wcw APRIL 2026

Sarah Firstenberger Sarah Firstenberger

CEO at SIESTA KEY CHAMBER of COMMERCE

CEO at SIESTA KEY CHAMBER of COMMERCE

Also in this issue:

■ Calder Exhibit at Selby

■ Sarasota Film Festival

■ Dining Out: OfKors Pastries and more

■ Women In Business: Canned Ham

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,

& performances, theatre, film, seasonal events and more.

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

and

FOLLOW US AT: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ WCWmedia

APRIL 2026 contents departments

Canned Ham Vintage in Sarasota offers an extensive

collection that’s fun to buy and wear. Founder Ashley Rogers and her mother, Cheri McNulty offer quality, vintage finds.

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 819 Sarasota, FL 34230 email: westcoastwoman@comcast.net website: www.westcoastwoman.com

OfKors Bakery and Restaurant offers a bit of

at

happening this month

The 28th Sarasota Film Festival takes place across Sarasota April 10-19. It will feature a lineup of films that includes 47 features, with 4 World Premieres, 17 Florida Premieres; and 39 short films.

just some thoughts

West Coast Woman

This Month’s profile: Sarah Firstenberger

So I’m about to interview our WCW for this month and we meet online to talk. She’s in her office on Siesta Key and I’m in my office in Pennsylvania. It’s January and before we start she says “Let me turn off my space heater” and I said the same thing!

That chilly winter stuff is now gone and when I drove to Siesta Key a month later to meet Sarah Firstenberger, CEO at Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce to take some photos on the beach, things had dramatically changed weather-wise.

Standing on that white sand with the Gulf of Mexico sparkling behind us, it was plain to see why Florida has the best weather in February and why Siesta Key has the best beaches, year after year.

We chatted about Sarasota’s past since Sarah is a native and our area beaches were her go-to for fun with her friends. As for her job leading the Siesta Key Chamber, there was lots to talk about, but it seems like Siesta Key can almostalmost - sell itself.

But it’s not that easy. She and her team answer loads of questions for tourists and visitors and Sarah makes sure businesses on the Key are supported. Now, if they can just do something about that parking….

Jean Gay, CEO at SPARCC and so much more

She was THE first person I met when I went to the SPARCC (Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center) office on US41 in Sarasota back in the ‘80s to volunteer. Jean was so nice, warm, and so well-dressed and coiffed. After we talked, I felt appreciated. Sure, I was a volunteer, but she made me feel like I was a valued friend and a member of the team.

Jean later asked me to join the SPARCC board of directors, telling me that no one on the board actually worked one-on-one with clients like I did as a volunteer. I accepted and served for many years. One of the highlights was being president when the new SPARCC shelter opened. For someone who could have lived the comfortable life so many women in Sarasota had - a life with galas, fundraising, social lunches and more, she opted to support a cause that was misunderstood at best and often derided by some who felt women “asked for it” or else asked, “Why doesn’t she just leave?”

In my opinion, she elevated SPARCC to a higher level, made it prominent and thus her friends joined in SPARCC’s causes - domestic violence and sexual assault - thus creating visibility for these serious issues while garnering financial support.

Jean Gay passed away on February 26. Ever loyal to SPARCC, she had attained SPARCC’s holiday luncheon in December. After a doctor’s visit and some time passed, she left us.

My sympathy goes to her daughters, Becky and Kit, and her extended family. She helped so many women through her many years with SPARCC. The agency and the women it serves have lost a dedicated and caring friend.

A new City Manager for Sarasota: Karie Friling

The Sarasota City Commission voted unanimously to extend a conditional employment offer to Karie Friling to serve as the next City Manager. Karie will be the first woman to serve as the Sarasota City Manager.

From the city’s press release, “Friling is a seasoned public sector executive with over 30 years of leadership experience serving communities of varying sizes and complexity in Illinois. She currently serves as the Executive Director of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, where she oversees 500 employees and a county organization with over 950,000 residents with a significant capital program focused on environmental resilience, public access and sustainability.”

Karie was selected following a national search that yielded over 80 applications. Her application materials are available for review on the City of Sarasota website at www. Sarasotafl.gov as well as her interview with the City Commission as a whole.

Karie has over 30 years of leadership experience serving communities of varying sizes and complexity in Illinois. She currently serves as the Executive Director of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, where she oversees

500 employees and a county organization with over 950,000 residents with a significant capital program focused on environmental resilience, public access and sustainability.

Prior to DuPage County, Karie served as Village Manager for Homer Glen, IL. She is a credentialed manager in the International City/County Management Association (ICMA).

Congratulations enSRQ! On 10 Years

enSRQ Marks 10th Anniversary this month with Steve Reich’s “Music for 18 Musicians” on April 24 at Sarasota Opera House.

The performance celebrates three major milestones: Reich’s 90th birthday year, the 50th anniversary of his groundbreaking work, and enSRQ’s 10th season. A centerpiece of the performance is its lineup of pianists that brings four nine-foot concert grand pianos to the stage.

Acclaimed pianists Conor Hanick, Han Chen, Steve Drury, and Wesley Ducote perform Reich’s masterwork on four concert grand pianos

Founded in 2016 by Nickson and violinist Samantha Bennett, enSRQ champions contemporary classical music. Over the past decade, the ensemble has earned a national reputation for bold programming and a deep commitment to new music and living composers.

“Our goal has always been to connect listeners to the energy and vitality of music being written now,” says Bennett. “Reich’s piece captures that energy perfectly; it’s timeless yet continually evolving.” It seems to be working. www.EnSRQ.org.

Listening and Adjusting can pay off

Maybe you’ve seen the news that the Sarasota Performing Arts Center has released details of its updated plan called Concept 2.0.

The new concept reflects input by the community and the City Commission while preserving the project’s original vision.

“Concept 2.0 is the result of listening carefully to our community, City partners, and stakeholders, and turning that input into action,” said Tania Castroverde Moskalenko, CEO of the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation. “While this is not a final design, it represents meaningful progress, an alignment around what matters most, and a shared commitment to creating a Performing Arts Center that serves Sarasota for generations.”

A key change: the new plan relocates the new Performing Arts Center to the south side of the Centennial Park canal, near the 10th Street entrance, within The Bay Park.

The Foundation, the City and the Bay Park Conservancy have worked collaboratively to garner the support of the Van Wezel heirs for the project, to not only relocate the facility south of the 10th Street boat basin, but to bring the building to ground level to maintain a deeded view corridor for condominiums across North Tamiami Trail.

They’ve also reduced seating from 2,700 to 2,200 and added two parking structures plus 70 to 100 below-grade parking spaces to replace most of the current Van Wezel surface parking.

And the cost? The estimated range is $260 million to $295 million, well below the $425 million price tag of the initial presented concept. That estimate does not include the cost of the parking structures.

The reimagined Sarasota Performing Arts Center will include 110,500 square feet under roof. That includes: 2,200-seat main theater: 54,000 square feet; Backstage area: 16,000 square feet; Indoor/outdoor lobby: 16,000 square feet; Patron services: 1,400 square feet; Donor/community lounge: 4,000 square feet; Concessions/catering: 3,500 square feet; Flex theater: 13,000 square feet andLearning lab: 2,600 square feet.

Learn more and stay informed about updates at performingartsfoundation.org.

Louise

| 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.

Bruderle

Sarah Firstenberger Image: Louise Bruderle

Karie Friling

Louise Bruderle Editor and Publisher

Samantha Bennett and George Nickson Photo by Matthew Holler

Erika

Wise

Borland, MA , Vice President

Susanne S. Wise, RN, MBA , CEO & Owner

Courtne y Wise Snyder, MSG, CMC, President

DragonBoot Quartet, April 12, 4:00 pm

Juilliard School student quartet presents the world premiere of Sarasota composer Roger Zare’s Gamma for string quartet, and Haydn’s String Quartet Op. 33

Voice of the Cello, April 21, 7:30 pm

Cellist Cameron Crozman and pianist Meagan Milatz perform music by Debussy and Gershwin, and a piece written for them by composer Graham Campbell

Baroque Treasures, May 10, 4:00 pm

Oboe, harp, strings, and harpsichord come together for Handel, Debussy, and more on Mother’s Day

Sunshine From Darkness presents: Step Into the Light Mental Health SummitMay 2 @ Mote SEA

On Saturday, May 2, mental health organization Sunshine From Darkness will present the annual Step Into the Light Mental Health Summit at Mote SEA.According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), more than 23 percent of U.S. adults – totaling approximately 61.5 million –experienced mental illness in 2024. Additionally, 16.5 percent of U.S. youth ages 6-17, equating to 7.7 million, have a mental health disorder Unfortunately – whether due to cost, access to care, or stigma –only 52 percent of those adults and just under 51 percent of those youths received any treatment.

The event –which costs $25, including all sessions and lunch – takes place on Saturday, May 2, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at Mote SEA (Science Education Aquarium), located at 225 University Town Center Drive, near Nathan Benderson Park.

The Summit, scheduled during Mental Health Awareness Month, is designed to empower attendees with practical coping skills, tools to support mental wellness in our community, and inspiration to break the stigma surrounding mental illness.

The ultimate goal is to make a real difference in the lives of those who attend, whether they are a mental health practitioner, working in a mental health-adjacent field, or an individual whose life has been impacted by mental illness – their own or a loved one.

This year’s Summit will center on the shared human experiences that shape our emotional wellbeing — grief, trauma, family challenges, and the everyday stressors that impact our mental health.

Through speaker sessions on mindfulness, coping skills, interactive experiences, and the healing power of music therapy, the summit will create a safe, inclusive space for individuals and families to learn, connect, and strengthen their resilience.

Throughout the day, attendees will have the opportunity to engage with community resources, hear from experts and peers in the mental health field, and connect with others who care about mental wellness.

“Step Into the Light is an opportunity for clinicians, clients, parents, advocates, and anyone interested in mental health wellness to come together and access valuable resources and support,” said Sunshine From Darkness Executive Director Marlene Hauck. “By sharing knowledge and experiences, attendees can build a

stronger and more supportive mental health community.”

During the event, attendees will hear from two dynamic keynote speakers:

 Johnny Crowder is a suicide and abuse survivor, touring musician, certified Peer Recovery Specialist, public advocate for mental health awareness, and founder of Cope Notes. He will talk about his personal experience with multiple diagnoses, which uniquely equips him to provide realistic insights — and inspiration.

 Jerod Ward is a former professional basketball player, TEDx and motivational speaker, college basketball analyst for networks including ESPN and Fox Sports, and founder of JW Global Speaks, LLC. He will share lessons from his life, one filled with extraordinary promise, unexpected adversity, devastating injuries — and ensuing depression — but, ultimately, triumph.

Presenting Sponsors are Jeffrey Peterson, Gulf Coast Community Foundation and Grace Community Church. Silver Sponsor is Sage Therapeutics.

For more information or to register, visit stepintothelight.sunshinefromdarkness.org

About Sunshine From Darkness

Founded as a subsidiary of the Lee and Bob Peterson Foundation, Sunshine From Darkness is dedicated to supporting mental health wellness through programming, education, collaboration, and advocacy, as well as fundraising for impactful research and effective community engagement. Sunshine from Darkness committed to creating a community where mental health challenges are met with understanding, support, and resilience. Its mission is to enhance and promote mental health wellness in our community. Visit sunshinefromdarkness.org

Johnny Crowder is a suicide and abuse survivor, touring musician, certified Peer Recovery Specialist and public advocate for mental health awareness.

Jerod Ward is a former professional basketball player, TEDx and motivational speaker, and major network college basketball analyst.

A panel discussion from the 2025 mental health summit.

out & about

Artist Series

Concerts of Sarasota

▼ The Lunch and Listen series has Soirée is on April 5 and April 6 at the Fischer/Weisenborne Residence, 7459 Cabbage Palm Court, Sarasota.

The beauty of impressionist music forms the heart of this program. Michael Turkell, principal second violin of Sarasota Orchestra, joins with Florida Orchestra assistant principal cello Victor Minke Huls and Lincoln Center Stage Quintet pianist Maria Parrini in a program that includes violin and piano sonatas by Enescu and Fauré, and Ravel’s duo for violin and cello.

Sunday Best has the DragonBoot Quartet with Cate Carson, violin; Katya Moeller, violin; Sydney Whipple, viola; Lila Holyoke, cello on April 12 at First Presbyterian Church, 2050 Oak Street, Sarasota

The DragonBoot Quartet members are current students in the Honors Chamber Music Program at the Juilliard School. As an all-women group, they perform works by women composers to highlight their contributions to the repertoire. Their program includes Haydn’s String Quartet Op. 33, No. 1.

Top Shelf Tuesdays has Voice of the Cello with Cameron Crozman, cello; Meagan Milatz, piano; Daniel Jordan, violin; Margaret Dyer Harris, viola on April 21 at First Congregational United Church of Christ, 1031 S Euclid Avenue, Sarasota.

