Diversions 7.10.14

Diversions YourObserver.com

FOOD

Recipe for Success: Lyndsy McDonald PAGE 5

THURSDAY, JULY 10, 2014

HOME

Three Things: A Happy Median PAGE 6

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT | PICTURE THIS

BLACK TIE

Just Married: Mary Anne Servian and John Simon PAGE 8

by Mallory Gnaegy | A&E Editor

homage to the

POLAROID

Photo by Mallory Gnaegy

Two young artists collaborate on a 8-foot-by-8-foot installation at Art Center Sarasota.

Their intent? To wow you.

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT COVER STORY CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

2

DIVERSIONS

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JULY 10, 2014

// ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT: PICTURE THIS

by Mallory Gnaegy | A&E Editor (continued from page 1)

homage to the

POLAROID Two young artists collaborate on a 8-foot-by-8-foot installation at Art Center Sarasota. Their intent? To wow you.

V

Photos by Mallory Gnaegy

Javier “Javo” Rodriguez and Zach Gilliland met in 2009 at Art Center Sarasota. “We’ve been working on projects together since then, and it’s been an interesting ride; there were a lot of trials,” Gilliland says. “We finally figured it out with this project.”

isitors do not walk in and expect to see a 250-plus-piece installation suspended from the ceiling of the center gallery at Art Center Sarasota.

But July 10, at the opening of Florida Flavor, artists Zach Gilliland and Javier Rodriguez’s collaboration intends to surprise. The exhibit is the biggest juried show and competition held yearly at the Art Center. It fills every gallery with works from Florida artists.

This installation is unlike any of the other works featured in the show. More so, it’s unlike anything that’s ever been submitted to a juried competition at the Art Center.

It consists of more than 250 portraits drawn on translucent paper. Each is framed in a way that makes it appear like a large Polaroid. Wading through the images of tattoo-covered men and women, spectators develop a picture of millennial culture.

It started with Instagram and a lunch break. Local artist and Ringling College of Art and Design alumni Javier Rodriguez, 39, who most know as Javo, found he

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THURSDAY, JULY 10, 2014

3

// ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

get to know JAVO

get to know ZACH

FROM: Puerto Rico

FROM: Western Pennsylvania

DAY JOBS: Construction, art commissions and Sarasota Architectural Salvage

DAY JOBS: Studio technician at New College and Architectural Salvage

ART BACKGROUND: “I moved to New York City to go to Pratt Institute, but it was so competitive and I wasn’t getting good enough grades there. I moved to Florida in 2000 to attend Ringling College of Art and Design.”

ART BACKGROUND: “The last art class I took before I studied it was in middle school. My family was apple farmers, and studying art wasn’t part of our culture. It wasn’t an option, so it kind of got swept under the rug. So, I served in the Air Force for four years. Then, I went to art school in South Carolina.”

EARLIEST MEMORY CREATING ART: “I’ve been drawing since I was a child. My father was an illustrator.

He learned from mail-in classes.

He had all these rulers, pencils and

sharpeners, and we always had markers and pencils everywhere.”

EARLIEST MEMORY CREATING ART: “My parents were both in the

didn’t have much time for painting between the two jobs he works to support his artist lifestyle. He wanted to find a way to fit in his passion. So he began drawing during the only time his day allowed — lunch break.

For 15 minutes of his 30-minute work break from either his construction job or job working at Sarasota Architectural Salvage, he drew on whatever surface he could find. He drew on paper plates. He drew on napkins. He drew on scrap paper. He started posting photos and videos of his drawings on Instagram.

“What started just as practice for me became better and better,” he says. “People at work and on Instagram started telling me, ‘Oh my god! These are amazing!’”

But Rodriguez didn’t think they were that impressive. He had an idea to elevate his work.

He started browsing Instagram, a photo-sharing application on smart phones. He began looking

for people’s photos that had good composition and lighting. And what started as dutiful practice of his passion became a lesson in marketing.

Rodriguez started drawing the faces of Instagram and posting them on his own. He’d slowly get likes, then noticed one day he had accumulated hundreds of followers from one image.

He realized that by posting carefully selected portraits of subjects with a lot of followers, he could get more followers himself. This was a way to market himself as an artist — something at which both men admit artists are terrible.

His fanbase grew to nearly 3,000 people. He had people reaching out to him: a magazine in Japan wanted to commission illustrations, a musician in Spain wanted him to create album art.

And, alternatively, the daily practice over nine months resulted in approximately 600 sketches.

“It’s been exciting to watch him

pull this off,” Zach Gilliland, cocollaborator, says.

