wcw APRIL 2024

out and about continued
super group, Journey. They pay special
homage to Journey’s best years
(1977-1998) when Steve Perry fronted
the band. Lead singer, John D’Agostino
aces Steve Perry’s golden voice,
capturing the power, range, and tone.
• The battle of the sexes takes center
stage as former spouses feud onstage
and off during a musical presentation
of The Taming of the Shrew. Sophisticated,
romantic and delightfully
hilarious, Kiss Me, Kate boasts a sparkling
Cole Porter score and a brilliant
book from Sam and Bella Spewack.
Box Office: 941-748-5878. Manatee
Performing Arts Center, 502 Third
Avenue W., Bradenton.
At Venice Theatre:
• Through April 21: The Spitfire Grill.
The Spitfire Grill. Based on the film
by Lee David Zlotoff. Heartwarming,
homespun, and hopeful, The
Spitfire Grill is a folk musical in the
Rodgers and Hammerstein tradition
about second chances, starting over,
and mending what’s broken.
• May 3 - 5: Pinky’s Players Delight
once again in the inspiring performances
of Pinky’s Players, Venice
Theatre’s Community Engagement
Program that gives adults with
intellectual and developmental disabilities
a chance develop and share
their artistic talents.
Info: venicetheatre.org/
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At Asolo Rep:
• The third play in the repertory season
is from the Pulitzer Prize-winning
playwright Lynn Nottage. Intimate
Apparel runs throughApril 18
and is the powerful story of a Black
seamstress’ forbidden romance in
1905 New York.
• Wrapping up the four-show repertory
season is a classic by Frederick
Knott that has been reimaged by one
of today’s greatest playwrights, Jeffrey
Hatcher. Dial ‘M’ For Murder
runs through April 25 and will take
audiences to the edge of their seat as
Asolo Rep Associate Artistic Director
Céline Rosenthal directs.
Visit asolorep.org to learn more info.
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At Urbanite Theatre:
• Westminster is at Urbanite Theatre
through April 28. After winning first
place at the 2023 Modern Works Festival,
Urbanite is proud to present the
world premiere of WESTMINSTER by
Brenda Withers. Things get off on the
wrong paw when Pia is gifted a dog
by an old friend Krys. This screwball
romp, part morality play digs into our
“acceptable” social prejudices—and
the consequences of leaving those
biases unchecked.
www.urbanitetheatre.com
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Continuing its Shakespeare in The
Ringling Bayfront Gardens series,
the FSU/Asolo Conservatory presents
Romeo and Juliet (April 5 - 28) in
the banyan grove of The Ringling with
select performances indoors on the
Cook Theatre stage. This production
will allow the audience to experience
the tragic tale indoors or outdoors,
immersing them in the timeless story
of love and hate.
For information, visit asolorep.org/
conservatory.
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The Sarasota Jewish Theatre
presents:
• The Bintel Briefs, Memories and
Melodies at Temple Sinai on April
30. In the early 20th century, Jewish
people immigrating to America were
often overwhelmed and confused by
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their new lives. Many found guidance
through The Bintel Briefs, a Yiddish
advice column found in the Daily
Forward newspaper.
Memories and Melodies is a one act
staged reading with music, bringing
to life the warm, humorous, poignant,
and deeply human letters from that
advice column.
The event begins with a 6:30 p.m.
with a wine Reception followed by
the show at 7:30 p.m. Members $18;
guests $25. Tickets available online or
at the door.
To get tickets and learn more go to
SinaiSRQ.org. Temple Sinai is at 4631
S. Lockwood Ridge Road (enter off of
Proctor Rd) in Sarasota.
Musica Sacra
On May 17 at 7 pm they have American
Spirit which celebrates American
creativity, resilience, and vision with
works by Howard Hanson, Aaron Copland,
African American spirituals, and
settings of poetry by Walt Whitman,
Langston Hughes and others. Features
pianist Glenn Priest and orchestra in
Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.
Location: First Presbyterian Church,
2050 Oak Street. Tickets: Musica
SacraSarasota.org.
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At The Galleries
From April 5-27, SPAACES has the
Common Ground project. The collaborative
art-making process not only
provides a platform for artists to share
their struggles and coping mechanisms
but also invites viewers to connect
with and better understand the
emotional challenges faced by individuals
with mental health conditions.
The exhibition serves as a powerful
testament to the positive relationship
between creativity, expression, and
mental well-being. Opening reception:
April 5, 6-8 p.m.
