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SRQ DAILY May 29, 2023

Monday Business Edition

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Monday Business Edition

"The Architect Selection Task Force assigned with the architect design selection process for a new Sarasota Performing Arts Center at The Bay will host live in-person interviews and presentations with the three finalist firms"

- Samantha Dourney, Spokesperson, Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation.
 

[Architecture]  Task Force to Hear Design Proposals for Sarasota PAC
Jacob Ogles, jacob.ogles@srqme.com

The architecture firms still in the running to design the new Sarasota Performing Center will make public presentations this week to the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation.

“The Architect Selection Task Force assigned with the architect design selection process for a new Sarasota Performing Arts Center at The Bay will host live in-person interviews and presentations with the three finalist firms,” explained Samantha Dourney, a spokesperson for the foundation. “The forums are open to the public.”

Representatives from Foster & Partners Limited, Renzo Piano Building Workshop and Snøhetta will all present their visions for the new facility, a centerpiece of The Bay redevelopment. Foster & Partners, based in London, England, designed the Gherkin in London. RPBW, based in Genoa, Italy, is responsible for the Parco della Musica Auditorium in Rome. Snøhetta, created vision for the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet.

The multi-year project is projected to cost between $275 million and $300 million. Much of the funding will be privately raised, and the city in March announced a $10 million contribution from the Paul Seed Fund at KBF CANADA.

Presentations and live interviews will take place through the day Wednesday between 9am and 4:30pm at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall Grand Foyer.

The following day, the Architect Selection Task Force will meet at City Hall, in Room 112, for final deliberations and to select the firm that will receive the design contract. The task force making the decision is made up of three foundation board members — Ocwen Financial Corporation director Jenne K. Britell, Sarasota construction mogul Mark Famiglio and The Director's Council President and CEO Michele Hooper — and one city-appointed official — Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall executive director Mary Bensel. The deliberation process will also be held in public.

The Architect Selection Process has unfolded over six months. A request for quotes resulted in 43 submissions from firms across the country, and then 18 qualifying firms provided complete proposals. The Task Force winnowed entries to six semi-finalists and then four finalists; Gehry Partners ultimately withdrew from the competition.

The construction of the venue is part of the Bay Park Master Plan approved in 2018. The Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation, formerly the Van Wezel Foundation, is leading the process for creating the new center in partnership with the city, and has invested $2 million in private dollars already to the planning process.

The new performing arts center is envisioned as a replacement for the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, though the future of that facility has been determined yet. A blue ribbon commission is expected to meet in mid-June to discuss the fate of the Purple Cow. But with less than 2,000 seats and risks of flooding, city officials have said a new venue is needed to stay competitive attracting national tours.

The new center will be a 230,000-square-foot venue with 2,250 seats for the main stage, as well as a 400-seat flexible performance space, a 10,000 square-foot education and lifelong learning center, a 90-foot fly tower to “meet the demands of artistic innovations in the future, and multiple outdoor public performance spaces. 

Photos: While designs for the Sarasota PAC have not been released, finalists have submitted relevant sample work.

[Announcement]  Fifth Third Bank Names Stephanie Green as South Florida President

Fifth Third Bank, National Association, has announced Stephanie Green as South Florida region president. As region president, Green is responsible for the growth and strategic direction of the Bank’s commercial, wealth and asset management, business banking and treasury management businesses. Green has spent her career with Fifth Third, having progressed through multiple leadership positions in retail, business banking, human capital, mortgage and wealth and asset management. She most recently was managing director, Fifth Third Private Bank, in the Bank’s Central Ohio region. Over the last 30-plus years, Green has built and sustained quality relationships with clients, employees and communities. She has a track record of performance, accountability and business development – and of recruiting and cultivating talent.Fifth Third South Florida has 76 full-service banking centers and more than 550 employees. 

