of care, having treated patients from the American Revolution through today.

sylvania—including letters, pamphlets, broadsides, prints, and early drafts of the Articles of Confederation and the U.S. Constitution. Tracing the complex path to American independence, these documents reveal the ideas of well-known leaders such as Benjamin Franklin, John Dickinson, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and James Wilson, as well as the everyday Philadelphians whose experiences shaped the struggle for independence.

The Historical Society of Pennsylvania

1300 Locust Street, Philadelphia https://hsp.org/visit

Now Open

The Philly Pride Visitor Center serves as a welcoming hub for LGBTQ+ resources and travel-planning services.

Located in the Gayborhood — at the heart of Midtown Village — the center stands as one of America’s first visitor centers dedicated to LGBTQ+ visitors and allies.

Don’t miss exhibits detailing Philly’s pioneering role in the fight for equal rights.

Philly Pride Visitor Center, 1139 Locust Street, Philadelphia

An abandoned 19th-century bank in Old City has been transformed into an immersive, six-story work of art called Ministry of Awe, featuring interactive installations, immersive soundscapes and more.

Inside, visitors can try their hand at a forgery, feel a super-sized exhale while standing below a ginormous nose or chase stars in a room-wide mural that responds to human interactions. Global artist and creative mind behind the transformative art experience, Meg Saligman, collaborated with more than 100 artists to create the massive work. Hidden rooms and secret spots abound.

Ministry of Awe, 27 N. 3rd Street, Philadelphia

The 275-year-old Pennsylvania Hospital features the medical library, surgical amphitheater, and apothecary. This transformation aligns with Philadelphia’s 250th celebration, reaffirming its historical leadership in science and medicine.

Eight exhibits showcase the hospital’s history in behavioral care, women’s health, apothecary innovations, and leadership during times of conflict.

Visitors can expect to see the interior and exterior gussied up and looking finer than ever, with Drexel University and the U.S. Department of State partnering to curate items on exhibition, including many from the historic Atwater Kent Collection. First Bank of the United States, 120 S. 3rd Street, Philadelphia

Don’t forget

the Liberty Bell Center is at 526 Market Street. Exhibits line the left side of the hallway in the Liberty Bell Center. Topics range from the founding of the State House bell (now known as the Liberty Bell) to its use by abolitionists and civil rights advocates. The Liberty Bell, previously called the State House Bell or Old State House Bell, is an iconic symbol of American independence located in Philadelphia.

Originally placed in the steeple of Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell today is located across the street from Independence Hall in the Liberty Bell Center in Independence National Historical Park.

The bell was commissioned in 1752 by the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly from the London-based firm Lester and Pack, later renamed the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, and was cast with the lettering "Proclaim LIBERTY Throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants Thereof".

Pennsylvania Hospital Museum, 800 Spruce Street, Philadelphia.

New Exhibits at the First Bank of the United States

Philadelphia’s most prominent addition for 2026 is the reopening of the First Bank of the United States within Independence National Historical Park, publicly accessible for the first time in 50 years. Alexander Hamilton originally opened the bank — the first centralized national bank in the country — in 1797.

The bell first cracked when rung after its arrival in Philadelphia, and was twice recast by local workmen John Pass and John Stow, whose surnames appear on the bell. In its early years, the bell was used to summon lawmakers to legislative sessions and to alert citizens to public meetings and proclamations.

It is likely that the Liberty Bell was among the bells in Philadelphia to ring on July 8, 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was first read to the public, although no contemporary account of the ringing exists.

www.nps.gov/inde/planyourvisit/ libertybellcenter.htm

Independence Hall l is located on Chestnut Street, between 5th and 6th Streets. Entrance is through a security screening area on the south side of Independence Hall.

Independence Hall is a historic civic building where both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States were debated and adopted by the Founding Fathers of the United States.

The building, which is the centerpiece of Independence National Historical Park, was designated a World Heritage Site in 1979. It is an example of American Georgian architecture, which is characterized by symmetry, classical proportions, and exposed brick with stone masonry accents.

The Declaration and the World

The Historical Society of Pennsylvania

First Bank of the United States

Pennsylvania Hospital Museum

Other travel news

Margaritaville is coming to Sarasota

The spirit of singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett will live on in Sarasota County through a new waterfront resort bearing the name of his signature song.

Local restaurateur Mike Evanoff has joined with Floridays Development Company to bring a 120-room Compass Hotel by Margaritaville to Little Sarasota Bay next to Evie’s at Spanish Point in Osprey.

Compass Hotels by Margaritaville are an upscale boutique brand that focuses on the lifestyle modeled by the late Jimmy Buffett. They are intentionally a smaller scale than the larger Margaritaville resort hotels which are located all over the country.

Fifteen of the 120 rooms will be two-room suites, while the existing restaurant facilities will allow it to be a wedding venue that can accommodate about 120 people. From their

website, its says Compass Hotels by Margaritaville offers a complimentary breakfast included in the room rate, a Welcome Cabana in the lobby for all day refreshments, and a Living Lounge with board games, books and a complimentary happy hour. There’s a Compass in Bradenton.