Canadian cellist Cameron Crozman and fellow Canadian pianist Meagan Milatz return to Sarasota for an encore. The pair will perform music by Debussy and Gershwin, and a piece written for them by composer Graham Campbell. Following intermission, they will be joined by violinist Daniel Jordan and violist Margaret Dyer Harris in a performance of Robert Schumann’s Piano Quartet in E-flat Major.

Lunch and Listen has Saxophone Splendor Valentin Kovalev, saxophone, and Joseph Holt, piano on April 30 followed by luncheon at Sarasota Yacht Club. Kovalev is an eclectic performer whose unique style was developed after studying in Russia, France, and the United States. His work is driven by his love of fostering connections, exemplified by his vast community on social media, and he has committed support to Ukrainian saxophonists and other marginalized voices in the classical music world. Joined by Joseph Holt on piano, Kovalev’s program includes music by Bach, Rachmaninoff, Bizet, and Piazzolla.

Sunday Best has Baroque Treasures with Bobby Nunes, oboe and Phoebe Powell, harp on May 10 at First Presbyterian Church, 2050 Oak Street, Sarasota

Two of Sarasota’s finest step into the spotlight with a program that basks in the magical sounds of their ancient instruments. Accompanied by strings and harpsichord, Sarasota Orchestra principal oboe Bobby Nunes and principal harp Phoebe Powell each perform a concerto for their instrument by baroque master G.F. Handel. The two also join forces for Debussy’s Album of Five Pieces for Oboe and Harp. Visit ArtistSeriesConcerts.org or call (941) 306-1202

Bookstore1 Events

▼ Local Author Book Fair is on April 25 from 9 am to 1 pm. Meet the authors, buy their books and have them signed. Sarasota’s storytellers are stepping out from behind their pages for our

semiannual Local Author Book Fair. From fiction to memoir, poetry to mystery, this is a chance to discover new books and the writers who live right here in our community.

Throughout the day day, up to 15 local authors will be set up at individual tables in the breezeway of The Mark at 111 South Pineapple Avenue. Browse, chat with authors, buy books, and have them personalized.

This is a free, drop-in event. No registration required. Visit www.sarasotabooks.com/

Contemporary Dance

▼ Sarasota Contemporary Dance’s In-Studio Series is an incubation platform for artists at varying stages in their careers. Conceived by Artistic Director Leymis Bolaños Wilmott in 2018 and led by Production Lead Monessa Salley, this program provides creators with a nurturing and formative artistic opportunity. Artists receive access to SCD’s home studio and its resources. The residency culminates in a live performance followed by a Q&A with the featured artist.

Upcoming performances: • Saturday, April 11, SaraSolo, Theater • Saturday, April 18, SaraSolo, Theater

On view at Art Center Sarasota to April 18 is Kendra Frorup At Home Anywhere is a body of work rooted in personal experience, cultural memory, and adaptability. 707 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Info: www.artsarasota.org

on lead guitar; Aaron Nixon on percussion; and Cameron Kayne on bass.   Fogartyville is located at 525 Kumquat Court in Sarasota’s Rosemary District. Visit www.wslr.org/ fogartyville.

Fun Raisers

All In-Studio performances are held at SCD’s Home Studio, 1400 Blvd of the Arts, Suite 300 Sarasota. Tickets: www.sarasotacontemporarydance. org or by calling 941-260-8485

Ensemble SRQ

▼ Music for 18 Musicians on April 24 , brings a rare alignment of milestones: the 50th anniversary of Steve Reich’s “Music for 18 Musicians,” the composer’s 90th birthday, and enSRQ’s own 10th season. Reich’s groundbreaking 1976 work remains one of the most iconic statements in contemporary music—a luminous tapestry of interlocking rhythms, pulsing harmonies, and slowly shifting patterns that seem to suspend time.

Presenting this masterpiece in celebration of its golden anniversary is both an homage to a living legend and a reaffirmation of enSRQ’s dedication to adventurous, transformative performance. At Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota. For t ickets, visit www.EnSRQ.org

At Fogartyville

▼ Fogartyville has Angela Galestro x The Dialogue plus opener J Santi| Sunday, April 12, 7 p.m. The Dialogue is a dynamic, original Florida-based band that blends a broad spectrum of musical influences into a distinctive sound. Fronted by the multi-talented duo of Angela Galestro and Paul Cuevas, The Dialogue fuses elements of rock, blues, salsa, classical, folk, pop, jazz, and classic rock into a rich musical tapestry that defies easy categorization and creates a unique auditory experience.

Angela Galestro, the band’s lead singer, songwriter, keyboardist, and flutist from Sarasota, brings powerful vocals and piano work. Paul Cuevas shares lead vocals and songwriting duties while also contributing on keyboard and rhythm guitar. Together, Angela and Paul’s harmonies create a charged blend, delivering lyrics rich in metaphor and poetry.  The band includes Jonathan Smith

▼ Sarasota Bay Watch’s signature fundraiser, Scallopalooza , returns on March 7 from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Sarasota Municipal Auditorium. The evening features an open bar, food stations, entertainment, living dioramas, and a silent auction. Proceeds support year-round efforts to protect Sarasota County’s bays. Sarasota Bay Watch (SBW) also operates the state’s first underwater aquaculture lease dedicated to restoration aquaculture to raise native hard clams for research and bay restoration, not commercial harvest.

SBW has released more than 1.5 million clams into Sarasota Bay to help filter the water and support healthier habitat. Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available at SarasotaBayWatch.org

▼ The Palm-Aire Women’s Club will award scholarships to local students. Four 2-year scholarships will be awarded to State College of Florida students. Additionally, two scholarships will be given to Manatee Technical Institute students. Each student must attend school full-time and remain in good academic standing. The recipients and their mentors will be honored at the April 14 luncheon. The luncheon is at the Palm Aire Country Club. Reserve your ticket at the Palm-Aire Women’s Club website or Facebook page or by contacting Debi Frock at 443-974-8520

At the Galleries

▼ “Now You See Us,” an art display by the Petticoat Painters, has all-new artwork. The updated exhibit features 46 new artworks throughout the lobby at City Hall, 1565 First Street.

The Petticoat Painters , The Petticoat Painters, an all-female art group founded in 1953, is one of the oldest continuously exhibiting women’s art groups in the country. The collective was formed at a time when women struggled to find venues to display their art, seeking to showcase the talents of female artists

despite the challenges of the time.

From their first show, held at a local Sarasota gallery, through today, the Petticoat Painters provide a platform for women to display and be celebrated for their artwork.

The refreshed “Now You See Us” exhibit is free and open for public viewing at City Hall during regular business hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday. For information on the Public Art Program, Visit sarasotafl. gov/PublicArt

▼ At Art Center Sarasota:  On View : to April 18 are these exhibits:

• Gallery 1 has Herion Park a display of sculptural family portraits built of textiles, discarded or re-purposed objects, life-cast anatomical forms, and organic materials. These forms are made to particularly voice the love-bond she and her sisters shared with her mother. Her sculptures resonate universal issues surrounding the complexities of all love relationships. The work is about the safe world that her mother created for the family through her unconditional love.

• Gallery 2 has “MLK” by James “JRU” R. King, Jr. – Rooted in Community is a group exhibition that honors and highlights the rich contributions of artists from Sarasota’s Newtown and Overtown communities—two historically Black neighborhoods whose cultural and creative voices have shaped the city’s artistic identity. Spanning generations and styles, this exhibition features the work of established and emerging artists whose roots in Newtown and Overtown. These artists have not only documented the cultural evolution of Sarasota but have actively contributed to its growth as a creative city.

• Gallery 3 has Kendra Frorup At Home Anywhere is a body of work rooted in personal experience, cultural memory, and adaptability. The exhibition is an invitation to see the potential in what surrounds us and to recognize that home is not fixed, it is something we carry and continue to create. Frorup was born and raised in the Bahamas.Artist Statement: My art is a convergence of memory, material, and meaning. Each object I create is an exploration of belonging, transformation, and the

layered narratives that form who we are. I remain committed to deepening this inquiry—continuing to explore artistic traditions in Africa and uncovering the shared threads of human experience that unite us across geography and time.

Location: 707 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Info: www.artsarasota.org

▼ The Ringling has Visions of Belonging Student Photography Exhibition . The exhibition is open through April 14 , in The Ringling’s Community Gallery, which is always free for visitors

This exhibition showcases 38 photographs from middle, high, and home-schooling teen artists across the state of Florida.

Visions of Belonging celebrates the many ways young artists see and experience connection. The exhibition includes photographs that express the feeling of connection to people, places, cultures, communities, or shared experiences.

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. For  information and hours, visit ringling.org

▼ At SPAACES:  The Body, Space, and Acts of Transformation is a small group exhibition with local visual artists and performers running through May 16

Object/Subject: The Body, Space, and Acts of Transformation is a multimedia exhibition featuring painting, drawing, video, sound, and immersive installations. The featured works explore the relationship between body, space, and identity—examining how physical presence, gesture, and objecthood can be used to reclaim space and challenge social constructs.

Across diverse media, the artists investigate the tension between appearance and meaning, perception and empowerment, ultimately positioning creative expression as a catalyst for reclaiming agency, reshaping community, and imagining transformative futures.

 Squeeze: An Immersive Art Event Amplifying the 10th Giving Challenge is on April 15, 5-9 p.m. Squeeze is a high-energy, ticketed event blending visual art, music, performance, and dance into an immersive experience for all ages. In conjunction with the 10th Giving Challenge, this event fosters community through interdisciplinary collaboration and programming, and ensures the Giving Challenge’s success.

Squeeze gives Sarasota’s creative community a fresh, electric platform that encourages collaboration, celebrates risk-taking, and supports the region’s evolving artistic landscape.

SPAACES, 2051 Princeton St, Sarasota. www.spaaces.art/

▼ 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.

▼ Sarasota Orchestra’s Harmony Gallery ’s has its Booker High school student exhibition April 8

– May 15. The reception is on April 15, 5-6:30pm. Booker High School is home to the Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) program, which offers pre-professional training in the arts in five disciplines: Dance, Digital Film & Motion Design, Music, Theatre, and Visual Art. In collaboration with Sarasota Orchestra, Booker VPA visual art students will present a collection of two-dimensional artwork from various genres.

The Harmony Gallery is located at 709 North Tamiami Trail, Sarasota.

▼ 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

▼ Art Ovation Hotel is showing six sculptures in the main lobby until May 31

• On exhibit: PICARDO running through May. He’s an Afro-Caribbean artist whose vibrant murals and live painting performances breathe life into walls and public spaces. For over two decades, his art has woven together tradition and modernity, transforming places like the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum and Miami’s cultural scene into dynamic stories of identity and community.

• THE FLAG runs to May. The American flag occupies a unique position in the national consciousness— simultaneously universal and deeply personal. This exhibition brings together works by nine artists who engage with this iconic symbol through diverse visual languages and material approaches, revealing the multifaceted ways contemporary Americans relate to their flag.

• MIMI LEONE runs to May. Miyoun (Mimi) is a Korean-born painter whose work seeks beauty beyond the surface—beauty that heals, uplifts, and connects. Drawing from both Asian and Western traditions, her visual language blends the stillness and simplicity of Eastern art with the emotional freedom and boldness of the West.

• JOHN MCCASKILL runs to May McCaskill is a celebrated mixed-media artist and master printmaker based in St. Pete Beach, Florida. Blending traditional printmaking with painting and contemporary design, his work reflects a lifelong dedication to creative exploration and craftsmanship.

• PAMELA OLIN runs to May. Olin transforms industrial materials like steel into deeply emotional and contemplative sculptures. With over 30 years of experience, she explores the relationship between raw material, human emotion, and craftsmanship, creating works that invite viewers to engage in a delicate dialogue between light and shadow, strength and vulnerability.

They’re located at 1255 N Palm Ave., Sarasota. Visit www.art.artovationhotel.com

The PerformingGlenridgeArts Center

▼ Upcoming events:

• April 11: How Sweet it Is with Steve Leslie Grammy Award-winning songwriter Steve Leslie (Kenny Rogers, George Strait, Darius Rucker)

The Sarasota Ballet has Checkmate, presented in honor of Dame Ninette de Valois, founder of The Royal Ballet

brings the music of James Taylor to life in this heartfelt and authentic concert experience.

With his warm baritone, masterful guitar work, and striking resemblance to Taylor, Leslie performs beloved hits like “Fire and Rain,” “Carolina in My Mind,” and “You’ve Got a Friend.”

• April 19: Kate Delaney: Notes from the Keys: Delaney and pianist Leandro Casas breathe new life into classic musical theater gems and mid-century pop hits.

From the golden age of Broadway to the smooth charm of 1950s and ’60s radio favorites, they combine rich storytelling, and the unmistakable chemistry between voice and piano.