[Sarasota Christian School]  RocketKids: Guide to Private Schools - Sarasota Christian School

FOR OVER 60 YEARS, SARASOTA CHRISTIAN SCHOOL has offered a distinctively Christian, academically rigorous education for students with the goal of raising future generations for Christ. At the heart of the SCS experience, you’ll find a team of caring, highly qualified, and passionate faculty and staff. Dedicated to equipping each of our almost 600 pre-kindergarten through 12th grade students with a love for Christ, a passion to learn, the courage to lead and a commitment to serve, our faculty teaches both in the classroom and by example. The love for Christ can be seen in all that we do. Our students enjoy daily prayer and devotions, weekly chapel, spiritual emphasis days and biblically-infused curriculum. Academic opportunities from the Scripps Spelling Bee to AP and dual enrollment classes through Southeastern University help fuel a passion to learn in our students. The courage to lead is cultivated through a host of opportunities like student council, National Honor Society, and FHSAA athletics. The commitment to serve is developed as students strive to meet our 150 service hour graduation requirement and participate in service projects, worship team and community events. Character development continues outside of the classroom through a host of extra-curricular offerings including Odyssey of the Mind, Mock Trial Team, National History Day, annual Chalk Festival, Art Show and more. Established in 1958, SCS has been infusing faith and igniting minds for over six decades. Sarasota Christian School has been fully accredited by the Florida Council of Independent Schools since 1990. FCIS accreditation is the seal of educational excellence for families seeking an independent school education, placing SCS among the very best schools in the nation. Visit our beautiful 25-acre campus and see what an SCS education has to offer your student.

School's Mission

The mission of Sarasota Christian School is to equip students with a LOVE for Christ, the passion to LEARN, the courage to LEAD and a commitment to SERVE. 

Sarasota Christian School 5415 Bahia Vista Street Sarasota, Fl 34232 (941)371-6481 sarasotachristian.org

Check out more on this feature!

[Veterans]  Operation Warrior Resolution Is Bringing Healing to Military Families This Memorial Day

With a staggering number of local veterans dealing with mental health issues and loneliness, Memorial Day can be especially hard. While most people are enjoying the long weekend at the beach or with friends at a BBQ, veterans are left with painful memories of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. This is not just challenging for the veteran who is experiencing this, but it often puts strain on their spouse and children. Operation Warrior Resolution is honoring those who paid these sacrifices in a different way—to heal veterans so they can live life to the fullest in honor of their battle buddy who is no longer here. Veterans are provided with access to resources, innovative therapies, and programs so the whole family can begin to successfully heal and thrive in civilian life. One couple that Operation Warrior Resolution helped was Eric and Laura Tomlinson. Eric left the military after two deployments and was struggling with depression and anxiety. It spiraled out of control, so he enrolled at the VA in various counseling programs and traditional talk therapy but hadn't
made much progress. It was taking a toll on his marriage. Eric took part in a program with Operation Warrior Resolution. “I noticed a huge change in Eric after the retreat and ever since. OWR saved him and saved our marriage,” Laura explained. It helped Eric through his struggles, and he was able to address the underlying issues that were causing him to spiral out of control. Laura received her own therapy sessions, and at the Couple’s Retreat, they were able to relearn how to communicate with each other while working through the issues he had been dealing with during his service. “I love how OWR also takes care of the spouses,” Laura expressed. Since 2018, Operation Warrior Resolution has been helping veterans heal by providing innovative therapies and specialized brain-based healing to resolve PTSD. The nonprofit was started by veteran therapist and wellness expert Kendra Simpkins, who saw an immense need for this type of support in the veteran community. Operation Warrior Resolution has helped over 100 veterans through their retreat program and almost one thousand veterans and their families through other activities and events in the Sarasota area. The organization is funded through grants, donations, and fundraisers so everything is at no cost to the veteran and their family. Operation Warrior Resolution also partners with local businesses to provide discounts on services for veterans. The organization can be found online at www.operationwarriorresolution.org or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/OperationWarriorResolution. 

[Elections]  Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections to Lead Statewide Elections Association

Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Ron Turner  was recently sworn in as president of the Florida Supervisors of Elections (FSE). As an organization, FSE represents all 67 supervisors of elections in Florida who collectively serve more than 14 million registered voters statewide. In his role as president, Turner will support FSE’s mission to conduct fair, honest and accurate elections in Florida and continue the important work of past FSE presidents. A native Floridian, Turner has the distinction of being the only person to serve as supervisor of elections in two counties in the state. Turner served as supervisor of elections in DeSoto County before moving to Sarasota County in 2001. Later serving as chief of staff for the Sarasota County elections office, he was elected in 2016 to his current role in Sarasota County. Per FSE bylaws, Turner’s term begins Monday, May 29 and he will hold the office of president until May 2024. FSE was founded in 1964 with the goal of conducting elections with transparency and integrity that are accessible to all voters. Learn more about the Florida Supervisors of Elections by visiting myfloridaelections.com. 