SPAACES Main Gallery, 2051 Princeton
Street, Sarasota. More info at www.
spaaces.art or call 941-374-3492.
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Creative Liberties is featuring artists
Tom Rio, Charlotte Jordan and
Michelle Depaolis-Wampner, who
will be taking up studio residence at
Creative Liberties in Gaze Gallery at
the ARCOS Apartments.
Meet artists Tom Rio, Charlotte Jordan
and Michelle Depaolis-Wampner,
who are the featured artists-in-residence
at Creative Liberties in Gaze
Gallery at the ARCOS Apartments,
340 Central Avenue in Sarasota. The
exhibition runs through April 30.
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‘Portrait Ukraine: Capturing
Faces of Resistance Amid The Chaos
of War’ Photography Exhibition will
run to April 19 at the Lexow Gallery
in Sarasota.
The exhibition presents a collection
of photographs meticulously curated
from three journeys to Ukraine undertaken
by distinguished photojournalist
Allan Mestel. The Portrait Ukraine
Exhibition captures the faces of resistance
amid the chaos of war. Lexow
Gallery, 3975 Fruitville Rd., Sarasota.
See our article in this issue.
Gallery Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 10a.m.
to 2p.m.; Sunday 11:30a.m. to 1:30p.m.
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All Angels Church has an exhibition
of Byzantine Style Icons by
Christine Simoneau Hales from April
7- June 28.
Since the beginning of Christianity,
icons have been revered as aids to
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prayer and contemplation. They are
visual reminders of the Saints and
Gospel stories that have inspired all
Christians throughout the ages.
Hales has studied for many years
and now teaches and produces icons
for churches and private collectors.
Hales is sought after for her modern,
yet traditional icons for churches all
over the world. She has won several
grants and awards for her painting and
is now a local Sarasota iconographer.
She will share her own collection
of icons she has crafted in the ancient
Byzantine Tradition using egg tempera
paints and gold leaf gilding on
wood panels. Gallery hours: Mon-
Thurs. 9-1, and Sundays 11:30-12:30
(June- no Sunday hours). Info: 518-
965-4833.
Art CenterManatee has Manatee
County School District Annual K-12
Exhibition in the Kellogg, Searle &
Reid Hodges Galleries, April 9-26.
Opening: April 11, 5-7 pm.
ArtCenter Manatee once again joins
with the School District of Manatee
County to showcase the work of K-12
visual arts students. In Manatee County,
we’re fortunate to have a Board of
Education that has made a continued
commitment to teaching the visual
arts in its elementary, middle and high
schools. By partnering with ArtCenter
Manatee, that commitment is furthered
by giving these young artists
a ‘voice’ – three museum-quality galleries
– where their work can be professionally
displayed and where the
artists can receive positive recognition
by a wider audience.
• Dreamscapes, an All Media Open
Juried Show, runs April 30-May 31
infall galleries. Artists are asked to
submit artwork that reflects their
deepest desires, aspirations, fears,
and emotions, allowing artists to push
their boundaries and explore new
dimensions of their creativity. Opening
Reception: May 2, 5-7 p.m.
They’re at 209 9th St W, Bradenton.
Info: ArtCenterManatee.org
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Art Center Sarasota
Cycle 4: through April 20.
• Natasha Dikareva: Natasha Dikareva
reflects on the current state of her
homeland, Ukraine in her upcoming
exhibition featuring a variety of narrative,
figurative ceramic sculptures.
• Angela Pilgrim: Drawing on a
skillful fusion of printmaking, painting,
and mixed media her work celebrates
the complex inner worlds of
Black women and invites viewers to
contemplate the spiritual dimensions
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of our existence, exploring themes of
identity, faith, and resilience.
• Michael Kinsey: Michael Kinsey’s
“Listening to Black Voices,” showcases
black and white portraits, highlighting
the richness and diversity of
Sarasota’s Black community.
• Juried Show: “Great Artists Steal”
encourages artists to create works
inspired by their favorite artists and
artworks from contemporary art and
art history. This inspiration may come
from the technique, content, or style of
the artist(s) or artwork(s) in reference,
and uniquely recontextualizing these
elements.
