Sunsets made of molten gold, boats sailing under tie-dye skies. Clouds that hang over the horizon like fluffy mountains of cotton candy, water that flows in every hue. Seeing the world through the eyes of painter Linda Richichi can be like seeing the world in color for the first time, like someone grabbed one of the knobs on your optic nerve and cranked the brilliance all the way up to 11. As an artist living in a synesthetic world, wherein colors pop and explode off the walls in unexplainable ways, Richichi has long aimed to capture this reality on her canvas. With Coastal Perspectives, her latest solo exhibition at Burns Gallery on Palm, she takes perhaps her best shot yet.

“I just started grabbing the colors that I saw around me on a daily basis,” Richichi says. And through nearly 50 paintings and pastel drawings made in the last six months, Coastal Perspectives sees the artist unabashedly celebrating the natural beauty surrounding her every day—an elemental interplay of light and color, never predictable in anything but its vibrance and its impermanence. And from the wetlands to the shoreline, Richichi captures it all on canvases large and small, wading into both the representational and the abstract, worshiping at the altar where earth, sky, and water all come together and then praying there in pigment. The result is a body of work as dramatic as it is peaceful, bursting with color and daring the audience to see the mundane as something more. “It helps people to see beyond what they’re used to seeing,” Richichi says. “So they can see how much variety there is, every single day, in the colors that surround us.”

The point is perhaps best illustrated in Richichi’s Cloud Installation, a collection of 20 individual 6x6 oil paintings that emphasize the depth of nature’s palette through minimalist portraits of Sarasota Bay. Though each was painted from the same vantage point, the colors vary wildly depending on the day and time, ranging from rich blues and golds to dark greys and greens or soothing pastel tones. “Sometimes I just give in to the color,” Richichi says. But even beyond Cloud Installation, from the large-scale oils dominating the exhibition to the “play pieces”—small pastel works produced from Richichi’s memory or imagination—Coastal Perspectives sees the artist operating with a whole new level of confidence.

“I understand the lines and shapes—and how they communicate—even better now,” Richichi says. “So when I get to the canvas, I have intention. There’s more curating in the brushstrokes that I use, and in the colors.” And when the first mark is the right mark, she knows.

“Fear has no place in my studio anymore,” she says. “And it shows in the paintings.”

Currently on display at Burns Gallery on Palm, Coastal Perspectives runs through February 25. 

Pictured: Sailing at Sunset by Linda Richichi.

A lot falls on the shoulders of a Ringmaster. The job is equal parts storyteller and emcee, not only responsible for introducing each act of the circus, but for moving it along with pace and telling the story of the show. The Ringmaster, to be blunt, is the person you pay attention to. The weight of the circus rests upon them. So it’s a good thing that Joseph Bauer, Jr. is used to carrying the load. “This is my 14th year with Circus Sarasota, but I have been a Ringmaster for over 30 years and represent nine generations of circus artists in my family,” says Bauer, Jr.

Bauer, a Sarasota native and member of one of Switzerland’s oldest circus families, will be Ringmaster once again for the 2024 installment of Circus Sarasota. The circus, presented by the Circus Arts Conservatory (CAC), features a number of the top circus acts from around the world, including the Flying Tabares–the world’s preeminent flying trapeze act–the Bello Sisters with acrobatic hand balancing, the diablo juggling of Elan España and more.

“There’s just so much in this show and I’m always honored to be a part of it because of the fact that it is the finest circus that plays in our home town,” says Bauer. “The CAC makes such big efforts to bring these acts from Europe and all over the world, from flying them in, to housing and figuring out visas, there’s just so much that goes into bringing these people in to perform alongside all the great talent here.”

Bauer, however, is more than just the voice of the circus. A renowned aerialist, Bauer has long thrilled audiences with his record-breaking performances on the “Wheel of Thrills” as well as skywalks on the high-wire and various acts on the 90-foot sway pole. It is Bauer’s experience as an aerialist–an act that he continues to perform in his 50s–that has guided him into being the best Ringmaster that he can be. “I think that’s one of the things that’s been a big advantage for me as host and ringmaster, is that I’ve been the one in the ring doing the tricks. I know how the performers would like to feel when I’m announcing them,” says Bauer. “That’s what I look forward to every time we have new artists.”