Gilliland, 32, also works at Sarasota Architectural Salvage. He and Rodriguez have collaborated in the past — on construction jobs, murals and sculptures. But nothing they’ve created they felt satisfied both of their strengths.

Gilliland comes from a sculptural background; Rodriguez a 2-D. “We daydream a lot when we’re working,” Gilliland says. “It’s a lot of manual labor we’d rather not be doing, so we talk about our art projects all the time.”

Gilliland persuaded Rodriguez to let him contribute by making frames for the sketches. Gilliland wanted to play on the theme of Polaroids, or instagrams.

“Collaboration is difficult because we’re both selfish with our work,” Gilliland says. “We don’t want someone else trying to enforce their ideas or concepts on us … So trying to trust the fact he has his strengths and understandings

BY THE NUMBERS Air Force. As a kid, all I remember drawing were F16s — fighter jets were my thing. When my left hand got tired, I’d switch and start drawing with my right hand.” and I have mine, we were able to let go.”

Both are proud of the installation. Rodriguez thinks it will place and even win the juried competition, although, he also says that’s not what the duo was hoping to achieve when they created it.

“We just want a wow factor,” Gilliland says. “We want them to be like, ‘What the heck is this? What are these two people thinking?’”

2,763 — Javo’s Instagram followers (follow him @iamjavo) 8 by 8 feet — the installation’s size 9 — months Javo has drawn daily sketches 250 — pounds the installation weighs

250 to 275 — number of

portraits and frames used in the installation

700 — estimated number of sketches Javo drew for the project

20 to 45 — minutes to draw one portrait 15 — minutes to create one frame

IF YOU GO Florida Flavor When: Opening reception 5 to 7 p.m. July 10. Runs through Aug. 15.

Where: Art Center Sarasota, 707 N. Tamiami Trail Cost: Free Info: Call 365-2032 or visit artsarasota.org.

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DIVERSIONS

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JULY 10, 2014

// ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT: SPOTLIGHT

by Mallory Gnaegy | A&E Editor

The Players celebrate ABBA

It started last summer with the ’70s music revue “More Than a Feeling” at The Players Theatre.

A 10-minute segment of the production featured an ABBA medley — the show’s highlight. That’s when Jeffrey Kin, artistic director, and Berry Ayers, production manager and director of music, began crafting the idea of an allABBA experience.

“Knowing Me, Knowing You: the Hits of ABBA,” which runs July 10 through July 20, at The Players, is a traditional revue of ABBA songs. It features not only the biggest hits of the most famous Swedish band in the world but revisits some of the classics and lesser-known numbers, too.

It’s without a plot and presented in the fashion of a pop-up video. Before, after and during numbers, audience members will learn facts and information that will be displayed on screens above the stage and as the backdrop to the performance. Video footage will be interspersed throughout the more than 20 featured songs.

The two creators sat down to give a little insight on the production.

Describe it in three words.

Berry Ayers: Vibrant, energetic, innovative.

Jeffrey Kin: Smart, enthusiastic, celebratory.

Why ABBA? Ayers: The library of music was so extensive and (there was) so much to choose from. I know,

IF YOU GO ‘Knowing Me, Knowing You: the Hits of ABBA’ When: Runs July 10 to July 20 Where: The Players Theatre, 838 N. Tamiami Trail Cost: $18 Info: Call 365-2494

Mallory Gnaegy

Nine of the nearly 20 cast members of ABBA perform its big hit, “Dancing Queen.”

YOUROBSERVER.COM // Visit our website to see cast members perform “Dancing Queen.” for instance, I really grew up listening to them. I remember my mom would always turn on the eight-track of ABBA and clean the house. Generations young and older are familiar with the music.

ABBA had a ton of No. 1 hits all across the world.

Kin: So many of my favorite movie moments are underscored

by ABBA songs —“Muriel’s Wedding” is the standout image in my head. The music motivates the story, and the images have stayed with me all this time.

What are some of the hit songs featured and what’s one of the lesser-known?

Ayers: “Chiquitita,” “Winner Takes it All,” “Dancing Queen,” “Mamma Mia,” “Super Trouper” and “SOS” are some of the big hits. “Thank You for the Music” became a hit for them and was initially written for a musical, “The Girl with Golden Hair,” and is included in this revue.

Describe your favorite number: Kin: I have about 12 favorite

!

G W NO WIN O H S

ABBA songs — all for different reasons.

Ayers: I had to create an overture for the show because we wanted something to set the mood for the audience. Because this was a revue of recorded music, I had some issues looking for a piece of music that would work to set up the whole show. I ended up splicing together several pieces of different songs of ABBA as well as other musical pieces. I’m really excited about how that piece will play out — it’s really cool.