[Recognition]  SMH Recertified as Level II Trauma Center

After an extensive review of every aspect of its trauma program, Sarasota Memorial Hospital’s Sarasota campus has been recertified as a Level II Trauma Center. Sarasota County’s first and only trauma center, SMH-Sarasota is a Level II facility, meaning it is equipped with advanced treatments, technology and highly skilled trauma surgeons and subspecialists who stand ready 24/7 to provide lifesaving care to critically injured people in the Suncoast region. The recertification process is an important step Florida trauma centers undergo every seven years to demonstrate compliance with state rules governing higher levels of care that trauma centers provide. In its first renewal survey since opening, the SMH-Sarasota trauma team met or exceeded all national benchmarks, with no deficiencies noted by the team of American College of Surgeons trauma experts who performed the in-depth, on-site assessment. The Sarasota County Public Hospital Board approved the funds and resources necessary to open the local trauma center in 2015, as part of the public health system’s ongoing commitment to provide top-quality, comprehensive care to the growing community. In its first year, the trauma team cared for more than 1,000 patients. Today, it treats about 4,800 patients a year, with survival rates that are significantly better than national benchmarks. National studies have found that care provided in a trauma center decreases the chance of death following injury by 25 percent compared to care in hospitals without trauma centers. Level II centers like SMH address the needs of injured patients across the entire spectrum of care, providing not only emergency and acute hospital care, but also post-hospital care and rehabilitation. SMH also provides important injury prevention programs, such as its ongoing Stop the Bleed classes, which encourage bystanders to become trained, equipped, and empowered to help in a bleeding emergency while waiting for professional help to arrive (visit smh.com/calendar for monthly class schedule). The SMH trauma center includes specially equipped trauma bays, operating rooms, a trauma intensive care unit, trauma step-down and progressive units, and specialty nursing and rehab units that ensure optimal care for trauma patients as they recover from their injuries. In 2016, the hospital’s state-of-the-art Rehabilitation Pavilion opened, further promoting the recovery process for trauma and other patients recovering from injury, illness or disease. The quality and scope of care it provides to patients has earned SMH-Sarasota recognition on a number of best hospital lists in recent years, among them the “World’s Best Hospitals” by Newsweek and “Best Hospitals” for Rehabilitation and multiple other specialties by U.S. News & World Report



[SOON]  GALLERY: Small Works Show , May 27 – June 30, Gallery hours
The artists at Art Uptown Gallery will present Small Works Show, showcasing small framed pieces of their original art. Meet the artists at the First Friday public reception on June 2 from 6-9 p.m. All of our award-winning artists are local, full-time residents of Sarasota. The exhibit opens on Saturday, May 27 and runs through Friday, June 30. Art Uptown Gallery welcomes patrons and friends at 1367 Main Street where the diverse work of regional award-winning artists is exhibited. artuptown.com.
[SOON]  THEATER: Shear Madness , May 31 – July 16, Various times

There has been a murder in a local hair salon, and it is up to the audience to solve the crime. Everyone is a suspect when the old lady living above Shear Madness salon is mysteriously offed. Join two police officers to piece together the clues behind this strange, scissor-stabbing homicide. Chock full of up-to-the minute spontaneous humor, Shear Madness has slayed the hearts of audiences around the world. Now it is up to Sarasota audiences to outwit the suspects and catch the killer in this interactive comedy whodunit. FST Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St.
Sarasota, floridastudiotheatre.org.

[SOON]  GALLERY: Identity, Exploring the Human Condition , June 1 – August 5, Gallery hours

The 2023 exhibition season continues with Identity, Exploring the Human Condition, which highlights the diverse talents of artists from across the southeast region of the United States and will be on display in all four gallery spaces. On view from June 1-August 5, the opening reception is Thursday, June 1, 6-8 p.m. The juror is Christy Paris, an art professor and PhD candidate in the College of Education at the University of South Florida. A Juror’s Critique, with Paris, will take place on Tuesday, June 6. Art Center Sarasota is located at 707 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. For information, visit www.artsarasota.org or call 941-365-2032.