Visit www.gpactix.com

Key Chorale

▼ On April 18 the Key Chorale Chamber singers present “Radiance,” a multi-sensory concert experience. Hundreds of candles illuminate the space creating a serene atmosphere as the Chamber Singers perform some of the most sublime music ever written. Violin and cello soloists combine with choir for an unforgettable musical experience.

The season concludes on May 3 with “One Light, Many Voices,” a festival of the human spirit and sacred song led by Guest Conductor Jamal Sarikoki featuring more than 150 voices.

Key Chorale, the choirs of First United Methodist Church and Church of the Redeemer, brass quintet, timpani, and organ perform jubilant settings of the Psalms, Old Testament and inspirational poetry by Ralph Vaughan Williams, John Rutter, Morten Lauridsen, and more. Visit www.keychorale.org

La Musica

▼ April 6: La Musica Surprises: With Mozart’s sparkling “Flute Quartet in D Major,” Haydn’s mischievous “Surprise” Symphony, Brahms’ spirited “Hungarian Dances” (for piano, four hands), and Mendelssohn’s buoyant “Sextet in D Major,” this program delivers pure musical charm—with a few surprises along the way. At Riverview Performing Arts Center.

• April 6 –La Musica Surprises: With Mozart’s sparkling “Flute Quartet in D Major,” Haydn’s mischievous “Surprise” Symphony, Brahms’ spirited “Hungarian Dances” (for piano, four hands), and Mendelssohn’s buoyant “Sextet in D Major,” this program delivers pure musical charm—with a few surprises along the way. At Riverview Performing Arts Center.

• April 9: The Magical Carnival: La Musica hosts the world premiere of Michael Stephen Brown’s “The Magical Carnival,” a whimsical, large-scale chamber work that Brown describes as a “zoological fantasy of endangered wonders.” Inspired by Saint-Saëns’ “Carnival of the Animals,” the piece imagines a fantastical day circling the globe—from the rustle of orangutans in Borneo to the call of the Puerto Rican parrot at sunrise. Along the way, it gives voice to 14 rare, wondrous, and threatened creatures—even pianists. Scored for two pianos, flute, clarinet, percussion, and strings, the work was co-commissioned by La Musica and chamber music presenters across the country and will premiere in partnership with Mote SEA. Two of the featured marine species are part of Mote SEA’s living collection. At Sarasota Opera House.

Tickets: www.lamusica.org

Perlman Suncoast

▼ PMP Alumni Events presents Zota Quartet: “The Art of Music” The Zota Quartet returns with a new, exciting program and a special collaboration. This ensemble, comprised of award-winning Perlman Music Program alumni, hail from around the world and Florida.

The Zota Quartet’s curiosity about the interplay of visual art and music led to a creative collaboration between visual artists and classical musicians for the special event “The Art of Music”.

It will be held on May 2 at the Campus Center at Church of the Palms in Sarasota.

Tickets: PMPsuncoast.org

The Pops Orchestra

▼ They have Organ-ized Pipes & Pops on May 2 at SCF Neel Performing Arts Center. Enjoy the majestic sounds of the Elizabeth M. Eaton Memorial Pipe Organ.

The organ, installed in the SCF Neel Performing Arts Center, will be on full display for this performance of orchestra and organ music. Featuring local acclaimed organists and the Pops Orchestra, this concert will delight all who have asked to hear this amazing instrument.

Tickets: www.thepopsorchestra.org

At The Ringling

▼ The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art has:

 Juana Romani: Forgotten No More

www.sarasotaballet.org

runs to May 31, 2026.

This small exhibition, drawn from The Ringling’s permanent collections, highlights the newly acquired painting by Juana Romani, Woman on a Red Background, and situates it within a group of closely related works from the museum’s collection of late-nineteenth-century French art.

 Ancestral Edge: Abstraction and Symbolism in the Works of Nine Native American Women Artists, curated by Ola Wlusek, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art brings together works by nine contemporary Native American artists making significant contributions to the field of abstraction, including Teresa Baker (Mandan/Hidatsa), Natalie Ball(Klamath/Modoc), Kiana Bell(Seminole), Elisa Harkins (Cherokee/Muscogee [Creek]), Erica Lord (Iñupiaq/Athabascan), Sarah Sense (Chitimacha/Choctaw), Sara Siestreem (Hanis Coos), Marie Watt (Seneca/German-Scot) and Dyani White Hawk (SiÄáŋǧu Lakota). Ancestral Edge will be on view in the Keith D. Monda Gallery for Contemporary Art in the Museum of Art to April 12

Tickets: ringling.org The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, 5401 Bay Shore Rd., Sarasota.

The Sarasota Ballet

▼ Foundations of Royalty is on May 1-2 . Program Seven presents a triple bill of masterpieces by choreographers Sir Frederick Ashton, Dame Ninette de Valois, and Sir Peter Wright.

Sir Frederick Ashton’s Birthday Offering opens the Program. Created in 1956 to celebrate The Royal Ballet’s 25th Anniversary, Ashton choreographed the piece on the company’s seven legendary ballerinas. A grand, sumptuous affair, Birthday Offering takes seven couples through a series of variations set to Alexander Glazunov’s music, arranged by Robert Irving, culminating in an ensemble waltz.

 The Program continues with Checkmate, presented in honor of Dame Ninette de Valois, founder of The Royal Ballet, marking the 25th anniversary of her passing. Checkmate is regarded as the cornerstone of British ballet and is an example of de Valois’s dramatic choreography.

The ballet brings a chess game to life, infusing the pieces with human emotion. As the ballet unfolds, the ruthless Black Queen hunts her prey— the aging Red King—in a gripping battle of power and fate.

 A breathtaking end to the Program

is Wright’s Summertide, which will celebrate the choreographer’s 100th birthday as of November 25, 2026.

An abstract expression of Felix Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No. 2, this work captures the brilliance of a radiant day in a one-act ballet.

Choreographed in 1976 for the Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet, with the principal role created for The Sarasota Ballet’s very own Margaret Barbieri, Summertide found a perfect home in Sarasota with its 2015 revival.

Info: www.sarasotaballet.org

The Sarasota Concert Association

▼ The Sarasota Concert Association Music Matinee Series features free concerts by regional artists Music Matinee concerts are at St. Andrew United Church of Christ, 6908 Beneva Road, Sarasota. On April 15 they have Hot Club SRQ. Violinist Keven Aland leads the popular local trio (with Jon McLaughlin, guitar; and Glenn Stevenson, bass) in a program that traces the history of a jazz style inspired by guitarist Jean “Django” Reinhardt.  Admission is free, but reservations are required. Register at www.scasarasota.org

Sarasota Orchestra

▼ The Masterworks series has Bernstein and Mahler, April 17-19 at the Van Wezel with Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor and Chee-Yun, violin, performing Bernstein – Serenade (after Plato’s Symposium) and Mahler – Symphony No. 5.

 The Pops series brings beloved songs to life with the full power of Sarasota Orchestra at the Van Wezel. Next up is Bond and Beyond – April 24-25 with Christopher Confessore, conductor and Morgan James, vocals.

 Great Escapes performances take place at Holley Hall. Next up is Starry Night on May 6-9, with Christopher Confessore, conductor  The Chamber Soirées Chamber Soirées performances take place at Holley Hall. Next up is Sounds of the Americas on April 26 with Ginastera – String Quartet No. 1; Crespo – Suite Americana No. 1 and Paquito D’Rivera – Aires Tropicales.

 Outdoor Pops returns to Ed Smith Stadium with Tropical Rock for Five O’Clock … Somewhere, a high-energy tribute to Jimmy Buffet and other iconic tropical artists. Outdoor Pops – Tropical Rock for Five O’Clock … Somewhere on April 10-11. It’s a celebration of legendary tropical music songs of Jimmy Buffet, Bob Marley and more, performed live at Orioles’ Ed Smith Stadium. For information, visit www.sarasota orchestra.org

At 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 celebrated Scottish writer, Robert Louis Stevenson. 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

focus on the arts

A visual timeline of the Sarasota Artist Colony from 1945-1965

On view at Michael Saunders & Co. on Main Street

Next time you’re downtown and walking - perhaps to the Sarasota Farmer’s Market or to one of the many coffee shops or restaurants there - be sure to stop at Michael Saunders at 1605 Main Street. No, you don’t have to buy a million-dollar house. Instead, you’ll see a great exhibit that runs the length of the Orange Street side of the building that you can view 24/7 outside, or go inside for a closer look during the day.

What is it? The large-scale public art installation, spanning nearly 100 feet, is a walking timeline that traces the development of the Sarasota Artist Colony from 1945 to 1965 as well as the evolution of the city itself.

Conceived as both artwork and historical narrative, the mural highlights key artists, institutions, and moments that shaped Sarasota’s postwar creative history. The installation integrates imagery, text, and archival references, so you can move through time as you walk and view the exhibit.

The mural is now permanently installed within the Michael Saunders Company, making it accessible for residents and visitors alike.

The exhibit looks at the contributions made by circus magnate and Sarasota resident (briefly) John Ringling who did more than run a circus. Not only was he an

art collector and philanthropist, he established The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, and was part of a group that helped to found the Ringling School of Art in 1931.

After Ringling, the exhibit takes you step-by-step from 1931-1945 with Ringling School of Art developing a great group of instructors - names long-timers may remember like George Ennis, Hilton Leech, Lucile Blanch and more.

The ‘40s shows a part of history few probably know about. After the war, there was an influx of veterans eager to study art with funding from the GI Bill.

You’ll also see a familiar sight - the Sarasota Art Association, established in 1926 by Marcia Rader and incorporated in 1941 as a not-for-profit, and is now known as Art Center Sarasota.

Amazing to read that in the 1950s, there were 13 schools that offered instruction to an estimated 1500 aspiring artists living in the greater Sarasota area. In part, this was a result of so many artist veterans and their families choosing to make Sarasota their home and their need to earn a living.

The exhibit was created and sponsored by Michael Saunders & Company with Tim Jaeger, curator; William Hartmanhistory; Aiham Karahawadesign and Storyvox - video.

Read more about the exhibit https://www.sarasotalegacy.art/ or stop by - any time.

out and about continued

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.

 Alexander Calder: The Nature of Movement is on view to May 31 at the Downtown Sarasota campus.

The Calder exhibition highlights the artist’s use of abstract forms rooted in nature and emphasize his interest in science and engineering. The exhibition also explores Calder’s enchantment with the circus, stemming from his studies of performers and animals at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1925. Downtown Sarasota Campus, 1534 Mound Street Sarasota.

Info: 941-366-5731

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

Senior Friendship Centers

▼ Senior Friendship Centers continues its “Joyful Journeys” authors series in April. Joyful Journeys offer free monthly events that invite areabased authors to share their insights, stories, and personal journeys. Attendees enjoy lively discussions, Q&A sessions, and a way to connect with fellow book lovers.

Programs take place Thursdays, 5–6:30 p.m., at Senior Friendship Centers, 1888 Brother Geenen Way, Sarasota. Joyful Journeys events are free, but registration is required On April 9 they’ll have “The Beatle Who Vanished: 60th Beatles” by Jim Berkenstadt. Berkenstadt is an award-winning author who uncovers the lost history hidden within decades of popular music. He served as historical consultant to Martin Scorsese’s Emmy-winning film, “George Harrison: Living in the Material World.” His work has appeared on HBO, Hula, Disney+, Netflix and more, with books included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Library.

For information, call 941-556-3269 or visit www.friendshipcenters.org

Soundbox Ventures

▼ April 9: Open Composer Workshops: Soundbox artists will workshop both new and old works by composition students in preparation for an upcoming recording at St. Boniface Church. Free admission. Exact times and venues to be announced in January.

 April 11, 8:30 p.m. “Hearing Memory” tells the story of a forgotten East German avant-garde, asking how an overlooked cultural history might inform our political present. Oboist James Austin Smith brings his musical-historical project to Sarasota, exploring music lost to the “end of history.” Through documentary interviews, story-telling and musical performance,

Smith and pianist Cory Smythe reflect on the complicated legacy of the daring classical music scene that emerged in the 1970s in East Germany, offering a powerful example of musicians creating meaning beyond sound. At St. Boniface Church.

Information: www.soundboxventures.org

Special Events

▼ AGAMI has Market Nights in the Holmes Beach shopping center at 5414 Marina Drive. Light refreshments will be available. Many AGAMI members with art on display in the gallery. The next is on April 10, 5-7 pm

The Artists’ Guild of Anna Maria Island Gallery is at 5414 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach.

▼ Uncover the daily life, architectural detail, and lasting legacy of the Ringlings and Sarasota in this guided experience through Ca’ d’Zan. This tour includes the primary rooms on the first floor and select spaces on the 2nd and 3rd floors of The Ringling’s 1920’s waterfront mansion, along with a visit to the Belvedere Tower (weather permitting), which offers one of the best views in Sarasota.

From the bustling kitchen staff preparing meals to the guests discovering the playroom, each space has its own story. Guides will share how the house functioned during the Ringlings’ time in residence—highlighting its design, social atmosphere, and the role it played in shaping Sarasota’s cultural identity.

