out and about continued outer planets, until you arrive at the icy outer reaches of the Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud, located on the outer fringe of the solar system. Planetarium Manager Howard Hochhalter also offers virtual journeys through space that you can join from home: • Every Tuesday at noon: Join Howard on Facebook as he previews stars and constellations in the upcoming night skies (free program); • Every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month: Howard focuses on helping kids become masters of the universe during KidSpace (free program on Zoom); • On the fourth Wednesday of the month: Howard hosts Stelliferous on Zoom, where he focuses on the night skies, the latest news in astronomy and answers your questions. Cost: $5. WBTT’s Soul in the Garden The event is on Friday, November 13, 6-9 p.m. at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens (800 S. Palm Ave., Sarasota). Join <strong>West</strong>coast Black Theatre Troupe in a beautiful outdoor setting for cocktails, dinner, live auction and a show celebrating the Sixties, when sweet soul music was in full bloom. Songs will include megahits like “Dancing In the Street,” “Twistin’ the Night Away,” “Try a Little Tenderness” and “Your Love Keeps Lifting Me (Higher and Higher).” WBTT will honor longtime supporter and immediate past board chair, Marian Moss, as its <strong>2020</strong> Heart & Soul Philanthropy honoree. Delicious dinner catered by Michael’s On East. Limited to 150 guests to ensure safe social distancing; livestream option available for those not able to attend. Attire: cool and comfy with a groovy 1960s flair. Tickets: $250/ in person, $100/livestream. For more information, contact Debra Flynt- Garrett at 941-366-1505 or dfgarrett@ westcoastblacktheatre.org. t Art Exhibits Pat O’Neill presents “The Beauty of Acrylics” as Island Gallery <strong>West</strong>’s <strong>October</strong> featured artist. Pat is a local artist from Bradenton. He is known for his realistic paintings and beautiful Florida seascapes and sea life as well as his many residential and business wall murals throughout the Anna Maria Island area. Pat will display his creative and original acrylic paintings that show not only his love and passion for painting, but his uniqueness and imagination for versatility in subjects and composition. Pat’s great attention to detail, perception of light and dark and use of vivid colors will be sure to bring the viewers delight. They’ll hold a FACEBOOK LIVE interview with Pat on Monday <strong>October</strong> 5 at 5pm. Tune in to hear about his inspiration, his painting and for a preview of the exhibit. www.facebook.com/islandgallerywest Island Gallery <strong>West</strong> is located at 5368 Gulf Dr., Holmes Beach, Trolley Stop 15 on Anna Maria Island. Pat’s exhibit runs through <strong>October</strong> 31. Visit www.islandgallerywest.com or call 941-778-6648. Per county and t city regulations, masks are required. Hand sanitizer is available. Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College is open beginning <strong>October</strong> 1. The Museum Campus is open to all, including the new Bistro, the Shop, and the Grounds. On exhibit: Harmony Hammond, Material Witness, Five Decades of Art, Color. Theory. & (b/w), Vita in Motu, Worker by Barbara Banks and Vik Muniz. They offer a variety of online exhibits. Visit www.sarasotaartmuseum.org. Sarasota Art Museum, Ringling College Museum Campus, 1001 South Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. t Manatee County Agricultural Museum , 1015 6th St. <strong>West</strong>, is open. Local artist Pat Robertson’s watercolor exhibit has been extended indefinitely. Robertson is a 33-year resident of Manatee County, specifically Palmetto and Terra Ceia. She is a watercolorist and took her first class at ArtCenter Manatee. She is a signature member of the Florida Watercolor and the Suncoast Watercolor Societies. The exhibit features beautiful flora and fauna focused pieces. Some of the pieces are for sale. Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 1st and 3rd Saturday 10-noon, 1-4 p.m. Location: 1015 6th Street <strong>West</strong>, Palmetto. Info: (941) 721-2034 Online exhibits: Underwater Farms: Aquaculture in Manatee County. Aquaculture has a long history in Manatee County. The process of growing aquatic animals and plants for food, restoration, and pets has evolved over the years, but continues to have a presence in the agricultural industry. Learn more about what aquaculture farms have been in Manatee County in the past and today. t Theatre At the Players of Sarasota: • The Players accelerated their plans to move from their location in downtown Sarasota (838 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota). They’ll vacate their space this <strong>October</strong>. A Few of Our Favorite Things — Oct. <strong>2020</strong>. A reimagined look at the proposed finale show previously scheduled for the 91st Broadway Series will go virtual. The Players will ask for performances submitted virtually to put together a digital homage to this Sarasota institution. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow – <strong>2020</strong>. The Players fourth annual production of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow will again be presented outdoors. More info at https://www.theplayers.org/shows/calendar. t Asolo Rep Engage offers, free of charge, their Monday Musical Moments from shows you loved like EVITA, PULSE, RAGTIME and many more. You can listen to artists like Ana Isabelle, Noah Racey, and Nilo Cruz who helped bring that amazing work to Asolo Rep on our podcast, Engage: On Air. Families and educators can enjoy Nia Explains It All to get a crash course in theater terminology. Asolo Rep will move forward with the rest of their announced season of plays: OUR TOWN, GRAND HORI- ZONS, and two brand new musicals: KNOXVILLE and HOOD to be t Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Ringling College has Turbulent Times and Their Effect on the <strong>2020</strong> Election, with political analyst Susan MacManus. Her talk will center on voting history, changing demographics in Florida, and what the numbers are telling us about the outcome of this contentious race. This online presentation takes place on <strong>October</strong> 21, 3-4:30 pm. presented live and in the Asolo Theatre. Stay tuned at www.asolorep.org. Artist Series Concerts The Soiree Series concert featuring Jennifer Kreider and Austin Cripe, originally scheduled for <strong>October</strong> 25 and 26 at the Fischer-Weisenborne residence, is now scheduled for <strong>October</strong> 26 at 5:30 pm at Selby Gardens. Tickets: $25. The Soiree Series concert, Palm Court Treasures, originally scheduled for November 22 and 23 at the Fischer-Weisenborne residence, is now tentatively scheduled for November 22 at 5:30 pm at Historic Spanish Point. Once this date is confirmed, we will let you know. Tickets: $25. They’ll also be offering the following virtual concert: Women of Note, featuring pianists Lee Dougherty Ross and Gail Berenson, sopranos Robyn Rocklein and Jenny Kim-Godfrey and actors Kate Alexander, Ariel Blue, and Meg Gilbert. This program celebrates the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment granting women the right to vote. The program, consisting entirely of female composers and performers, is part of a collaboration led by Florida Studio Theatre to celebrate the Suffragist Movement. This concert comes to a computer screen near you <strong>October</strong> 1-12. Tickets per household are $15. Plans are also in the works to stream some of the performances from the organization’s <strong>2020</strong>-21 25th anniversary season, which is now tentatively scheduled to begin on <strong>October</strong> 13, at Michael’s On East, with a live luncheon plus a virtual performance by classical accordionist Hanzhi Wang. Note: The Florida Jazzmasters concert, which was first scheduled for September 13, has been moved to December 6, at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. The <strong>October</strong> 25 and 26 recitals with Jennifer Kreider and Austin Cripe have been moved to <strong>October</strong> 26 (now one single performance), also at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. https://www.artistseriesconcerts.org or 941-306-1200. t The Choral Artists of Sarasota’s Season Kicks Off Choral Artists of Sarasota’s 42nd season, entitled “Rise Up!” features eight concerts in <strong>October</strong>, November, December, February, March, April, and July. Two of the concerts are planned for in-person events; three will be presented outdoors and all performances will include a virtual presentation. Choral Artists will also stage the long-awaited “Listen to the Earth” project—an ecological initiative commemorating Earth Day’s 50th anniversary last year—but postponed due to the pandemic. Artistic Director Joseph Holt will also illuminate the creative process during a series of virtual “Concert Insights,” throughout the season. Each will focus on the upcoming concert with a special guest joining the conversation. First up is Out of Adversity: Embracing Our Differences: Historical and well-known composers, celebrated for their incredible musical compositions, come out of the closet. In examining the lives of Handel, Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Barber, Poulenc and others, the adversity they encountered as gay composers in society is highlighted. This virtual presentation is Sunday, <strong>October</strong> 18, 4 p.m. The “Concert Insight” for this concert is Thursday, <strong>October</strong> 8, at 10 a.m. For information and tickets, visit www.ChoralArtistsSarasota.org or call 941-387-4900. t Ballet and Dance: Sarasota Contemporary Dance presents Evolving/Revolving on <strong>October</strong> 1-4 at Historic Asolo Theatre in-person and virtual. Performances are at 7:30 pm, except Sunday has a matinee at 2:00 pm. Tickets (virtual and in-person): Callm 941.260.8485 or go to ww.sarasotacontemporarydance.org. They’re offering live, socially distanced seating at a limited capacity for all of their shows this season, as well as a Virtual Stream of each performance through their own Digital Theater that will be showcased on their website. The virtually streamed performance will be a professional, multi-angle experience to allow audience members at home feel like they’re right there in the theater with the artists. For