[SOON]  FOOD: Savor Sarasota , June 1 – June 14, Various times
Mark your calendars for the most delicious time of the year in Sarasota, the 18th annual Visit Sarasota County’s Savor Sarasota. Beginning Thursday, June 1st through Wednesday, June 14th, visitors and residents alike will be able to wine and dine their way around Sarasota area restaurants relishing multi-course meals. Savor Sarasota restaurant week is a two-week dining program that offers artfully crafted prix-fixe menus for both lunch and dinner. Lunch menus feature a two-course menu for $25 per person, and dinner menu features three courses for $40 per person. Many restaurants will also offer menu upgrades and wine and spirit pairings to elevate the experience. Visit https://www.visitsarasota.com/savor-sarasota/restaurants for an up-to-date restaurant list.
[SOON]  GRAB BAG: Fresh Fridays , June 2, 7-10 pm
The Downtown Improvement District Fresh Fridays organizers work to jumpstart the summer season with a festive block party full of live music, lawn games, BBQ, and more for its final event of the season. Bay Kings Band will provide live entertainment. Local downtown restaurant, Bricks Smoked Meats, will be cooking up mouthwatering BBQ. Attendees will have the chance to meet and hang out with players from the Sarasota Paradise pre-professional soccer team. Continuing in the spirit of summer, the party will have a gaggle of fun backyard lawn games. Partygoers can participate in friendly competitions of Cornhole, oversized Connect Four, and Jenga. Show up early for signature giveaways and come hungry to taste a variety of light bites and beverages from local downtown hospitality partners, including the Art Ovation Hotel and Azul Steak and Sushi Lounge. Upcoming dining destination Beso will have a specialty sangria bar for attendees to enjoy. The event will take place rain or shine back on Palm Avenue. Parking will be available at Palm Avenue and State Street parking garages. Palm Avenue, Sarasota.
[SOON]  GRAB BAG: Laser Light Nights at The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature , May 25 – September 2, 7pm and 9pm

Break out the big hair and acid-washed denim because Laser Light Nights are back at The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature. Every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night from May 25 through September 2, we are rocking out to some of your favorite artists in the Planetarium! A variety of food options and drinks are available for purchase onsite with cash or card. Tickets are $15. The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, 201 10th St W., Bradenton, bishopscience.org.

[SOON]  MUSEUM: Lorna Bieber, Natural World at The Ringling , May 20 – October 15, Museum hours

The Ringling presents a solo exhibition of works by Lorna Bieber in May that includes two new pieces making their debut in the Keith D. and Linda L. Monda Gallery for Contemporary Art. Her artwork first and foremost encourages us to indulge in the pleasures of looking and discovering anew the details of the visual world. Her artistic practice is grounded in appropriating, recycling, and manipulating imagery. The work reminds us of the image world that inundates our daily existence. Our experience of reality is mediated through a barrage of photographic digital images that supplants our connection to the natural world. Yet, Bieber is less interested in a critique of this condition than she is in offering her work as an antidote, a way to inspire viewers and reconnect with our shared sense of wonder. Included with museum admission. The Ringling Museum, 5401 Bay Shore Rd., Sarasota, ringling.org.

[SOON]  GRAB BAG: Marie Selby Botanical Gardens 2023 Jean & Alfred Goldstein Exhibition Tiffany: The Pursuit of Beauty in Nature , February 12 – June 26, During garden hours

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens’ 2023 Jean and Alfred Goldstein Exhibition Tiffany: The Pursuit of Beauty in Nature showcases the creativity and innovation of American artist and designer Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933). The first exhibition of its type to be presented in a botanical garden, the exhibition highlights the inspiring connection between Tiffany Studios and the natural world through unique horticultural displays in the Tropical Conservatory and the Gardens, accompanied by seminal examples of Tiffany’s work on view in the Museum of Botany and the Arts. To learn more, visit selby.org. Selby Gardens Downtown Sarasota campus, 1534 Mound St., Sarasota.

[SOON]  MUSIC: Reel Music at the Florida Studio Theatre , February 15 – June 25, Various times

Florida Studio Theatre presents the original music revue, Reel Music, celebrating the movies that helped create the soundtrack to the last century. Featuring classics like “Singin’ in the Rain,” “Circle of Life,” and “My Heart Will Go On,” this new Cabaret traces how films—and the music highlighted in them—have evolved over the past one hundred years. Created by Richard Hopkins, Rebecca Hopkins, and Sarah Durham with musical arrangements by Jim Prosser, Reel Music begins playing February 15, 2023, in FST’s Court Cabaret. Single tickets for Reel Music
range between $18-39 and are now on sale at FloridaStudioTheatre.org or at 941.366.9000.