Though the mansion still shows visible effects from hurricane damage sustained in 2024, this tour offers a rare opportunity to experience Ca’ d’Zan during an ongoing period of care and stewardship. Ticket includes access to the Bayfront Gardens for the day. Tour is 60-70 minutes long. Tickets: www.ringling.org

Theatre

▼ The Sarasota Players has Arthur Miller’s The Crucible to April 5. It’s a gripping, cautionary tale of mass hysteria and the power of speaking truth to fear—proving that some voices, no matter how persecuted, cannot be silenced.

The Sarasota Players: www.theplayers.org

▼ Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe closes its season with “Lies, Spells and Old Wives’ Tales,” a new, original musical comedy, adapted and created by Nate Jacobs and his writing partner (and brother), Michael Jacobs. Director is Nate Jacobs. Runs from April 8-May 17

Held at: The Donelly Theatre at WBTT, 1012 N. Orange Ave., Sarasota. Visit: westcoastblacktheatre.org

▼ At Urbanite Theatre the Apiary runs to April 19. It’s 22 years into the future, and honeybees are nearly extinct, except for those kept alive in labs. When a shocking event leads to an even more shocking boost in bee populations, an overqualified new lab assistant, Zora, and her talkative co-worker Pilar must decide just how far they’ll go to keep the population growing... and the whole thing under wraps from their overstressed, budget-conscious supervisor, Gwen. www.urbanitetheatre.com/season

▼ The Asolo has Fiddler on the Roof April 14-May 24 , Mertz Theatre. Based on Sholem Aleichem’s stories, by special permission of Arnold Perl. This classic has delighted audiences across the globe for over six decades. Tevye, the village milkman, is try-

Perlman Suncoast Alumni events has

ing to provide his wife and their five daughters with a life filled with prosperity, faith, and tradition.

 The story of the Mother of Rock ‘n Roll Marie and Rosetta is playing in the Cook Theatre May 6-31. A huge influence on Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, Johnny Cash and Jimi Hendrix, Sister Rosetta Tharpe was a legend in her time, adding fierce guitar and swing to traditional gospel music, becoming the mother of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Marie and Rosetta chronicle her first rehearsal with a young protégée, Marie Knight, as they prepare to embark on a tour that would establish them as one of the great duos in music history.

Visit AsoloRep.org

▼ Venice Theatre, Inc., has these shows:

• How I Learned to Drive, to April 4 (Stage 2)

• Winnie-the-Pooh, April 17-May 3

• Emma, April 24-May 10

• Pinky’s Players, May 20-24 Performances are at 140 W. Tampa Ave., Venice. Tickets: VeniceTheatre.org

▼ Florida Studio Theatre (FST) has Grandma Gatewood Took a Walk by Catherine Bush. In her golden years, Emma “Grandma” Gatewood called her family and said she was “going for a walk.” Conveniently, she forgot to mention her walk was over 2,000 miles and passed 14 states. She became the first woman to hike the newly formed Appalachian Trail – alone.

 FST concludes its winter cabaret season with One Hit Wonders, an original revue created by Richard Hopkins and Rebecca Hopkins, with musical arrangements by Jim Prosser, with performances through June 21 in FST’s Court Cabaret.

Experience a toe-tapping celebration of unforgettable songs that lit up the charts and became part of our lives. From the epic storytelling of “American Pie” to the carefree whistle of “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” this revue shines a light on the artists who left a lasting mark on popular culture. Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org

Zota Quartet: “The Art of Music” on May 2 at the Campus Center at Church of the Palms in Sarasota.

Tickets: PMP suncoast.org

▼ At Manatee Performing Art Center:  Totally Tom Petty is on April 4 and pays tribute to rock legend Tom Petty. It’s led by Phil Dunget, who embodies the spirit of Tom Petty and who has an uncanny likeness. With over 85 million records sold, they bring to life hits like Freefallin, You Wreck Me, Refugee, Runnin Down a Dream, and American Girl, plus so many more.

 On April 7, they have A Tribute Fit for The King. The Elvis Presley Experience is more than a concert—it’s a time-traveling journey through the iconic music and style that made Elvis a global sensation.

From the rockabilly of the 1950s to the glitz and glam of his Vegas years, this tribute features unforgettable hits like Jailhouse Rock, Suspicious Minds, Love Me Tender, and Can’t Help Falling in Love backed by a live band.

 From April 9-26. They have Trust No One – And Then There Were None. Prepare for a night of edgeof-your-seat suspense with Agatha Christie’s most chilling and masterfully crafted mystery.

Ten strangers are summoned to a secluded island under mysterious circumstances. As a storm cuts them off from the outside world, one by one, they begin to die—each demise disturbingly mirroring a line from a haunting nursery rhyme. With no way to escape and no one to trust, fear and paranoia mount as the survivors scramble to uncover the truth: Who is the killer among them?

 FromApril 23 – May 10, they have BIG FISH, a magical and deeply moving musical that celebrates the power of storytelling, the love between father and son, and the extraordinary hidden in the everyday. As Edward Bloom’s fantastical life unfolds—featuring witches, giants, mermaids, and more—his skeptical son embarks on a journey to separate myth from memory. Based on the novel and Tim Burton film.

MPAC is located at 502 Third Avenue, West, Bradenton. www.manatee performingartscenter.com

▼ Sarasota Jewish Theatre has “Cherry Docs” by David Gow running April 8-19. When a white

supremacist brutally attacks an immigrant and is assigned a Jewish public defender, both men’s lives are changed forever. “Cherry Docs” raises issues about immigration, antisemitism and the law that are as immediate as today’s news.

“Cherry Docs” is also the focus of the Community Conversation on April 21, 2026. The panel will include the actors and director of “Cherry Docs” with the conversation’s focus on thought-provoking issues raised in the play, and the confluence of incidents in the play to events that are happening in our country today.

For more information, visit SarasotaJewishTheatre.org

At the Van Wezel

▼ April 9—Neil Berg’s newest show

100 Years of Hollywood

• April 10-11—The Music Man

• April 14-15—Mrs. Doubtfire (Sarasota Premiere)

• April 21-22— Richard Thomas in Mark Twain Tonight

• April 22—The Naked Magicians

• May 2—Jerry Seinfeld

• May 8—Almost EAGLES

• May 9— Herbie Hancock

• June 2—Vince Gill

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

Venice Symphony

▼ On April 12 , they have The American Music Story. The Venice Symphony Brass Quintet offers culmination of American music and culture for the country’s 250th anniversary. Listen to the cross-genre celebration of American music making, with American classical music, popular and jazz music with The Venice Symphony Brass Quintet.

• On April 24-25 they have Ode to America. This concert features John Williams’ The Cowboys Overture, Leonard Bernstein’s Times Square: 1944, and Copland’s iconic Appalachian Spring along with much more. Guest vocalist for this concert is Andrea Ross. www.thevenicesymphony.org

Via Nova Chorale

▼ Back by popular demand, “Jazz Mass for a New Humanity,” a groundbreaking work by Via Nova’s artistic director, Steven Phillips, sets the traditional texts of the mass in conversation with sacred writings from many traditions, along with poetry by Maya Angelou, Wendell Berry, and others. Performed with a first-rate jazz ensemble and acclaimed vocalist Maicy Powell, this stirring program entertains, uplifts, and inspires.

It’s on Friday, May 1, at First Presbyterian Church, 2050 Oak St., Sarasota. Tickets ViaNovaChorale.org

Venice Concert Band

▼ The Venice Concert Band has the GLOBAL EXPRESS on April 27. Join the Venice Concert Band’s seasonal finale as they take you on a musical tour around the world. From England, to Spain, to Italy, and back to the United States, this concert will be an exciting way to conclude the season.

Tickets available on April 13 Held at the Venice Performing Arts Center, 1 Indian Avenue, Venice. Tickets: www.Veniceconcertband.com/

women in business

Canned Ham Vintage in Sarasota

Extensive vintage collection that’s fun to buy and wear

YYou could say thrifting and vintage are in her DNA and that wouldn’t be far off. Ashley Rogers’ mother, Cheri McNulty, collected as did Ashley’s grandmother.

As a child, Ashley went with her mother to various sales and grew up in a home with lots of vintage finds. She’s been collecting since age 7. And you could say Canned Ham Vintage is a bit of a museum or a time capsule, but it also resembles a page out of a design magazine for its attractive settings that mix furniture, artwork and accessories. You want to shop, but also enjoy all the arrangements.

Canned Ham Vintage began in 2014 when Ashley purchased a small, 1963 vintage trailer and would travel to shows to sell items that she had found at better thrift stores or estate sales.

The name “Canned Ham” refers to those cute Shasta camper trailers that were so popular starting in the ‘40s (and they’re still being made today). She then moved the business to a physical space in the Rosemary District and moved again to their current location on 12th Street in Sarasota that gives them lots of room. Her mother, Cheri McNulty, also works in the store. She’s talented in many ways particularly managing the jewelry collection and mending, sewing and repairing clothes. She’s also an expert on many items, especially vintage Pyrex, to name just one.

Canned ham Vintage is a fun store to shop with quality find from 1890s to the 1060s.

Cheri McNulty works with Canned Ham founder and her daughter, Ashley Rogers

Love mid-century furniture? They have it.

canned ham continued

The care that goes into all the items in the store is impressive and reflects not just being a store, but also shows a reverence for quality goods and, well, a love of history through costume and accessories.

They’ll buy goods outright by going to estate sales, flea markets and the like, but they choose not to consign. As for estate sales, “People will call wanting us to look through the house, to see if there’s anything they would like to buy. I like to buy in person,” Ashley says. They sell higher end costume jewelry like Bake Lite, which, depending on the piece, is selling in the hundreds. They also have a great collection of beautiful turquoise and silver jewelry that will make you feel like you’re in a store in New Mexico.

Love Pyrex?

They have an extensive collection - here’s the “gooseberry” Pyrex.

the environment. Give me a Ralph Lauren tailored all cotton shirt any day (check their men’s department - they have lots of nice shirts). It’ll last a long time and in Florida, it breathes and absorbs moisture.

WuTang and more. Speaking of movies, they have a great hat selection and there was one I could imagine Audrey Hepburn wearing.

Open shelves display colorful Pyrex. some with the ‘50s snowflake pattern that, if in perfect condition, can cost $50 per piece or over $100 for a set. Gooseberry-colored Pyrex can go for even more and they have loads in stock and those bright colors are tempting.

They have lots of glassware that’s frosted or covered with patterns and drink trolleys to store them in that recall the TV series Mad Men. If you love frosted glass as I do, you have a lot of choices at Canned Ham, but take it from the experts and wash them by hand with gentle soaps.

So who buys their vintage items? “Everyone age 14 to 94,” Ashley states. Some want a shawl to wear to the opera or theatre, for example. I can imagine they sold a few things for Art Center Sarasota’s Beaux Arts Ball which was a costume party with a ‘20s theme - and they have quite a few ‘20s’ era clothes.

As for newer, cheap clothes, like the ones that get fuzz balls and lose their shape, they may seem like a great deal, but they also contain synthetics . Those low-cost t-shirts break down and release tons of plastic micro particles into

“Fast fashion [as it’s called] killed the fashion business,” Ashley feels, and has caused some businesses to shut down while cheap clothes are everywhere. Those clothes are often made in poor countries and some companies practice unfair labor practices that border on exploitation.

But there’s more to the Canned Ham story. Their online store has over 3,000 items and brings in as many sales as their physical store.

Some well known TV shows have also visited the online store such as Mrs. Maisel, Palm Royale, the Aretha Franklin movie

for parties or just to wear.

Their clothing inventory ranges from 1870 to 1970. In their reviews, you’ll see younger women clearly enjoying their finds though they probably weren’t born when the clothes were originally made.

Not an inch of space is wasted at Canned Ham. Walls, from ceiling to floor, have a variety of artwork that share space with floor lamps, furniture and retro knick knacks.

Considering all they offer, there’s a flip side.

and clothes - lots and lots of immaculately preserved items

The most space is given to clothing, some of which hangs from the ceiling. There are lots of ruffly dresses, fringed leather, while others have wild patterns often in bright Crayola-like colors.

Speaking of Crayola, remember when guys wore ruffled shirts in bright colors to proms, weddings or special occasions? They tell me they’re back in style - some

They don’t do ‘80s and ‘90s stuff “Unless it’s designer,” Ashley states. The store gets great reviews on Yelp and you can also find them on Etsy.

“We have created a time capsule for you to shop in, with everything from men’s and women’s vintage clothing to barware and mid-century furniture,” says their website. Prices are reasonable especially since they clean and mend everything so you don’t have to.

Stop by - you can’t miss it their store. Simply look for the “canned ham” trailer in the parking lot.