With 40 boat slips already at Spanish Point, guests can opt to arrive by water. In addition to renting boats and personal watercraft, the resort plans to offer shuttles across Sarasota Bay, so guests can visit Midnight Pass, which was reopened by Hurricane Milton in 2024. Construction should start this summer.

Scalloping Season Returns to Crystal River

One of Florida’s popular summer traditions returns July 1 as scalloping season opens along the Gulf Coast, and Paddletail Waterfront Lodge, A Trademark Collection by Wyndham.

Available through September 24, the lodge’s seasonal Scalloping Package pairs guided Gulf excursions with waterfront accommodations and a chef-prepared cook-your-catch dinner in the heart of Crystal River.

Starting at $890 for two guests*, midweek packages include: two nights’ accommodations at Paddletail Waterfront Lodge, guided scalloping excursion with one of Crystal River’s captains, including snorkel gear, mask and fins, chef-prepared cook-yourcatch dinner featuring guests’ fresh scallops served with seasonal sides and a welcome amenity bag with scalloping tips, mesh gathering bags and scallop recipes

Often described as an underwater Easter egg hunt, scalloping is one of Florida’s most accessible and family-friendly aquatic adventures. Guests snorkel over shallow seagrass flats, typically just 3 to 6 feet deep, searching for bay scallops tucked among the grass. The shellfish are recognizable

by the bright blue eyes lining their fanshaped shells and their quick fluttering movement through the water, turning the experience into part treasure hunt, part seafood excursion.

Armed with snorkel gear and mesh bags, guests gather their catch before heading back to shore to enjoy the ultimate reward: a fresh dock-to-dish dinner featuring scallops harvested just hours earlier.

Scalloping charters and cook-yourcatch meals may also be booked separately for guests not reserving the full package.

For information, visit PaddletailLodge.com or call (866) 930-8730

*Pricing based on two-night, midweek stays for two guests. See website for details.

Olde Naples Hotel Now Open on Third Street South

Olde Naples Hotel has opened on Third Street South. The 109-room property is in the heart of Naples, just steps from Third Street South and one block to the beach.

Part of Opal Collection, the hotel draws from the legacy of the original 1889 Naples Hotel, which was built on this site, reimagined as a modern-day gathering place rooted in the spirit of Old Naples.

With its opening, Olde Naples Hotel brings renewed vibrancy to one of the city’s most iconic neighborhoods. While newly built, it draws directly from the scale and character of Old Naples.

Guest rooms and suites reflect the charm of Old Naples’ cottage homes. Interiors layer vintage patterns with subtle coastal tones. Architectural details echo the neighborhood, from dormered rooflines to lofted wood ceilings, with a palette of soft whites

and blues that ties back to the Gulf just one block away.

At the top of the hotel, a rooftop pool offers a retro-inspired escape above the historic district, with shaded cabanas, and sunset views that stretch toward the Gulf just one block away. There’s a full-service spa and fitness center and amenities such as bicycles, beach chairs, umbrellas, and a complimentary shuttle.

Annie’s Bistro, Bar & Bakery anchors the culinary experience. Mornings begin with espresso and house-made pastries, later offering an American menu by evening.

Rates startat $399 per night. To celebrate the opening, the hotel is offering a “Grand Olde Opening Offer” with up to 30% off on select room types on stays of three nights or more for arrivals starting in June. For more information, visit OpalCollection.com/oldenaples-hotel or call 855-484-0494

Really? Is this going to happen, Penn Station?

Penn Station’s overhaul recently took a big step forward.

The U.S. Department of Transportation and Amtrak announced the selection of Penn Transformation Partners, a joint venture made up of Halmar International and Skanska, as the master developer of the project following a bidding process.

The developer will build a “brandnew world-class station,”with open concourses and expanded track capacity, while keeping Madison Square Garden in its current location. The news comes after Transportation Secretary Duffy announced the federal government would spend $8 billion to rebuild Penn Station.

The redesign will include an entrance on Eighth Avenue and open

concourses replacing the current cramped walkways. Passengers will find improvements, like new retail and better wayfinding.

The project will also expand track capacity, including possibly through-running on the regional rail network to increase efficiency. The new design will also take inspiration from the original Penn Station, a Beaux-Arts building designed by McKim, Mead & White in 1910 and demolished in the 1960s.

travel news continued

Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts Offers

‘The Devil’s Martini,’ Inspired by “The Devil Wears Prada 2”

Waldorf Astoria

Hotels & Resorts

offers a The Devil’s Martini, a fashion-forward new cocktail created by award-winning mixologist and Waldorf Astoria New York beverage partner Jeff Bell and inspired by 20th Century Studios’ “The Devil Wears Prada 2”. The cocktail is available now for a limited time at Waldorf Astoria hotels across the United States and select hotels in Europe and Japan.

Filmed in part at the newly restored Waldorf Astoria New York, “The Devil Wears Prada 2" places the hotel back at the center of fashion and cultural conversation. In the film’s latest trailer, the return of Peacock Alley, which sits at the heart of Waldorf Astoria New York’s cocktail legacy, offers a striking visual moment, reaffirming its role as one of New York’s most iconic social corridors.

this tradition of elegant, social drinking. With The Devil’s Martini, Bell reinterprets that legacy through a contemporary lens, crafting a drink that feels both timeless and culturally current.