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What’s something new you learned?

Ayers: A lot! I have been researching the group for the past six months. The main thing I learned was that their manager not only managed them, but also co-wrote a lot of the songs.

Kin: There were four members of the band, but they would multi-track their songs and sing layers upon layers of background vocals having 16 parts going at the same time. When they performed live, they’d have extra voices that would sing the additional parts.

Why should people come see it?

Ayers: The audience is going to get great music, amazing vocals, and with the idea of informational and fun pop-up facts, they can actually learn something, too. It is going to be a blast, no doubt about it.

Kin: Because they’ll remi-

nisce about past times and discover songs they’ve never heard before.

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DIVERSIONS

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JULY 10, 2014

// FOOD&COOKING: RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

5

by Heather Merriman | Black Tie Assistant Editor most exciting things for me right now are menu developments and the gingerbread display that happens every November. I’m getting my first run on putting my own personal spin on the menu. Every pastry chef is a little different. I tend to be more of a naturalist. I like the basics and I like to stick to that. The whole concept of this resort is that too — keeping it fresh and local, utilizing the resources we have locally. It’s a part of who I am and those things transfer over into my recipes. I take the basics and make it beautiful.

I’m really excited about the gingerbread display. When I was in college, rent was difficult to pay when working in a kitchen for very little. My community complex had a holiday party and they were talking about ordering something and I say hey, I’ll make something if you switch it out for rent. So I used the kitchen and I built a gingerbread house. It came out really good and it paid my rent.

u Do yo same h t t n e ee freque eries and s ime t a ht local e faces eac helps e e r m the sa ? This featu se faces e o you g to know th week, t e h g T . is ce you better fa a little know the erts get to the dess , n d behin Ritz- Carlto at The arasota.

S

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING ON THE MENU?

My favorite thing, well, my two favorite things, are custom cakes and breads. I love fresh baked bread. To choose one item, it’s like choosing a favorite child … you can’t.

WHERE ARE YOU FROM?

of trays. I’m talking everyone we knew got cookies.

WHEN WAS THE FIRST TIME YOU PREPARED A MEAL FOR SOMEONE? I was a kid I’m sure.

WHAT IS YOUR CULINARY BACKGROUND? A lot of people in

Stephen’s Point, Wis.

I started playing in the kitchen at a very young age; it was never a scary place for me.

WHAT’S YOUR EARLIEST MEMORY RELATING TO FOOD?

Baking with my mom. Christmas cookies in my household were a mass production, not a couple

my family have culinary backgrounds, so it’s been a part of me my entire life. It was kitchen prep work when I was little, busing tables and then I was about 12 when they started letting me hostess. From ages 6 to 18, I was washing dishes and peeling potatoes. It was very much a way of life for the entire family. I

TELL US ABOUT PASTRIES BY DESIGN — HOW YOU WENT FROM THERE TO HERE: Pastries by Design

Photos by Heather Merriman

was my dream, it was my business.

I spent my whole life building it.

I operated it for eight years, five years as a storefront. It was always our intention at some point to sell and move on and it was a natural change when that happened. My husband had a job lined up and I was extremely pregnant with our second child. I wanted to stay home until I found a job that was worth going back to work for. This job became available — this was the only pastry chef job for which I applied. I’ve been here for five weeks now.

YOUR DREAM CUSTOMER (DEAD OR ALIVE) COMES IN — THEY WANT TO MEET THE PASTRY CHEF — WHO IS IT? Anthony Bourdain. He has the same sarcastic sense of humor as I do.

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IF YOU WERE ANY FOOD ITEM, WHAT WOULD YOU BE? Fried

WHAT IS ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE DESSERTS TO EAT, BESIDES YOUR OWN? A cheese plate over dessert

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was 18 the first time I worked at a restaurant that wasn’t owned by my family. It was a four-star restaurant in Charleston, S.C. called Peninsula Grill. I walked in, asked for the executive chef like I knew what I was doing. I told him I was willing to do any job in his kitchen and he told me to “be here at 6 a.m. tomorrow.” When I went the next day, I didn’t even know how to get in, so I found a way in through the back door and I worked for three days before he told me if I had a job or not. I wanted to start my career off right. I then received a degree in food and beverage management from Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, N.C.