2081 12th Street, Sarasota (941) 313-1280

HOURS: Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Closed on Sundays and Mondays

You can also donate if you have your parents’ or grandparents’ stuff and you don’t know what to do with it –a frequent problem for anyone over 50 https:// cannedhamvintage .com

They’re on Etsy at https://www.etsy.com/shop/CannedHamVintage?dd_ referrer=https://duckduckgo.com/

STORY and IMAGES: Louise Bruderle

“Aretha”, hulu’s

Artwork and glassware

Jewelry

OfKors Bakery and Restaurant

A bit of Europe on Main Street in Sarasota

Of Kors offers a little bit of everything and is located on the first floor of the Aster and Links luxury apartment building on the far end of Main Street just west of 301.

This is their newer location if you’re familiar with their other, smaller space at 1989 Main Street that’s just south of five points.

That location also serves as their bakery. This location is an impressive new iteration with high ceilings, spacious seating areas, lots of light, artwork and a greater variety of menu options including lunch.

1359 OfKors opened this past December. Nika is the general manager and has been with them for three years. She started as a barrista after leaving her native Ukraine four years ago due to the war.

Delectable and beautiful pastries of every kind

The owners of OfKors, Alex and Marie Korsykov, are also from Ukraine and Nika says, “They taught me everything.” Nika has been a teacher and a flight attendant in her native land, both of which make her idea manager material. “Team work is everything,” she adds.

OfKors owners Alex and Marie Korsykov are from Ukraine

The Korsykovs opened their first OfKors Bakery, at 1359 Main St. near the Bayfront nearly a decade ago, according to the OfKors website.

As an aside, there’s a substantial Ukrainian population in Sarasota, North Port in particular. Nika says a lot of Slavic people work at OfKors and that can include people of Russian, Polish, Ukrainian, Czech and Slovakian origin. Many of the staff speak multiple languages and one, she says, speaks Farsi as well as English.

As for the menu, it feels like a little bit of Europe with rich, freshly-brewed coffees and beautiful and delicious pastries. You will be dazzled by their beauty.

The airy and spacious interior of OfKors

dining out continued

To experience a Ukrainian pastry, try their Classic Honey Cake which is considered to be one of the most popular desserts in Slavic countries and is made with multiple layers. Or try the Syrniki which is part of Belarusian, Russian, Ukrainian, Latvian and Lithuanian cuisine. They’re cheese-filled but light and slightly sweet small pancakes served with sour cream, mango confit and fruit for $15.00 and I found them a nice change from heavy pancakes with super sweet syrup.

Crepes are popular in Ukraine and here you can have savory crepes with eggs (bacon, spinach, mozzarella and a side salad $15.99) or salmon (lox, spinach, mozzarella and a salad $15.99) or with chicken salad (honey, pecans, cranberries spinach, mozzarella and a side salad $15.99).

Like your crepes sweet? They have them with fruit in two versions at $15.99. Everything from the pastries to the meals are made from scratch. I had one of their large pistachio muffins and it was moist and very pistachio-ey. They’re happy to explain any of the items on the menu and staff are delightfully attentive and friendly.

turmeric, cinnamon, ashwagandha)

Desserts include assorted tarts, baklava, brownies, chia pudding, cannoli, creme brulee, eclairs, macarons, strudel, muffins, Madeleines, Napoleons, tiramisu, mini Pavlovas, rum balls and carrot cake (and this is not a complete list).

are all made in-house and are

Meet the OfKors Bakery owners, Alex and Marie Korsykov

They pay a lot of attention to their coffee using organic beans and roast them themselves. It’s a medium roast more like in Europe whereas Americans are used to a dark roast.

The restaurant is bright and airy with high ceilings. Their original ofKors was quite different - equally enjoyable but frequently had long lines.

Beverages include cappuccino, espresso, Americano, mochas and teas with refreshing drinks like freddo paradiso (strawberry and basil) and cacao spice bloom (cacao,

As for breads they have brioche rolls, croissants and challah. They serve beef or chicken empanadas and quiche.You’ll also find Yoder’s ice cream and OfKors can make custom cakes for holidays (you’ll see some displayed in a glass walk-in cooler).

In that same cooler, they offer fresh flowers by the stem or in bouquets, prepared by Romanovna Flowers.

They plan to expand into dinner service and wine-based cocktails such as sangrias, Bellinis, and mimosas. Outdoor seating is coming soon, too.

The couple came from Ukraine to the U.S. in 2013. Their passion was to travel and to cook food from different world cuisines. Years of international workshops became handy when they opened the first bakery in North Port.

In 2017 their dream to open a European bakery in Sarasota became true and OfKors Bakery opened in Sarasota on Main Street.

They use predominantly organic ingredients and ingredients sourced from local farmers. They bake from scratch in small batches starting at 4 a.m. each morning, mixing and rolling for when the doors open.

(new location)

1359 Main St, Sarasota www.ofkorscafe .com 941-330-2220

Monday-Thursday: 7:30 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Friday-Saturday: 7:30 a.m. - 10 p.m. Sunday: 7:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Pastries, ice cream biscotti and organic coffee

The pastries

beautiful

A pistachio muffin

Some of the crew at OfKors. L-R: Kevin, Nika (manager) and Eric

Sarah Firstenberger Sarah Firstenberger

CEO at SIESTA KEY CHAMBER of COMMERCE

CEO at SIESTA KEY CHAMBER of COMMERCE

She’s the CEO at the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce, having come on board June 2025.

“I’ve been very fortunate to walk into this with a team in place.” Her goal is to grow the chamber while getting to know stakeholders, some of whom have in business for over 30 years.

She arrived at her new job in June of last year when the crowds were less and the weather was hot, but the very popular Key was still very busy. The Key’s long-running top ratings for best beach or best sand continue year after year. So, for the new CEO of the nonprofit Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce (SKCC), job one and maybe two and three, is to promote businesses and organizations also on Siesta Key.

Sarah seems to have just the right skillset. Prior to coming on board with SKCC, she was at the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, where she was director of marketing and events. And before that, she was the executive director of Sarasota-Manatee Originals, an organization that promotes Sarasota’s vibrant restaurant scene.

Thus Sarah brings to the SKCC not just solid marketing skills, but also knowledge of the local hospitality and restaurant community and the greater area at large.

Perhaps an even better “skill” is that she grew up in our area. In fact, her parents grew up here as well. Sarah attended Booker - from elementary and middle to high school. She then attended the University of Central Florida and then USF Sarasota/Manatee where she earned a degree in marketing.

Living near Sarasota High School, Sarah was on Siesta Key and its beaches a lot, either by riding her bike, or taking the Breeze Transit (then called SCAT). Basically, she says “Siesta Key raised me.” Her mother would also sometimes drop her off at the beach. Then, after a stop at Big Olaf for ice cream, she’d head home. “It was a special place to grow up” she says of the Key. “We ran pretty free and I loved it.”

Fast forward and her office is tucked away in the heart of what’s called The Village on Siesta Key and minutes from that famous white sand. Not that she has time to hang out on the beach, but could there be a better person to offer a testimonial to visitors on how to enjoy the Key? “Uniquely qualified” comes to mind. Siesta Key was in the news recently when yet another attempt was made to change height restrictions for accommodations - particularly hotels. This past March, Sarasota County commissioners voted against removing density limits, stopping what are called “mega hotels” from being built - this one being a 120-room hotel on roughly one acre along Old Stickney Point Road. So height restrictions stay in place - for now - and the island will remain a place where there are small accommodations. “We’re a conduit - and not political,” she explains and while SKCC is not a political organization, she feels the ruling shows that “People like it [the Key] the way it is.”

Siesta Key is not large - just eight miles long - but packed with housing,

accommodations, attractions, shopping and restaurants. It used to be - like a lot of Sarasota - a seasonal destination, but no longer. “Spring break is very busy,” she notes, but adds “We’re more year roundnot just seasonal.”

The chamber has 400 members and has been around since 1959. It has a board and the current chair is Mason Tush, III from CB’s Saltwater Outfitters, a long-time business on the Key.

Working with Sarah is a team of four whom she calls “A great team” - and a hardworking one at that. They handle 10,000+ walk-in visitors each year and respond to some 7,000 phone inquiries while mailing 3,000 information packets annually.

The SKCC is unique in that it’s a chamber of commerce, but also mans a visitor’s center, she explains. “I’ve been very fortunate to walk into this with a team in place.” Her goal is to grow the chamber while also getting to know stakeholders, some, she notes, have been in business for over 30 years.

The key offers a variety of places to stay: condos, cottages, resorts hotels and more. Many have been around for decades and have maintained their charm like Siesta Sun Beach Villas which opened in 1958 and has 24 individually owned units.

Asked about what to see and Sarah mentions the Patriot’s Pier as something many may not know about. At the location, which is located at north end of Beach Road, you’ll find flags for the six branches of the U.S. Armed Forces as well as one for prisoners of war and those missing in action.

This past February new, taller flagpoles were installed. Each night there’s a sunset ceremony that’s popular with veterans of all ages - guest or resident - but Sarah suggests everyone experience it.

She adds that the Key, in addition to water fun, also offers land-based fun such as pickleball courts as well as tennis and basketball at Siesta Beach. A very popular draw is the Sunday evening Drum Circle that has been taking place for years.

“There are lots of places to chill,” she notes and chill is the vibe on Siesta Key which you pick up once you cross either bridge.

Coming up will be the 4th of July fireworks and later, the Siesta Key Annual Crystal Classic in November followed by a holiday parade in December.

And about that traffic. She suggests the Siesta Key Breeze, an open-air trolley to and from Siesta Beach which is free to use and runs the entire length of the Key including Turtle Beach, a somewhat less crowded and more rustic beach.

Sarah credits her predecessors who “Laid a foundation” onto which she can build. “I can’t believe I get to work here. Siesta key is so unique with a world-class beach and a great community.”

Stop by their office at 5223 Avenida Navarra, Siesta Key, or visit www. siestakey.com

 STORY and IMAGES: Louise Bruderle

The Sarasota Film Festival runs

The Hand Of Dante” is the closing night film

The Sarasota Film Festival has set IN THE HAND OF DANTE, directed by Julian Schnabel to close out the 2026 edition of the festival. The film, which premiered at the 2025 Venice Film Festival, features a cast including Oscar Isaac, Gal Gadot, Al Pacino, and Martin Scorsese. Schnabel will take part in a moderated discussion following the screening.

The film follows a disillusioned author drawn into a violent underworld quest to authenticate a manuscript believed to be Dante Alighieri’s original Divine Comedy. The story weaves between 14th-century Italy and modern-day, exploring themes of love, divinity, and obsession.The festival will also honor Schnabel with the Achievement in Directing Award.

Renowned for his groundbreaking work as both a painter and filmmaker, Schnabel directed films including Basquiat, Before Night Falls, and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly—the latter earning four Academy Award nominations.

Inside Hollywood’s Stunt World: Stunt Showcase at New College

The Sarasota Film Festival will host a fireside chat celebrating the art of stunt coordination, making SFF one of the first festivals to spotlight the craft following the Academy’s historic recognition of stunts as an Oscar-worthy discipline.

Celebrated for his vivid storytelling and striking visual style, Schnabel has received numerous honors, among them Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival and a Golden Globe Award for Best Director, and the César Award for Best Director.

On Friday, April 17, the festival will present a retrospective screening of Schnabel’s Academy Award nominated film BEFORE NIGHT FALLS. The event will feature select original artwork on display, along with a cocktail reception preceding the screening.

The Sarasota Film Festival’s 2026 program highlights includes a mix of craft, technology, and community engagement. At New College, a panel focusing on stunt work, one of the first at a film festival following the Academy’s recognition of stunt coordination, will provide a behind-thescenes look at action filmmaking.

Ringling College of Art and Design will host a panel examining how AI is impacting animation and creative workflows. The festival will also host a free public soccer event at New College, including a youth clinic, internationally themed food trucks, and an outdoor screening.

Headlining the conversation is Jayson Dumenigo, Fire Specialist Stunt Coordinator and Stunt Performer for Ballerina. Long considered one of Hollywood’s most demanding fields, stunt coordination has shaped some of cinema’s most iconic moments while rarely receiving awards recognition. Dumenigo will offer a behind-the-scenes look at the precision and creativity behind action filmmaking, from expertly staged car chases to the artistry of a fire gag.

Animation & AI: The Future of Storytelling at Ringling College of Art and Design

A timely panel exploring the intersection of animation and artificial intelligence will be held at Ringling College of Art and Design.

Ringling College champions artistic innovation and is a perfect stage for one of the festival’s most electric discussions. This panel explores what it means to be a human storyteller in an age of machines. The festival will include AI-focused films to complement the programming.

Sports and Business Panel

In partnership with New College, the festival will host a family and community soccer celebration offering a free event designed to bring together film lovers, sports fans, and families.

The afternoon has a free youth clinic led by notable athletes, internationally themed food trucks, and an outdoor film screening. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup taking place this summer, and seven matches set for Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, Florida is at the center of the soccer world, and the Sarasota Film Festival is joining in.