The Devil’s Martini is composed of Grey Goose Vodka, a fellow collaborator on “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” Sakura Vermouth, and hibiscus flower extract, the cocktail takes on a vivid crimson hue.

In a final, deliberate twist, the drink is garnished with a Wakamomo, a preserved rare baby mountain peach from Japan, harvested in early spring while still green and small, often mistaken for olives.

Peacock Alley’s appearance on screen underscores Waldorf Astoria New York’s enduring connection to the worlds of fashion and storytelling, making it a natural setting for a film that continues to define both.

A defining fixture of the brand for more than a cen tury, the martini has long been synonymous with

The Devil’s Martini

Ingredients 3 oz. Grey Goose Vodka 0.5 oz. Sakura Vermouth 10 dashes or 1 barspoon hibiscus flower extract

Directions

Stir all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a Wakamomo preserved baby peach on a trident skewer or cocktail pick.

The Diplomat in Hollywood, FL, gets a makeover

Signia by Hilton Diplomat Beach Resort opened on May 1, marking a new era for the iconic beachfront destination as The Diplomat Beach Resort transitions into Signia by Hilton.

signature frozen cocktails. Nights culminate at Diplomat Prime, the resort’s signature steakhouse,.

Club Signia spans 6,660 square feet of indoor and terrace space with both Atlantic and intracoastal views for guests reserving premium room categories on floors 32 to 36 and Hilton Honors Diamond Reserve members. Guests enjoy curated breakfast, midday meal offerings, evening cocktails and sweets and upgraded inroom amenities.

The 1,000-room resort has undergone an $80 million transformation of public spaces and dining venues, introducing a redesigned lobby, six updated dining venues, Club Signia, and The Verandah Social Club.

The property offers more than 200,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space, wellness amenities, and a location between Miami and Fort Lauderdale with access to two international airports.

Just beyond the lobby, the expansive deck now offers a Solara infinity pool, a refreshed grand lagoon pool to the adults-only Verandah Social Club, elevated cabanas and daybeds and a new oceanfront jacuzzi.

Horizon Lawn, a brand-new outdoor event space, offers a scenic setting for family activities and live entertainment to go with 1,000 feet of semi-private beach Restaurants include Palmea Kitchen with Mediterranean-influenced breakfast offerings.

At Playa, the beachfront bar and grill, guests can enjoy Latin flavors with dishes like lobster quesadilla, ceviche de coco and parrillada along with

The Verandah Social Club, an adults-only outdoor pool and cabana space available for reservation via ResortPass to both hotel guests and South Florida visitors or locals alike. Visitors can soak up the sun while enjoying perks like private locker rooms, beach seating, caviar service and in-cabana spa treatments. Reservations also include an exclusive discount on same-day reservations at the hotel’s Kids Club Day Camp and discounted parking.

The Diplomat has long served as a backdrop for defining moments in American culture. Visited by leisure and business guests for almost 70 years, the hotel has been one of the country’s premier meetings and events venues, with more than 200,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space, a 50,000-squarefoot Great Hall, four ballrooms and 39 breakout rooms designed to host gatherings of every size.

Signia by Hilton Diplomat Beach Resort 3555 South Ocean Drive, Hollywood, FL For reservations, visit diplomatresort.com

Major Airlines Restricting Power Banks and Lithium Batteries

Major airlines have been cracking down on lithium batteries in an effort to prevent inflight fires.

Lithium batteries exist in virtually all rechargeable devices from portable chargers and power banks to laptops and cell phones. However, they can pose a fire risk, especially if they overheat or become damaged.

In fact, two flights per week on average experienced a thermal runaway incident in 2024, according to data from the UL Standards & Engagement. That year, vapes were the leading cause of thermal runaway incidents, responsible for 28 percent of all reported issues. However, power banks

have seen a 42 percent year over year jump in risk.

Overall, one in five incidents in 2024 resulted in a significant disruption between diverted landings, evacuations, or being forced to return to the gate.

This has caused airlines to update their policies to restrict the use of these batteries on board. On May 1, American Airlines started limiting passengers to two portable chargers no more than 100 watt hours each.

On March 1, United Airlines also began asking customers to keep their portable chargers and vapes out of overhead bins, reaching out to customers to inform them of the change, and making announcements both on board and at the gate. United also limits lithium - ion battery size.

Southwest Airlines also started limiting each customer to one power bank not exceeding 100 watt-hours, requiring they be kept in the cabin and not in the

overhead bin. And Delta Air Lines similarly put size limits on lithium batteries. In case of an incident, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recommended passengers inform flight crew immediately “if their lithium battery or device is overheating, expanding, smoking or burning. Flight crews are trained to recognize and respond to lithium battery fires in the cabin,” the FAA wrote. Where travelers choose to buy their power banks can often be important as well since products certified to safety standards pose less of a risk. Choose certified products that are certified to safety standards, and make sure you know the warning signs of swelling, overheating, smell.