February 16 through March 10; showtimes are Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 2 and 7 pm.; Fridays at 7pm; and Sundays at 1 and 5pm, Nathan Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota. 

Pictured: Ringmaster Joseph Bauer Jr. Photo courtesy of CAC.

To learn more, visit

The Sarasota Players gets down and dirty with Stephen King’s classic thriller, Misery by William Goldman running Feb. 21 to March 10 at The Crossings at Siesta Key (3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota). Starring real-life married couple Alison Guerrero-Heideman and Jeremy Guerrero-Heideman (also the fight choreographer) and directed by Kelly Woodland, this show will have you on the edge of your seat. Misery follows successful romance novelist Paul Sheldon, who is rescued from a car crash by his “number one fan,” Annie Wilkes, and wakes up captive in her secluded home. While Paul is convalescing, Annie reads his latest book and becomes enraged when she discovers the author has killed off her favorite character, Misery Chastain. Annie forces Paul to write a new Misery novel, and he quickly realizes Annie has no intention of letting him go anywhere. The irate Annie has Paul writing as if his life depends on it, and it does. Warnings: Adult language, blood, gunshots, and violence.

Dates: Feb. 21 – Preview, Feb. 22-24, 28-March 2, 6-9 at 7:30pm, Feb. 25, Mar. 3, 10, 2024 at 2pm, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 1130, Sarasota. Please park and enter the mall by Connor’s Steak and Seafood. 

For ticket information click here

Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota presents four concerts in March, all featuring emerging artists. Hannah Cope, harp, performs with Marcelina Suchocka, percussion, on March 3 at First Presbyterian Church. Duo Chinoiserie’s combination of Chinese guzheng and classical guitar is presented on March 7 at the Sarasota Yacht Club. The Curtis on Tour 2023-24 String Sextet takes the stage at the SCF Neel Performing Arts Center on March 12. Violin Channel “Rising Star” Hina Khuong-Huu and Steinway Artist Rohan De Silva perform soirée concerts on March 31 and April 1 at the Fischer/Weisenborne residence. For tickets and more information, visit ArtistSeriesConcerts.org or call (941) 306-1202. Former and current Sarasota Orchestra principal musicians Hannah Cope, harp and Marcelina Suchocka, percussion, join forces for an innovative program of standards for each instrument along with classics reimagined for marimba and harp duet. Cope made her mark on the harp world as the 2020 winner of the American Harp Society Foundation Grandjany Memorial Competition and is now principal harpist of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. When Suchocka isn’t in Sarasota, she performs as principal percussion of the Britt Festival Orchestra and as an extra with many major American orchestras. The pair perform at First Presbyterian Church on March 3 at 4:00 pm. Single ticket: $40. Duo Chinoiserie – Jing Xia, Chinese guzheng and Bin Hu, classical guitar – brings the entrancing sounds of their unique project to the Sarasota Yacht Club on March 7. Their blending of ancient Chinese zither and classical guitar has been described as “sonic alchemy.” Xia and Hu reproduce the elegance of the Chinoiserie style and bring the best of Eastern and Western culture together through music. Their bold and carefully handpicked selection of repertoire explores the instruments’ dialogue and complementary textures, while uniting contrasting musical styles into a cohesive, well-defined whole. The 11:00 am performance is followed by lunch. Single ticket: $68 (includes lunch). The Curtis Institute of Music has long been the most exclusive conservatory in the U.S. and the gold standard for classical music education. Curtis alumni can be found on the rosters of the most elite musical organizations in the world, from orchestras to chamber groups and as coveted soloists. The Curtis on Tour 2023-24 String Sextet brings together three Curtis alumni – Benjamin Beilman, violin; Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, viola; and Oliver Herbert, cello– with three current Curtis students – Na Hyun Della Kyun, violin; Emad Zolfaghari, viola; and Francis Carr, cello – in a powerful program of string sextets. Hear the next generation of gifted musical artists perform Strauss, Berg, and Brahms side by side with their accomplished mentors. The sextet performs on March 12, 7:30 pm, at SCF Neel Performing Arts Center in Bradenton. Single ticket: $40. 2023-24 String Sextet appears by special arrangement with Curtis on Tour, the Nina von Maltzahn global touring initiative of the Curtis Institute of Music. Hina Khuong-Huu, Violin Channel “Rising Star” and first prize winner of the 2023 Elmar Oliveira International Violin Competition, performs around the globe. She has collaborated with artists such as Grammy Award-winner Jennifer Koh and shared a stage with Maxim Vengerov at Carnegie Hall and Buckingham Palace. Khuong-Huu and Steinway Artist Rohan De Silva, whose collaborations with Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman, Midori, Joshua Bell and others have been acclaimed worldwide, will present soirée concerts at 4:00 pm on March 31 and April 1 in the music room of the Fischer/Weisenborne residence in Sarasota. Single ticket: $60.
For tickets and more information, visit ArtistSeriesConcerts.org or call (941) 306-1202. 