 Purchase tickets at www. sarasotafilmfestival.com/ or go to the box office at 332 Coconaut Avenue, Sarasota, daily from noon 6 p.m. until the beginning of the festival.

Julian Schnabel

happening this month



Sarasota Film Festival Takes Place April 10-19

Films of local interest and a variety of films to check out

Films of Local Interest

• Call It What It Is, Directed by KT Curran When the Sarasota Film Festival gets underway April 10-19, and as is its custom, there will be movie stars and big name movies. Equally important are films made by local creators such as KT Curran and her Wingspan productions which will present its latest production, a short documentary called Call It What It Is.

It will be shown at noon on April 11 at the Ringling School of Art and Design in an educational screening and panel for the community.

After the screening the speaker’s panel will include the film’s director, KT Curran, along with students, school administration staff, and local experts to answer questions from the audience about bullying prevention and to share thoughts about the film.

It’ll also be shown on April 14 for area students who will be bussed to the event and then taken to the Embracing Our Differences art exhibit on display at the Sarasota bayfront. KT will lead that discussion and docents will lead tours at the bayfront exhibit.

The topic couldn’t be more timely: bullying. KT has shown her movies at the SFF before and each have not only won awards, but have been timely in dealing with important issues - especially those affecting youth.

Her Wingspan Productions created the

documentary, The Fentanyl Project, as well as the multiple award-winning feature film, Bridge to the Other Side, that was also featured at the Sarasota Film Festival and screened nationwide.

KT directed Call It What It Is with cinematography by Ryan Patrick Dean, an Orlando-based director of photography, who has shot film, commercials, and documentaries all over the country as well as internationally.

Call It What It Is, is a moving and important film that honors local students and provides a forum for young adults to share their stories about bullying and resiliency. It was shot in Sarasota with local people, she notes “But it [bullying] can be translated internationally. Though made for the Sarasota area, it can help the world.”

Executive Produced by Wingspan donor, Roger Sandt, with additional support from Gulf Coast Community Foundation, the film was created, “To give our community hope in anxious times.”

It’s a tough topic especially when students talk about abuse they have received.

“The cinematographer and I were in tears,” KT relates. But adds “The kids are so wise. They can learn how to cope and find that they’re not alone.”

The documentary also collaborated with Sarasota County School administration and students, in order to highlight the issue of bullying and to share the vast support systems at Sarasota County Schools for students who are being bullied.

Featuring 26 local high school students, as well as Student Support Services staff and administration, the film presents compelling stories about how the nature of bullying has changed in recent years: it has moved online and can often feel inescapable – with hurtful words that follow students from home to school and back again – often leaving lasting impacts on self-worth and self-esteem that can carry far into adulthood.

The film premiered in Beverly Hills, California this past fall at Lady Filmmakers Film Festival where it won the Best Short Documentary Award. It went on to be shown at festivals across the US and then in classrooms in Sarasota County schools as part of Bullying Prevention Month. Interestingly, an earlier documentary KT produced several years ago was called Surviving Lunch and was also on bullying. Bullying, she feels, “Is at the core of so many other problems. It gets at the nature of civility.”

The film was featured on WEDU PBS in January and will have repeated television screenings on WEDU later this year. Call It What It Is has won the Social Awareness Award, the Health Services Award, and Best Short Documentary Award. And her next documentary subject? Anxiety.

• The Healing Mirror, produced by Second Heart Homes Sarasota is known for its wealth, worldclass arts, and cultural institutions. But beyond the galleries and stages, many men and women have experienced homelessness.

The Healing Mirror brings these two worlds together. The film follows the residents of Second Heart Homes as they take part in immersive poetry workshops led by renowned poet Cedric Hameed.

Through story and verse, participants explore self-image, self-esteem, fear, and triumph. Over six weeks, they share their experiences of trauma, mental illness, and homelessness, reflecting on their pasts and imagining new futures through original poetry.

Filmed at the Sarasota Art Museum in 2026, The Healing Mirror presents homelessness and healing with honesty, rawness, and courage. Viewers can participate afterwards when Hameed speaks at a panel discussion.

The Healing Mirror was directed by Colin Reid, Bubba Henson, and Megan Howell- by Second Heart Homes, the Sarasota nonprofit that provides permanent housing, support, and love to men and women who once lived on the streets, with generous support from the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, the Charles and Margery Barancik Foundation, and the Sammy Fund.

The Healing Mirror premiers at the Sarasota, Film Festival on April 17 at 2pm location TBA- check the SFF website.

Megan Howell, Executive Director and Founder of Second Heart Homes, states “When people are experiencing the trauma

of homelessness and untreated mental illness, there is deep hurt. One of the things that makes our permanent housing model so unique is our openness to explore different modalities of healing. At first, I thought it sounded a little silly, but we quickly saw there was something powerful in writing poetry. We watched our residents begin to transform and truly blossom. Sometimes, it’s a good thing to be wrong.”

Bubba Henson, published poet, co-producer of the film and volunteer of Second Heart Homes, says “Life can often make us great poets and when we don’t even know it. The depth of insight and expression in these workshops is transformative, and the film does a great job in capturing it.”

To learn more about Second Heart Homes, visit SecondHeartHomes.org



A look at some of the films

We couldn’t possibly list all 47 features, 4 World Premieres, 17 Florida Premieres and 39 short films. But here are some films we thought you’d like to know about.



2026 Sarasota Film Festival Lineup:

OPENING NIGHT FILM:

 DEEP WATER (World Premiere)

A flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai goes down in the middle of the Pacific. After surviving the crash, the survivors soon discover they’re not alone and they must survive the shark infested waters.

 CLOSING NIGHT FILM (Florida Premiere)

 IN THE HAND OF DANTE

Directed by Julian Schnabel, a handwritten manuscript of Dante Alighieri’s poem “The Divine Comedy” makes its way from a priest to a mob boss in New York City, where it is taken by author Nick Tosches after he’s asked to verify its authenticity.

 MALA

Reema, along with her three close friends, arrives on a small island off the Florida Keys to claim her inherited beachside estate left to her by her late aunt, only to discover that secrets lurk behind the surface - plus a tantric possession - in this locally produced horror mystery.

 EVERYWHERE MAN: THE LIVES AND TIMES OF PETER ASHER

A portrait of Peter Asher, musician, producer, and manager, whose life intersects with some of the greatest artists and moments of the last six decades, from The Beatles to James Taylor, Carole King, Linda Ronstadt and many others.

KT Curran

film festival continued

 STEAL THIS STORY, PLEASE! (Florida Premiere)

 TETHER

This portrait of “Democracy Now!”’s Amy Goodman spotlights journalism’s power— and peril—amid rising corporate control and political attacks on the press while following her journey from the wisecracking granddaughter of an Orthodox rabbi to an intrepid journalist undeterred by soldiers, riot police, and smear campaign.

 SIDECAR SADIE TO THE RESCUE

Led by Sadie, a spirited rescue dog, Sidecar Sadie To The Rescue explores the challenges and triumphs of animal rescue through heartfelt adoption stories and the work of the Gulf Coast Humane Society. Warm, inspiring, informative, and sprinkled with a little humor, the film invites audiences to discover how compassion and community can change lives - both human and animal.

 CALL IT WHAT IT IS -

Director KT Curran

The voices of local high school students sharing personal stories of bullying and resilience in an era when harassment often follows young people online and off. The film sheds light on how bullying has evolved and the support systems available to students in Sarasota County Schools.

 FISH FRY & FELLOWSHIP

(World Premiere)

A FISH FRY & FELLOWSHIP in Palmetto, Florida, taking place every Friday in the parking lot of an African-American church, started when a group of avid fishermen decided that their church mission needed to include a gathering where folks could hang out, share stories and eat some good fish. As the years went by, the FISH FRY & FELLOWSHIP regulars started to feel like a family, both black and white, finding real community in a town ravaged by the ghosts of segregation.

 THE HEALING MIRROR

Director Kazy Tauginas

The Healing Mirror follows formerly homeless residents of Second Heart Homes, a Sarasota nonprofit providing permanent housing, support, and love, as they explore their stories through poetry. Guided by poet Cedric Hameed, participants engage in a series of workshops that become a powerful mirror for reflection, healing, and self-expression.

 THE TRIAL OF ALEC BALDWIN

Director Rory Kennedy

Rory Kennedy’s provocative examination of public vitriol and the toxic price of fame, set in motion by the tragic accidental death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust in 2021 when Alec Baldwin becomes a lightning rod of online hate as he fights to protect himself and his family.

After a journalist vanishes in a quiet Gulf Coast town, private investigators Naomi Graves and Jade Stokes uncover a chilling government experiment designed to erase entire Black neighborhoods from history— forcing them to fight a reality where memories disappear, time fractures, and the truth itself is being hunted

 BEFORE NIGHT FALLS

Director Julian Schnabel

A journey into the life of famed Cuban poet and novelist Reinaldo Arenas, an artist who was vilified for his homosexuality in Fidel Castro’s Cuba.

 VICTORY Director John Huston 1981

The rousing 1981 adventure that pits Allied prisoners of war against their German captors in a soccer match. Sylvester Stallone heads a great cast including Michael Caine, Max von Sydow, soccer great Pelé and other real-life footballers.

 ANNE PACKARD: AN ARTIST’S RESOLVE (Florida Premiere)

artificial intelligence leads to unexpected questions about humanity’s future and our relationship with emerging technology.

 FIGHTING FOR FLORIDA

genre of legendary music.

 THE PYTHON HUNT

This documentary film captures the underwater beauty of the Sunshine State while shedding light on environmental issues such as shark conservation and nutrient pollution. Through stunning visuals of wetlands, reefs, and candid interviews, the film reveals the stark contrast between Florida’s allure and the environmental challenges it faces, including the devastating impact of toxic algae blooms fueled by herbicide spraying and Florida’s involvement in the shark fin trade.

A portrait of the 92-year-old painter Anne Packard, whose life and work stand as a testament to artistic perseverance and vision.

 ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE (Florida Premiere)

The inspiring story of three female artists who defied norms by purchasing a house together in 1950s NYC, prioritizing their art over traditional, gender-coded roles.

 AN AUSCHWITZ ALBUM STORY

(Florida Premiere)

The extraordinary survivor story of Mike and Joe Kreitenberg and their lifechanging discovery in the Auschwitz Album: the only existing photographs of their family and neighbors who were lost in the Holocaust.

 DEEPFAKING SAM ALTMAN

A filmmaker’s humorous journey into

Every year, the Florida government invites the general public to compete in an invasive python removal contest in the Everglades. For ten nights, an eclectic group of hunters confront the dangerous terrain, nocturnal creatures and their own desires.

 SHE RUNS THE WORLD (Florida Premiere)

Allyson Felix is the most decorated track and field athlete of all time. At the peak of her career, Felix discovers she is pregnant with her first child. But the pinnacle of Felix’s personal and professional life turns into a public flashpoint when she takes on Nike’s stance on maternal protections. She never intended to become another Norma Rae or Erin Brockovich; nonetheless she had to do what she knew was right regardless of the personal risk.

 Florida Documentary Shorts

 AFTER THE RAIN

 GIVE ME THE BALL! (Florida Premiere)

Rare archive footage and candid interviews with world champion tennis trailblazer Billie Jean King, and those closest to her, reveal how one woman put changing the world ahead of saving herself.

 NEWPORT AND THE GREAT FOLK DREAM (Florida Premiere)

Before Coachella and Woodstock, there was Newport. From 1963 to 1966, the Newport Folk Festival brought together Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Johnny Cash, Pete Seeger, Howlin’ Wolf, and more. Drawing from rare and previously unseen archival footage, the film captures this charged moment when freedom songs met work songs and the spirit of protest filled the air.

 OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD: THE FIRST CORAL REEFERS Journey through the 1970s and early 1980s with the original members of Jimmy Buffett’s Coral ReeferBand as they recount their contributions to iconic albums, life on tour, in the studio and the lasting impactthey had in shaping a unique

A meditative video essay chronicling the Telluride Mushroom Festival experience. Beginning with a road trip across the country, the film follows the Petrichor Mushrooms team during their inaugural journey into the festival.

 SILVERMOON

An exploration of the history behind one of only four drive-in theaters left in Florida.

 BREAKING ICE

Features Captain Kristen Serumgard and her U.S. Coast Guard crew aboard the USCGC icebreaker Healy, the largest polar icebreaker in the fleet, on a mission above the Arctic Circle. 18% serving on board are female.

 LAKE OF FIRE

Lake of Fire is a documentary following the vandalization of a public art exhibition celebrating themes of diversity, kindness, and inclusion. What differences are embraced when we take away the space to celebrate them?

 CORTE

Facing cancer, artist Shane Michael Couch realized he had never painted the paintings he was born to paint. Now he chases the legendary J Class yachts of the America’s Cup, resurrecting a golden era one breathtaking canvas at a time.