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HOT SUMMER SAVINGS

DIVERSIONS

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JULY 10, 2014

// HOME&GARDEN

THINGS A HAPPY MEDIAN

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by Robert Plunket | Contributing Writer

Presents

The median price of a home in Sarasota these days is $215,000, meaning half the houses cost more and half cost less. But what will this tidy sum buy you? It’s probably no surprise that with our pricey real estate, the pickings are pretty slim at this price point. But look around and you may get lucky. Here are some Sarasota homes priced at the median that are anything but average.

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707 n. tamiami trail 941.365.2032 www.artsarasota.org Mon - sat: 10 - 4

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This home may seem typical of the many three-bedroom, two-bath family homes that can be found in the northeast part of town, but it has some special features that make it a stand out. Vaulted ceilings in the living area add a spacious feeling, and six skylights make it exceptionally light and bright. There’s also a fireplace and a lanai overlooking a lake. Built in 1988, it has been completely remodeled, with an upscale kitchen and all-tile flooring — there’s even a butterfly garden out back.

Priced at $224,900. For more information, call Steve Dutoit of Keller Williams at 556-5151.

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DIVERSIONS

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JULY 10, 2014

7

// HOME&GARDEN

2. SOUTHGATE WINNER 2440 VALENCIA DRIVE

Everybody loves Southgate. It has the perfect location, five minutes from everything, and the solidly built housing stock of 1950s and ’60s ranch homes is infinitely adaptable and updateable.

Here is a recently remodeled home that’s both a little old-fashioned and yet up-todate. It’s a bit on the small side — 1,344 square feet — but with three bedrooms (one is currently used as a den) and two baths, it will happily accommodate a

couple or a small family. We particularly like the elegant kitchen with its stainless steel appliances. The interior has a designer feel, and the refinished terrazzo floors add a retro touch. There’s a one-car garage and a deck overlooking the fenced backyard. An excellent school district adds to the appeal.

Priced at $218,900. For more information, call Lori Carey of Premier Sotheby’s at 780-3427.

Photos courtesy of Coldwell Banker

3. SNOWBIRD NEST 7794 FAIRWAY WOODS DRIVE, UNIT 1205

Photos courtesy of

Sarasota is full of two-bedroom, twobath condos designed to lure snowbirds, but this unit in Fairway Woods has a gracious feeling that so many of the others lack — particularly at this price point.

The key here is space — and lots of it. At a house sized 1,956 square feet, it has large rooms, vaulted ceilings, a den, a breakfast area, a fireplace and an extra-large master

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bath. It’s set in a beautiful gated community with mature landscaping and several pretty lakes, just off Beneva, in the south part of town. True, there’s an ’80s feeling to the kitchen and baths, but the home’s great bones would make an update well worth it.

Priced at $208,000. For more information, call Lyn McDonald of Coldwell Banker at 302-0054.

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DIVERSIONS

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JULY 10, 2014

// BLACK TIE: JUST MARRIED

THE DETAILS First dance: “When a Man Loves a Woman”

by Percy Sledge Last dance: “At Last” by Etta James Photography: Sage Art Photo and Video Wedding planning: Lucy Halasz Weddings & Special Events Catering: Innovative Dining in an attempt to pick it up he nearly upset the whole table. Later he confessed he was practicing the on-bended-knee move.

THE WEDDING:

HOW THE COUPLE MET:

Mary Anne Servian and John Simon met when Servian was mayor of Sarasota and Simon brought his Pineapple Square project through the city process.

The two later reconnected while she was working at the Sarasota Ballet and a donation of space on Lemon Avenue (part of Pineapple Square) was made.

Servian and Simon got engaged Sept. 20, at Hyde Park Steakhouse. The night before, while dining at Tandoor, Simon knocked his knife to the floor, and

Invitations: Write-On Sarasota Cake: Cakes by Ron Dress: Monique Lhuillier with headpiece by Sarasota Ballet dancer Jamie Carter Hair and Makeup: Fresh Salon

HONEYMOON:

The newlyweds spent a few days in Barcelona before boarding a Regents Cruise for 10 days.

From there, they disembarked in Venice and took a train to Geneva and later a train to Avignon, France.

Photos by Sage Art Photo and Video

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THE PROPOSAL:

The couple was married May 10, at Church of the Redeemer. The reception followed at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens’ great room.

The inspiration for the French blue, creams and white colors came from the fact the John was raised in Paris — and there were touches of fleur de lis as an homage to his birthplace. The wedding cake was decorated in shades of French blue and white, and every other layer featured fleur de lis or a replicate of the lace from the bride’s dress.

The afternoon was full of love, with Servian’s grandchildren, sons, nephew and Simon’s greatnieces, brother and son all taking part in the wedding.

Floral design: Beneva Flowers