Art Center Sarasota, 707 N. Tamiami
Tr., Sarasota. Info: www.artsarasota.org
Selby Gardens has Clyde Butcher:
Nature Through the Lens at the
Historic Spanish Point campus on
view to August 31, 2024. Featuring
extraordinary, large-format wildlife
prints by this well-known landscape
photographer and conservationist,
Clyde Butcher: Nature Through
the Lens gives viewers the chance to
engage with Clyde Butcher’s artwork
against the backdrop of our Historic
Spanish Point campus. selby.org
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A capsule collection of Florida
Highwaymen paintings is on display
in the Cultural Heritage Exhibit in
the City Hall atrium, 1565 First Street.
Known as Florida’s legendary Black
landscape artists, the Florida Highwaymen
emerged in the 1950s in the agricultural
communities of Fort Pierce
and Gifford, Florida. The group of
young painters, which grew to include
25 men and one woman, became
known as The Highwaymen. They were
prolific painters who sold their artwork
from the trunks of their cars during
the post-World War II boom because
they were unable to exhibit through
traditional means due to racial barriers.
While making ends meet, they also
made a significant contribution to the
genre of Florida landscape painting.
Free and open to the public during
City Hall hours, Monday–Friday 8 a.m.
to 5 p.m.
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Sarasota Orchestra’s Harmony
Gallery features local artists showcasing
their work in solo exhibitions
throughout the Orchestra’s season.
These juried exhibitions feature artists
with mediums ranging from painting
to pastels to mixed media. Part of all
proceeds from the sale of the artwork
benefit Sarasota Orchestra.
• Next: Emma Seaworthy. Exhibition
Titled: Water. Seaworthy, creates
artwork influenced by the Florida
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The Van Wezel has
George Thorogood
and The Destroyers
on May 1.
Tickets:
www.VanWezel.org
wilds. Her mixed media work features
environmentalist themes and
offers a deep appreciation for our
local ecosystems. Her work has been
featured at both environmental and
art venues, enticing viewers to ask
questions and think critically about
our perceptions of nature. Exhibit
runs through May 9.
At Arts Advocates:
• Arts Advocates has Elisabeth Trostli’s
show, “Fierce and Fabulous,” on
exhibit from April 6-27, Saturdays
only from 2-4 p.m.
Trostli uses a creative digital painting
process to incorporate detailed
visual references and embellishments
into her works. The paintings in this
exhibition are inspired by Trostli’s
travels; vintage scientific engravings;
Steampunk; Pre-Raphaelite and
Baroque sources; Celtic, Asian and
African mythology; Medieval knights
and armor; tribal textiles; and Victorian
jewelry. Admission is free.
• On April 9, 4-6 p.m. in the Arts Advocates
Gallery, Trostli presents the art
talk, “From Digital Painting to AI.” She
will discuss and demonstrate her artistic
process in the creation of her work
on the computer. Free for Arts Advocates
members; $5 for non-members.
• The “Behind the Curtain: Exploring
the Van Wezel from the Art to the
Stage” tour is on April 15, 1:30-3 p.m.
A docent leads a tour of the paintings
and sculptures including those by Robert
Chase, William Hartman, Eugene
White, Ben Stahl, Thornton Utz, Frank
Colson, Dean Mitchell, and others.
Participants then step onto the stage
where a Van Wezel guide shares stories
and anecdotes about the colorful world
of show business. Tickets are $15 and
can be purchased at the Van Wezel box
office or by calling (941) 263-6799.
• Arts Advocates’ next luncheon program,
held at the Sarasota Yacht Club,
1100 John Ringling Blvd., Sarasota,
will have Bookstore1Sarasota owner
Georgia Court and assistant manager/
director of programming Bryn Durgin
present Banned Books – What People
are Reading on April 18.
• Artist Susan Hurwitch will lead
an intro to mixed media and collage
basics workshop on April 27, 12:00-
2:30 p.m. in the Arts Advocates Gallery.
Using floral imagery, this fastpaced
workshop will have each participant
creating one 6x9-inch artwork.
Cost is $45.
To learn more or to register for programs
and events, visit ArtsAdvocates.org.
Meetings
The Palm-Aire Women’s Club’s next
luncheon meeting is on April 14 when
they will award annual 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 luncheon.
The luncheon is at the Palm Aire
Country Club and starts at 11:30
a.m. Cost: $33 for members; $35 for
non-members. Reservations must
be received by April 5. Reserve your
seat now by mailing a check to March
PAWC Lunch , P O Box 21051, Bradenton
Fl 34204 or drop it off at the
PAWC mailbox by the PACC reception
desk. For credit cards, contact
Susan at susanromine@gmail.com.
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10 WEST COAST WOMAN APRIL 2024