[SOON]  MUSEUM: Reclaiming Home, Contemporary Seminole Art at Ringling Museum , March 29 – September 4, Museum hours

Reclaiming Home, Contemporary Seminole Art group exhibition will mark The Ringling’s first presentation of contemporary art by Native American artists with ancestral, historical, and present-day connections to Florida. An imperative step toward establishing a meaningful relationship with the Native American artistic community, Reclaiming Home will highlight the breadth and depth of the artwork by Seminole, Miccosukee, and mixed-heritage artists from Florida with the important work by internationally-recognized artists. The exhibition will expand the conceptual framework of Native American art made in Florida today and provide a fuller understanding of the complexities of issues within the art of the Seminole diaspora. Ringling Museum, 5401 Bay Shore Rd., Sarasota, ringling.org.

[SOON]  FOOD: Geckos Hospitality Group Iron Chef Challenge 2023 , May 15 – June 18, Restaurant Hours

Join the Geckos Hospitality Group family of restaurants to celebrate the culinary creativity of your favorite Geckos Grill and Pub Chefs during the annual Iron Chef Challenge. From May 15th to June 11th and June 12th to 18th each of our six Geckos will participate in a weekly special Iron Chef Menu, with several of our Chefs designing delectable and inventive fare, plus some tried and true favorites with a creative twist. The contest is a weekly competition between Geckos Kitchen Creatives and guests may sample what the GHG kitchen pros have up their Chef Jacket sleeves. Whichever Iron Chef Special Menu is the favorite of our GHG guests for the week wins the Iron Chef title for that week and a cash prize with seven Iron Chefs named after the competition knives have been cleaned and put away in June. There will be a Championship Final the week of June 12-18th, with the winning GHG location being crowned the Iron Chef 2023 Champ. All Geckos Hospitality locations, geckosgrill.com.

[SOON]  THEATER: Asolo Repertory Theatre: Man of La Mancha , May 10 – June 11, Varied

Considered by many to be one of the best musicals of all time, MAN OF LA MANCHA is brilliantly reimagined with a contemporary urgency by celebrated director Peter Rothstein, who immerses us in Miguel de Cervantes’s retelling of Don Quixote and his quest. This epic and poignant journey celebrates the perseverance of one man who refuses to relinquish his ideals and who is determined to see life not as it is, but as it ought to be. The winner of five Tony Awards®, including Best Musical, and featuring a soaring score, including “Man of La Mancha (I, Don Quixote)” and one of theatre’s most beloved songs, “The Impossible Dream,” this classic musical celebrates the power of theatre, the bravery of holding strong to our dreams, and the resilience of imagination.

Asolo Repertory Theatre

[SOON]  MUSEUM: From the Chambers Honoring John Sims at Ringling Museum , May 6 – August 6, Museum hours

In December 2022, the innovative artist, activist, writer, and filmmaker John Sims passed away suddenly at his studio in Sarasota. The tragic loss of Sims left a deep impact on the art world. His art, informed by mathematics, design, sacred symbols, and poetic text, boldly confronted white supremacy, the Confederate flag, and the deep disparities and division within our society. The Ringling is honored to have had the opportunity to work closely with Sims, who was their artist in residence in 2020. The exhibition From the Chambers, Honoring John Sims brings those two works together, on view publicly for the first time, in conjunction with John Chamberlain’s sculpture Added Pleasure. The exhibition serves as just one part of the significant legacy the artist leaves behind, in Sarasota and beyond. On view May 6 through August 6, 2023 in the Searing East galleries. Ringling Musuem, 5401 Bay Shore Rd., Sarasota, ringling.org

[SOON]  MUSEUM: She Engineers at the Bishop , January 24 – July 30, During museum hours

SHE ENGINEERS is a bilingual (English and Spanish) poster exhibition highlighting eight women in various engineering fields. In their own words, the women share their passion and what inspired them to become engineers. If we support a woman in STEM, then she can change the world.

SRQ Media Group

SRQ DAILY is produced by SRQ | The Magazine. Note: The views and opinions expressed in the Saturday Perspectives Edition and in the Letters department of SRQ DAILY are those of the author(s) and do not imply endorsement by SRQ Media. Senior Editor Jacob Ogles edits the Saturday Perspective Edition, Letters and Guest Contributor columns.In the CocoTele department, SRQ DAILY is providing excerpts from news releases as a public service. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by SRQ DAILY. The views expressed by individuals are their own and their appearance in this section does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. For rates on SRQ DAILY banner advertising and sponsored content opportunities, please contact Ashley Ryan Cannon at 941-365-7702 x211 or via email

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