For more information, visit: www sarasotafilmfestival com

focus on the arts

Gainsborough: The Fashion of Portraiture at the Frick Collection, NYC

New York’s First Exhibition on the English Artist’s Portraiture

Maybeyou’ve read that the Frick Collection in New York City reopened last year after being closed for an extensive update.

Among many reasons to enjoy the Frick is that the reno created new exhibit space. Sure the collection is always dazzling, but now they can offer exhibits. The first on display is Gainsborough: The Fashion of Portraiture which taps into the Frick’s own holdings, but also from collections across North America and the United Kingdom. The exhibit runs to May 25, 2026.

The Frick has 10 Thomas Gainsborough (1727–1788) paintings because Henry Clay Frick the man liked the artist (among many). This first special exhibition is the first devoted to his portraiture ever held in New York.

Displaying more than two dozen paintings, the show explores the interwoven relationship between Gainsborough’s portraits and fashion in the eighteenth century.

When Gainsborough took up painting, portraiture was going through a transitionfrom a stiffer style of portrait to elaborate ones that reflected the sitter’s wealth and stature as seen through clothes they wore for their sitting. It was also a reflection of the times.

Those luxurious portraits are demonstrations of taste, status, and wealth made possible by colonialism and often subjugation of humans around the world.

artistic process, including connections to materials—textiles, dyes, cosmetics, jewelry—that fueled the fashion industry.

This exhibition deals with clothing and personal attire, while exploring how fashion was understood in Gainsborough’s time, how it touched every level of society, and how portraiture itself was as much a construction and invention as a sitter’s style.

Gainsborough later called portraiture “curs’d Face Business” and preferred to to practice landscape painting even while satisfying the fashionable conventions of the wealthy elite.

In Mary, Countess Howe, Gainsborough

Class structure also grew more restrictive as well and it was reflected in clothing. Your class was reflected in your clothing; fancy duds also came to mean that you had integrity along with wealth. And that meant those less fortunate had to dress accordingly to their “station”.

Recent technical investigations also shed light on Gainsborough’s

meticulously documents every element of a new aristocrat’s attire, while men’s trappings often more readily communicated profession and status.

The exhibition also considers how portraiture both reinforced and challenged social hierarchies,

especially for sitters on the margins of the Georgian era’s fashionable class.

In one salient pairing, visitors will encounter portraits of Mary, Duchess of Montagu and her servant, Ignatius Sancho.

The latter, born into enslavement, became a celebrated composer and one of the most famous Afro-Britons of his time; in his likeness, the artist dresses him in the coat and waistcoat of a gentleman, not in the livery he donned in the Montagu household.

Visitors will also learn about Gainsborough’s use of “Van Dyck dress,” which evokes the Old Master painter from a century earlier.

There’s also a warm portrait of the artist’s wife, Margaret, who gazes out at us as she would have at her husband while more modestly dressed.

He also gave elegance to those without such a legacy, notably the scandal-ridden Grace Dalrymple Elliott.

Then there’s his brilliant paining style with you’ll see gets better and better over the years. He was amazing at painting fabric.

The Frick Collection

1 East 70th Street, New York Timed tickets required (except for members) https://www.frick.org/

Mary, Countess Howe, 1763–64. English Heritage, Kenwood House, London

Ignatius Sancho, born into enslavement, became a celebrated composer and one of the most famous Afro-Britons of his time, National Gallery of Canada

The artist’s wife, Margaret Gainsborough, The Courtauld, London

Grace Dalrymple Elliott, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Conductor: Kevin Fitzgerald | Vocalists: Chris Blem, Travis Birch, Shaleah Adkisson

DONATIONS NEEDED

Help a Survivor Start Over 1426 Fruitville Rd, Sarasota

Mon-Sat | 10 AM-4 PM

Drop-off behind building - honk at garage door

focus on the arts

enSRQ Marks 10th Anniversary with Steve Reich’s “Music for 18 Musicians” on April 24

EnsembleNEWSRQ (enSRQ) will celebrate its 10th anniversary season with a performance of Steve Reich’s “Music for 18 Musicians” at the Sarasota Opera House on April 24. The event marks not only the ensemble’s first decade, but also the 50th anniversary of Reich’s groundbreaking work and the 90th birthday year of the legendary composer himself.

When “Music for 18 Musicians” premiered on April 24, 1976, at The Town Hall in New York City, it redefined the possibilities of sound and structure. The work remains one of the most iconic statements in contemporary music—a luminous tapestry of interlocking rhythms, pulsing harmonies, and slowly shifting patterns that seem to suspend time. It has inspired generations of composers and performers and continues to influence music across genres, from classical to electronic.

“Performing ‘Music for 18 Musicians’ at this moment—50 years after its debut, as Reich turns 90, and as we mark our 10th season—feels like a perfect intersection of past, present, and future,” says enSRQ co-founder and percussionist George Nickson.

Founded in 2016 by Nickson and violinist Samantha Bennett, enSRQ champions contemporary classical music. Over the past decade, the ensemble has earned a national reputation for bold programming and a deep commitment to new music and living composers.

Conor Hanick, one of today’s leading interpreters of contemporary music, will perform

“Our goal has always been to connect listeners to the energy and vitality of music being written now,” says Bennett. “Reich’s piece captures that energy perfectly; it’s timeless yet continually evolving.”

The April performance will feature enSRQ’s ensemble musicians alongside guest musicians to realize the full scope of Reich’s visionary score. A centerpiece of the performance is the lineup of pianists—an uncommon and visually striking configuration that brings four nine-foot concert grand pianos to the stage.

“Seeing and hearing four pianists perform simultaneously on instruments of this scale is a spectacle in itself, amplifying the physicality, precision, and immersive power of Reich’s music,” says Nickson.

He adds that each pianist is a leading figure in contemporary music with formidable credentials. Conor Hanick and Han Chen are among the most sought-after

pianists in new music today, both earning GRAMMY nominations this year for their work championing modern repertoire.

Steve Drury—widely regarded as a legend of 20th-century music performance—is a longtime faculty member at New England Conservatory and the Tanglewood Music Center, whose influence on generations of musicians is immeasurable.

Wesley Ducote, a New World Symphony alum, brings both virtuosity and deep interpretive insight to the ensemble, completing a quartet of pianists whose collective artistry elevates the work to a rare level of distinction.

“This performance is more than a concert,” adds Bennett. “It’s a celebration of creative continuity—how one visionary work continues to inspire musicians and audiences half a century later. For enSRQ, the program serves as both a milestone and a message: that innovation, collaboration, and curiosity remain the heart of our mission.”



Just The Facts



“Music for 18 Musicians” is Friday, April 24, 7:30 p.m., at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Avenue, Sarasota. Single tickets are $30. For more information on ticket packages and student pricing, visit www.EnSRQ.org

enSRQ co-artistic directors Samantha Bennett and George Nickson lead the ensemble’s 10th anniversary season. Photo by Matthew Holler.

Composer Steve Reich captured against an urban backdrop that reflects his long-standing connection to city life and contemporary culture. Photo by Jeffrey Herman.

SATURDAY,

MAY 2

DOORS OPEN AT 8 AM • PROGRAM BEGINS AT 8:45 AM

MOTE SEA (SCIENCE EDUCATION AQUARIUM)

225 UNIVERSITY TOWN CENTER DR., SARASOTA COST: $25 (INCLUDES LUNCH)

Our focus is simple yet profound: to empower our community with practical tools, compassionate understanding, and evidence-based strategies that support healing, hope and mental wellness across every stage of life.

JOHNNY CROWDER

Suicide and abuse survivor, touring musician, certified Peer Recovery Specialist, public advocate for mental health awareness, and founder of Cope Notes.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

JEROD WARD

Former professional basketball player, TEDx and motivational speaker, college basketball analyst for networks including ESPN and Fox Sports, and founder of JW Global Speaks, LLC.

Explore the full lineup of speakers, topics and more at SunshineFromDarkness.org

Sponsorship and Exhibitor Opportunities Available.

HEADLINER SPONSOR The Peterson Family

FEATURED SPEAKERS

Mindfulness Exercises

Maria Schaedler-Lurea, Co-Founder and Owner of Atomica Arts

Shining the Light on Children’s Grief

Lendy Chapman, Certified Child Life Specialist, Blue Butterfly Children’s Grief Educator

ACEs & Spades: Transforming Trauma

Jennifer S. Wortham, DrPH, Research Associate, Harvard University

Compassion Under Pressure: Responding Skillfully During a Mental Health Crisis

Terry Cassidy, LCSW, MAC, Executive Director of Behavioral Health Services for Sarasota Memorial Healthcare System

Heard, Not Fixed: The Art of Supportive Conversations

Stacie M. Herrera, PsyD, Herrera Psychology & Allison Henley, LMHC, President of Roots Family Counseling Healing with Sound

Lina Maldonado, MSW, Licensed Social Worker

Emotions in Motion: An Interactive Experience

Maria Schaedler-Luera, Co-Founder and Owner of Atomica Arts & Will Luera, Co-Founder and Co-Owner of Atomica Arts, Executive Directors of LifeLine Productions Inc.

In This Together: Open Q&A/Panel Discussion (Comprising All Speakers)

Journeys

Thursday, April 9, 5:00-6:30 pm

The Beatle Who Vanished: 60th Beatles Anniversary Tour Edition

With author Jim Berkenstadt

Jim’s books are in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Library. He also served as the historical consultant for Martin Scorsese’s film, George Harrison: Living in the Material World; on Eight Days a Week; and If These Walls Could Rock. His work has appeared on HBO, Hulu, Netflix, Paramount, and more.

Scan the code to register for this FREE event.

Thursday, May 7, 5:00-6:30 pm

Adapting a Book to Screenplay - Mahjongg and Murder: A Catskill Mystery

With author Lynne Bernfield, MA, MFCT Lynn’s book tells the story of the “Mahjongg Ladies” who protect the innocent blackmail victims of Nazi Germany. She will share her experience of adapting this book into a screenplay—now a semi-finalist in the Final Draft Outstanding Screenplay contest— and the creative journey that brought it to life.

Scan the code to register for this FREE event.

MEDIA SPONSOR

focus on the arts

Selby Gardens’ exhibition Alexander Calder: The Nature Of Movement runs to May 31

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens’ latest exhibition is Alexander Calder: The Nature of Movement, which will be on view through May 31, 2026, at the Downtown Sarasota campus.

The exhibition, like others in their Goldstein Exhibition Series, combines original artworks in the galleries of the Richard and Ellen Sandor Museum of Botany & the Arts with horticultural vignettes, inspired by the featured artists and their work, in the Display Conservatory and throughout the outdoor gardens of the 15-acre Downtown Sarasota campus.

The vignettes make use of Selby Gardens’ living plant collections, as well as the spectacular bayfront setting.

Calder’s fascination with energy and motion, coupled with his exploration of suspension and equilibrium, provides creative inspiration for the dynamic display of epiphytes, or air plants. The Calder exhibition at Selby Gardens will highlight the artist’s use of abstract forms rooted in nature and emphasize his interest in science and engineering.

The exhibition will also explore Calder’s enchantment with the circus, stemming from his studies of performers and animals at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1925. The circus, as many know, became the winter quarters of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1927.

Alexander Calder (American, 1898-1976) at the opening of an exhibition of his mobiles in Rome, Italy, in 1956.

Coincidentally, there’s a new Calder Museum in Philly called Calder Gardens. If you’re there, be sure to check it out.

Plants Above All, a mobile-like

Photo by Keystone/ Hulton Archive/ Getty Images

Sabal Stabiles, a horticultural vignette with sabal palms designed by Selby Gardens’ horticulture team and inspired by Alexander Calder’s monumental sculptures.

Photo by Matthew Holler

Black Cascade: 12 Verticals, 1959. Painted black metal and wire. Collection of The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art

planter designed by Selby Gardens’ horticulture team and inspired by Alexander Calder’s most iconic works.

Photo by Matthew Holler

Photo by Matthew Holler

Embracing a New Chapter: The Art of Aging in Place

Aging in place is a powerful choice that allows individuals to continue their lives with a sense of dignity, independence, and emotional well-being. It is about more than just staying at home; it’s a philosophy that champions a life well-lived in the comfort of a familiar, cherished environment.

The Heart of the Matter: Comfort and Connection

The profound emotional benefits of aging in place are often the most compelling reasons people choose this path. A home is a living repository of a life’s story—a place of family gatherings, shared laughter, and quiet moments. Being surrounded by familiar photographs, a favorite armchair, and a garden tended to for years provides a deep sense of security and continuity. This emotional anchor reduces stress and promotes mental clarity. The desire to remain in one’s home is a nearly universal sentiment; surveys reveal that over 90% of adults aged 50 and older would prefer to stay in their current homes for as long as possible.

