Creative Kids Art Class is Saturday

Every Saturday the Art Center Sarasota offers afternoon art classes for kids. Contact the center to register.

FST Celebrates Grand Opening Of Gompertz Theatre

The Florida Studio Theatre finished the Gompertz Theatre renovation in just 11 months.

Like a triumphant character, Florida Studio Theatre has beat all odds with the grand opening of the New Gompertz Theatre. The 39-year-old arts organization broke ground on the renovation and the new Hegner Theatre Wing in January and somehow completed its $6.8 million fundraising campaign for the project earlier this year depsite the Great Recession. Not only is the building debt free at opening, but they have money in reserves, too. It seemed to happen so fast after years of work, Artistic Director Richard Hopkins said. All that hard work under a tight deadline wasn't easy, Managing Director Rebecca Hopkins said. "It turned out to be more a bit more of a challenge, but I wanted to let you know tonight that you are the first audience to …

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Suggested Arts Pairing: Asolo's '1776' with Spielberg's 'Lincoln'

See both "1776" and the movie "Lincoln" for a complementary look at how the debate over slavery both divided and united a nation twice.

When art and history collide, it's spectacular, and the timing is just right with Asolo Rep's production of "1776" and Stephen Spielberg's "Lincoln" playing in movie theaters now. (Almost perfect timing, in fact, given how Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving as a national holiday.) In "1776" we're left to explore the mind of John Adams and the words of Thomas Jefferson and in Abraham Lincoln we explore the 16th president's handling of a nation in crises.  At the end of both, I'm left with the words of Frank Galati, who directs the Asolo Rep production of "1776.  "Five score years ago, a great American in whose symbolic shadow we stand today signed the Emancipation Proclamation," Galati said. "That's how the 'I Have A Dream Speech' begins, …

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Kathryn Baker

3:21 pm on Monday, November 26, 2012

We saw Spielberg's Lincoln a few days ago. It is a magnificent movie. You feel as though you are right there back in history. All of the actors are wonderful. The quality of the movie is superb. I would recommend this movie to everyone and I think it should be required viewing in our public schools.   more ›

Survey Reveals Arts Is A Booming Business In Sarasota County

A 2010 study by Americans for the Arts details how arts organizations spend $180 million in Sarasota County.

The arts are a big business in Sarasota, and that business is a booming. At a tune of $180 million spent by non-profit arts organizations in Sarasota County, that's three times the national average, according to a report conducted by Washington, D.C.-based Americans for the Arts. Randy Cohen, vice president of research and policy at Americans for the Arts, visited Sarasota this week where he released a snapshot of a study conducted in Sarasota County in 2010 of how much the arts mean as a business to the area. "When we invest in the arts, we invest in an industry that supports jobs, generates government revenue and is a cornerstone of tourism," Cohen said during a Arts and Cultural Alliance luncheon Tuesday at the Van Wezel Performing Arts…

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Charles Schelle

3:23 pm on Wednesday, October 24, 2012

By the way, Cohen made sure to clarify that morticians were not considered an art field for the study. He was asked about that in other cities. Or at least one other city.   more ›

Up Chuck

VIDEO: Rich Swier, HuB Sings 'You Raise Me Up'

HuB's Rich Swier Jr. "sings" Josh Groban's "You Raise Me Up" to Joey Panek while accepting Arts Leadership Award from Arts and Cultural Alliance.

The HuB knows how to mix viral marketing with the arts, and none was more evident than Monday night when HuB's founder Rich Swier Jr. sang "You Raise Me Up" to Joey Panek. Panek, a success story of the HuB with his contributions of Sarasota Elf, Saratopia, The Art Whisperer among other initiatives, served as the master of ceremonies during the 14th annual Awards Celebration for the Arts and Cultural Alliance at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. It was time for Swier to receive the award for the media category in Arts Leadership for his business incubator, and Swier wasn't sure how to express himself of how much Panek meant to HuB. Cue the music. "I can't take all the credit, and you see for yourself how amazing a talent he is," Swier said.  …

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Chipotle Offers Free Burritos For Free Movie

Chipotle Mexican Grill will hand out a free burrito gift card to first 100 in line to watch free screening of "FRESH."

Chipotle Mexican Grill is luring movie and burrito buffs to a screening of "FRESH" on Monday night with free food and a free film. The movie begins at 7 p.m. Monday at The Players Theatre, 838 N. Tamiami Trail, and is free. The first 100 to attend will receive a free Chipotle burrito card good for a free burrito, bowl, salad or order of tacos, according to a news release by Chipotle. The 72-minute documentary focuses on farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing the nation’s food system.  Chipotle partnered with some people who appear in the film and the chain purchaed rights to screen the film across the country. "We really tried to bring "FRESH" to our local communities beacuse we really think that films …

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Rosemary Rises for Holiday Walk

The seventh annual Rosemary Rising Holiday Walk will run from 5 to 9 p.m. on Thursday in Sarasota's Rosemary District.

The intent of Rosmary Rising Holiday Walk might be to get you in the holiday mood, but it might be a way for people realize you can walk to the Rosemary District with ease. "We mainly see this event as a way to just getting people on the street and get people to understand that just because we're north of Fruitville doesn't mean we're not downtown," said Darby Pursifull, secretary of the Rosemary District and event organizer. The seventh annual event will run from 5 to 9 p.m. on Thursday. The Rosemary District is located between Fruitville Road, North Tamiami Trail, Orange Avenue, and 10th Street. This historic district is known for its creative economy, including artists, small businesses and boutiques. "It's fun to be able to expose …

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Art Center Sarasota Announces Juried Exhibit Winners

The exhibit 'Material World' is on display at the Sarasota Herald-Tribune's Main Street lobby for free through Dec. 31.

Art Center Sarasota announced the top five winners in its juried exhibit, "Material World." The art is on display through Dec. 31 at the Sarasota Herald-Tribune's Main Street lobby. There is no admission fee to see the display.

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Sarasota Opera's Record Ticket Sales

'Madama Butterfly' gave Sarasota Opera its highest ticket sales ever for a fall opera at the Sarasota Opera House.

Sarasota can't get enough opera. Sarasota Opera announced last week that its fall production of Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly grossed about half a million dollars in ticket sales for the fall season, which set the bar for highest selling show since 2008 when the venue started fall operas. The show ran Oct. 15 through Nov. 15. Four of the six performances sold out, according to a news release issued by the Opera. A commonly performed show helped achieve that mark, a Sarasota Opera spokesman said. "It's a very well known show and the most performed show in North America, so I think there's an elevated level of familiarity with it, and it's an accessible show," said Samuel Lowry, communications officer for Sarasota Opera. "People coming …

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