more information, visit sarasotacontemporarydance.org/tickets. SCD has invited back Erin Fletcher (Resident Choreographer since 2015) and Erin Cardinal with Brian Fidalgo (Guest choreographers 2018) to revisit their captivating pieces and expand them into evening-length works. This production features themes of migration from Cardinal and Fidalgo, as well as an exposé into the iconic identity of Marilyn Monroe by Erin Fletcher: investigating the tragic life of the actress and the gossip surrounding her public persona and death. t For the first time ever, The Sarasota Ballet will be offering specially filmed performances that ticket buyers can stream from the comfort of their homes. These digital experiences will replace in-theater performances for the first three programs of the t 30th Anniversary Season. The priority of The Sarasota Ballet is to safeguard audience members, dancers, and staff from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Program 1 is on <strong>October</strong> 23. More info at https://www.sarasotaballet. org/fall-digital-season. The Great Outdoors At Benderson Park • Park visitors are reminded to practice safe social distancing, o remain home if they have any signs of illness, and to wash their hands regularly with soap and water. All park restrooms remain open, and an amplified cleaning schedule remains in place. High-contact areas and touch points continue to be regularly disinfected throughout the day. • The Ronald A. Balducci Playground is open during regular park hours (6 a.m.-8 p.m.), but hour-long closures at 8 a.m., noon and 4 p.m. allow crews to clean playground equipment. • As a reminder, only electric boat motors are authorized in our waters; gas motors must be raised to indicate they aren’t in use. (This is in accordance with Sarasota County ordinances.)Follow the park at NathanBendersonPark.org. t A new Canopy Zone feature is now open at Manatee County’s Robinson Preserve, allowing visitors to experience nature from a fresh perspective while exploring amidst the treetops. Situated at the edge of the historic Reasoner Tract at Robinson Preserve South, the Canopy Zone is nestled among century-old botanical giants that once formed the test plot for Royal Palm Nurseries. Follow the boardwalk as it extends past the Mosaic Center for Nature, Exploration, Science and Technology (the NEST) and find yourself climbing among the limbs and leaves. Thanks to careful planning, the Canopy Zone was built amongst the existing trees, allowing for a densely shaded environment and a cool experience to combat the summer heat. The boardwalk features LED lighting allowing it to be used for staff-guided evening programs for the public and permitted special events. The compact, two-story structure is filled with adventure park elements including a series of boardwalks, rope bridges, climbing nets, and slides. Crawl through the net tube to catch a bird’s-eye view of the newly built waterways of the Robinson Preserve Expansion or climb the tower, zigzagging through platforms to top and then take the spiral slide all the way to the understory loop on the forest floor. While some of the more challenging elements are recommended for ages 5 and older, all ages and abilities are welcome on the accessible tree-top boardwalk loop that emerges overlooking the Robinson Preserve Expansion, complete with mounted binoculars for viewing the wading birds and other wildlife within the preserve. The project complements the ongoing habitat restoration on 135 acres located at the expansion area of Robinson Preserve to enhance fisheries habitat and install native plants. Additional amenities are also t continued on page 10 8 WEST COAST WOMAN OCTOBER <strong>2020</strong>
Artistic Director, Dr. Joseph Holt Elizabeth Bergmann, dancemaker. Photo by Barbara Banks. Online & In-Person Season Discounted packages available. Out of Adversity: Embracing Our Differences Live Online • Sun, Oct 18 • 4pm. Replay • Oct 19-Nov 18 Spanish Flair Live Online • Sun, Nov 15 • 4pm. Replay • Nov 16-Dec 14 Holiday Lights Live Online • Wed, Dec 23 • 4pm. Replay • Dec 24-Jan 21 Marching to Freedom In Person • Wed, Feb 3 • 7pm • Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Performances at the Point. Tickets available on the Selby Gardens website in 2021. Replay • Feb 14-Mar 14 You’ll Never Walk Alone In Person • Sun, Feb 28 • 1pm • Marie Selby Botanical Gardens/Garden Series. Tickets free for Selby Garden members or included with a paid daily admission. Replay • Mar 11-Apr 9 Love in the Air Live Online • Sun, Mar 28 • 4pm. Replay • Mar 29-Apr 28 Listen to the Earth In Person • Sun, Apr 25 • 4pm • Sarasota Opera House. Replay • May 7-Jun 7 Marcus DeLoach Jenny Kim-Godfrey Rafael Dávila American Fanfare In Person • Sun, Jul 4 • 4pm • Sarasota Opera House. Replay • Jul 17-Aug 17 Singing for our Supper Fundraising Event Sun, Oct 25 • 6pm. Virtual $35, Register Early Stir, sip, cook, and hum along as Joseph Holt, Chef Christopher Covelli of Sage Restaurant and Berit Jane Soli-Holt cook up a gourmet dish and prepare a signature cocktail while Choral Artists’ singers Sing for Our Supper! Robyn Rocklein Ann Morrison 941.387.4900 • ChoralArtistsSarasota.org OCTOBER <strong>2020</strong> WEST COAST WOMAN 9