This powerful connection to one’s surroundings extends beyond the front door. Remaining in a familiar neighborhood allows individuals to stay engaged with their community, whether through local clubs, friendships with neighbors, or familiar walking routes. These connections are vital for emotional health, providing a buffer against social isolation, a significant concern for the aging population. In fact, research shows that one in three adults aged 50 to 80 report feelings of loneliness, and staying connected to a community can be a vital antidote.

The Practical Choice: Independence and Support

The emotional pull of home is matched by the practical benefits of in-home care. A professional caregiver’s role is not to take over, but to partner with individuals to preserve their autonomy and freedom. This support can be customized to an individual’s specific needs, from help with daily tasks like light housekeeping and meal preparation to medication reminders and transportation. This level of personalized care ensures that people can continue to make their own choices,

from what to eat for breakfast to when to go to bed, reinforcing their sense of control and self-worth.

The importance of this support system is magnified by the changing demographics of the U.S. population. The number of Americans aged 65 and older is projected to increase from 58 million to an estimated 82 million by 2050. With this growth comes a rising prevalence of chronic health conditions; a staggering 93% of adults aged 65 and older have at least one chronic condition. This highlights the need for reliable, consistent care that can be delivered in a comfortable, non-institutional setting.

The Path to Success: Proactive Planning

While the desire to age in place is strong, successful implementation requires proactive planning. A significant challenge is that over 90% of homes in the U.S. are not “aging-ready,” meaning they lack necessary modifications like grab bars or accessible entryways. This gap underscores the need for families to have open, loving discussions about future needs and to explore resources that can help bridge the divide between desire and reality.

A trusted in-home care provider is a key part of this solution. By working together, individuals and their loved ones can create a tailored care plan that not only addresses practical needs but also supports hobbies, interests, and social engagement. The right caregiver can become a cherished friend, enriching a person’s life in countless ways. The art of aging in place is about celebrating life, one day at a time, right where you belong. It’s about ensuring that the next chapter is lived with the same vibrance, purpose, and joy as all the ones that came before.

ComForCare Home Care of Sarasota is here to help as you navigate these changes in dynamics and to support your family, giving you peace of mind. Call 941-346-6087 or email: basher@ comforcare.com, to find out how ComForCare truly cares like family.

dining in

From Plate to Planet:

How Plant-Based Choices Can Save the Earth

Did you know that a plant-rich diet isn’t just good for your body—it’s also a powerful way to help clean up the planet? By swapping out some animal-based meals for plant-powered ones, you’re reducing pollution and supporting a healthier environment. Here’s how

Cutting Down on Air Pollution with Every Bite

When it comes to greenhouse gases, livestock farms are, well, pretty gassy. Cows, sheep, and other animals release methane, a potent greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere through their burps and manure. Meanwhile, growing plants to feed ourselves directly generates far less pollution. By eating more plants, you’re helping reduce some of the air pollution contributing to climate change. It’s a small change on your plate with significant effects in the air.

Keeping Our Waters Cleaner

It’s easy to forget that our food choices affect rivers, lakes, and oceans, but animal farming is a huge factor here. Waste from livestock can seep into water supplies, leading to excessive algae growth that harms and kills fish and other aquatic life. Switching to more plant-based meals means less pressure on water resources, less pollution, and more thriving underwater ecosystems.

Protecting Our Soil for Future Generations

Did you know that meat-heavy diets contribute to land degradation? Animals need a lot of space, and the soil often pays the price. Livestock farming can lead to soil erosion and nutrient depletion. Plants, on the other hand, generally require less land, and sustainable plant farming can actually improve soil quality. It’s a win-win for your plate and the planet.

Saving Water with Every Meal

We all know water is precious, but animal farming is incredibly water-intensive. Raising livestock (and growing their food) takes much more water than growing plants for direct human consumption. By choosing a hearty veggie stew or bean salad over a steak, you’re helping conserve our planet’s freshwater—a critical resource for communities facing water shortages.

Reducing Harmful Chemicals

Pesticides and fertilizers from industrial farms can end up polluting rivers and streams. Animal agriculture doubles down on this by using these chemicals on crops grown for animal feed. Plants that go directly to us require fewer chemicals overall, especially when grown sustainably. So, by picking plant-rich meals, you’re choosing cleaner water and healthier ecosystems.

Supporting Smart, Sustainable Farming

Eating more plants supports sustainable farming practices like crop rotation and organic farming, which are gentler on the land. These methods help farmers produce nutritious food without polluting the soil, air, and water. By choosing plantbased, you’re supporting farmers who care for the planet, too.

The Big Takeaway

Switching to a plant-rich diet isn’t just a health move—it’s an earth-friendly move. Less pollution, cleaner air and water, and healthier soil? Whenever you choose plants over animal-based foods, you give back to the planet.

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Vegan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese is a deliciously sweet take on a macaroni and cheese casserole that is so creamy. It’s also easy to make. It’s flavorful: you can cure your sweet and salty cravings with just one meal. The saltiness of the crisped sage blends perfectly with the rich, subtly sweet butternut, and your tastebuds are the benefactors.

Store your butternut squash mac and cheese leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. To reheat, bake in the oven until warmed through at 425 degrees F, or simply microwave.

You can also freeze your mac and cheese in an airtight container for 1-2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge first before reheating.

INGREDIENTS :

1 bunch fresh sage, stems removed 1/2 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed and chopped into large chunks

8 ounces pasta, regular or glutenfree

1 to 1 ¼ cups vegan milk, any vegan milk works

Plant-Based Recipe: Lentil and Veggie Chili

Plant-Based Recipe: Lentil and Veggie Chili

INGREDIENTS :

1 cup dry green or brown lentils, rinsed

1 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 bell pepper (any color), chopped

2 carrots, diced

1 zucchini, chopped

1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes

1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed

4 cups vegetable broth

INSTRUCTIONS :

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes.

Add bell pepper, carrots, and zucchini. Cook for 5 minutes until vegetables start to soften.

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

Salt and pepper, to taste Fresh cilantro for garnish

Stir in the lentils, diced tomatoes, kidney beans, vegetable broth, and spices. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until lentils are tender.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm, garnished with fresh cilantro if desired.

SOURCE: Joan Marie Gagnon is a certified plant-based coach and ambassador through the Food Revolution Network and holds a Plant-Based Nutrition certificate from eCornell.

2 tablespoons vegan butter such as Earth Balance’s spread or coconut oil

2 tablespoons flour, regular or coconut flour if needed

INSTRUCTIONS :

½ cup nutritional yeast ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs and 2 teaspoons of olive oil, gluten free if needed

¾ teaspoon sea salt ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Bring two pots of salted water to a boil. Add the butternut squash to one, cook for 10 minutes or until fork soft.

Add the pasta to the other (cook pasta according to directions on the box). If it’s finished cooking before you have finished the sauce, removed from heat, drain, keeping 1/2 cup pasta water and let stand until you’re ready to use it.

In a large pan, melt the vegan butter or coconut oil on medium-high. Add the sage leaves and cook for 1 minute, watching carefully so the butter/oil doesn’t burn, until crispy. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate, and season with a pinch of salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper. Don’t throw out the butter/oil.

In the same pan over medium heat with the leftover butter/oil, add the flour and whisk, then cook for about 1 minute until it comes together. Add vegan milk and whisk until it is lump free. Reduce the heat to low and season with the 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring until the sauce starts to thicken, then remove from heat.

Transfer butternut squash into the sauce and using a fork, mash it into the sauce until combined.

Transfer the drained pasta, reserved pasta water, and nutritional yeast squash and sauce mixture. Stir until well combined. If the sauce seems a little dry, add in the extra milk a tablespoon at a time until your desired consistency.

Transfer the pasta mixture into a greased baking dish.

Combine the breadcrumbs and olive oil to moisten them, then season them with remaining salt and pepper. Sprinkle the moistened crumbs in a single layer over the dish. Bake 5-7 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly. Crumble the crispy sage over the top.

Food Is Medicine: Meals on Wheels of Sarasota Expands Capacity to Deliver

Medically-Tailored Meals

Meals on Wheels of Sarasota has been selected to participate in the FIMC Accelerator Program, an initiative co-led by Community Servings, Food Is Medicine Coalition, God’s Love We Deliver, the Nonprofit Finance Fund, and the Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation of Harvard Law School.

The Accelerator works to refine, replicate, and scale the medically tailored meal (MTM) intervention to ensure that people managing severe, complex and chronic illnesses have access to MTM, regardless of where they reside or their ability to pay.

Since the beginning of the senior nutrition movement in the United States more than 50 years ago, Meals on Wheels programs have sought to meet the needs of older adults in their communities.

The core mission of Meals on Wheels of Sarasota originates all the way back to 1971, when a group of women wanted to make sure their community had access to nutritious meals. However, times now are very different from 1971, where chronic conditions are on the rise in the United States.

The National Council on Aging says the older population has an increased risk of chronic diseases such as dementia, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, and cancer (August 16, 2024). Managing these health conditions requires multifaceted solutions, where simply having access to food is not enough.

Medically Tailored Meals are fully prepared meals that satisfy therapeutic, evidence-based dietary specifications and are assigned to an individual based on an assessment of their nutritional needs by a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN). These meals often have low amounts of sodium, sugar, or saturated fats, are modified in texture for safe swallowing, or are restricted in specific nutrients such as potassium. The FIMC Accelerator recently selected a new cohort of six nonprofits nationwide to undergo an intensive curriculum-based six-month training program. Agencies will be equipped to prepare and deliver a high-quality MTM intervention to their communities at the end of the program.

Executive Director, Rhonda Leiberick, says “We are thrilled to join the food is medicine movement. Providing medically tailored meals directly aligns with our strategic goal to expand capacity to address unmet needs in Sarasota County. By providing medically tailored nutrition we are building a healthier community.”

Upon program completion, Meals on Wheels of Sarasota will launch a pilot program to address medical conditions related to heart disease, diabetes, and dialysis. Anyone interested in learning more about Medically Tailored Meals or participating in the pilot program is encouraged to call 941-220-6036 or visit: www.mealsonwheelsofsarasota.org/ food-is-medicine/

About Meals on Wheels of Sarasota

Meals on Wheels of Sarasota provides nutritious meals, social interaction, and wellness checks for the homebound and elderly in our community. Our goal is to improve the quality of life and empower seniors to live independently in their home. Since 1971, Meals on Wheels of Sarasota has delivered more than 7 million meals to homebound or elderly residents. Volunteers are essential to prepare, pack, and deliver 500 meals each day. Our service area spans from University Parkway in the north to Laurel Road in the south, and from the county border in the east, to Longboat, Lido, and Siesta Keys. To donate or learn more, https:// mealsonwheelsofsarasota.org

About Food Is Medicine Coalition

The Food is Medicine Coalition (FIMC) is a national coalition of nonprofit organizations that provide medically tailored meals (MTMs) and groceries (MTGs), medical nutrition therapy and nutrition counseling and education to people in communities across the country living with severe and chronic illnesses. We advance access to these life-saving interventions through service, policy change, research and evaluation, and best practices. FIMC agencies created the medically tailored meal model and maintain the nutrition standards for the intervention. FIMC offers a community of learning for existing practitioners and equips new organizations to launch medically tailored meal programs. https:// fimcoalition.org

The meal from February 2, 2026. This consists of barbeque chicken legs, macaroni and cheese, and mixed vegetables. Medically Tailored Meals will be fully prepared meals that satisfy therapeutic, evidence-based dietary specifications and are assigned to an individual based on an assessment of their nutritional needs by a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN).

MORE THAN A CIRCUS

THE CIRCUS ARTS CONSERVATORY EMBODIES:

PERFORMANCE

The CAC offers year-round professional performances featuring international circus stars. Our seasonal Sailor Circus Academy shows are a Sarasota tradition—fun for the whole family!

TRAINING

Try out our programs for team bonding, fitness, or just curiosity—You can even try the flying trapeze! Sign up for as many classes as you like or bring your whole corporate team for a one-of-a-kind team bonding experience.

OUTREACH

In addition to our arts-integrated classroom programs, we offer recreational classes for children and adults, summer camps, and events with community partners. The CAC makes it easy to find circus fun in the Sarasota area.

FOLLOW YOUR CIRCUS DREAM and try a recreational class! Let your child join the circus for a week of camp or have an unforgettable circus team-bonding experience with your colleagues. Be dazzled and delighted by a circus show!

LEGACY

The CAC, founded by Pedro Reis and Dolly Jacobs, preserves Sarasota’s rich and vibrant Circus Arts legacy through everything we do, including supporting annual events like the Circus Ring of Fame induction.

Learn more about how you can Join the Circus at circusarts.org participate through volunteerism - teach a class or assist at events! connect to new friends and support new SFC initiatives! Be an Ambassador your positive experiences make you a powerful advocate! Preserve Our History be a steward of our institutional history and traditions! Stay Connected through alumni socials, activities, seminars, and social media!

Senior Friendship Centers Alumni Association

Supporting Senior Friendship Centers in bringing joy to seniors of all ages. Dedicated socials and seminars for our Alumni Association Members.