Sarasota Orchestra celebrates its 75th Anniversary season with a one-night-only program on February 15 entitled Celebrate 75. The program, led by Creative Partner Peter Oundjian, will capture the euphoria of the anniversary milestone and the Orchestra’s rich history as Florida’s oldest continuously operating orchestra. From its humble beginnings as a gathering of teachers, students, and community members, to its present-day status as a highly regarded ensemble of 76 professional musicians, the Orchestra has seen tremendous growth. This special concert is a celebration of the organization’s past, its present and its bold vision for the next 75 years of music-making. After fanfares by Aaron Copland and Joan Tower, legendary pianist Garrick Ohlsson will join Sarasota Orchestra for Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3. The concert concludes with Gershwin’s An American in Paris, a rhapsodic portrait of a stroll through the City of Lights. Since his triumph as winner of the 1970 Chopin International Piano Competition, Ohlsson has established himself worldwide as a musician of magisterial interpretive and technical prowess. Although long regarded as one of the world's leading exponents of the music of Frédéric Chopin, he commands an enormous repertoire that includes over 80 concertos. Conductor Peter Oundjian, former member of the award-winning Tokyo String Quartet, is Conductor Emeritus of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

Thursday, February 15, 7:00pm, Van Wezel, Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org or call the Box Office at (941) 953-3434. 

The Hermitage Artist Retreat (Sarasota County, Florida) announces a new program featuring returning Hermitage Fellow and American Ballet Theatre principal dancer James Whiteside. Whiteside will offer a special hour-long program at the Hermitage Palm House Studio on Monday, March 4 at 5:30pm, where he will share a candid and entertaining look at his life as a celebrated dancer, choreographer, playwright, and entertainment impresario. Whiteside defies genre classification and is redefining the meaning of multihyphenate as a principal dancer and choreographer for American Ballet Theatre, pop music performer, podcast host, and author of Center Center, which he adapted into the play Dead Center during a previous visit to the Hermitage. He began his ballet training at age nine and was a principal dancer with the Boston Ballet until 2012. Since 2013, Whiteside has been principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre, where he has danced principal roles in Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Romeo & Juliet, Giselle, and more. Whiteside has choreographed for pop stars Mariah Carey, Taylor Swift, and more. He performs pop music under the stage name JdDubs. In addition to writing and producing his own music, Whiteside also choreographs digital performances and music videos, which have viewership in the millions. Whiteside’s talents extend well beyond the world of dance, with growing celebrity as a playwright, podcast host, and brilliant performer who has captured and energized millions online with his dynamic and hilarious content. Whiteside will engage with Hermitage audiences for a creative exploration and candid conversation about wearing his many glamorous hats, arts entrepreneurship, and the transcendent power of dance.  “Dancing through Life with James Whiteside” will be presented at the Hermitage on Monday, March 4 at 5:30pm. This program is free and open to the public (with a $5/person registration fee). Registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org. Capacity will be limited, and registration is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Early registration is strongly encouraged. 

Art Center Sarasota invites the community to “Celebrate with Joseph Melançon,” a special event celebrating artist and instructor Joseph Melançon, who is retiring after teaching for 22 years. A silent auction featuring Melançon’s signature paintings will take place during the event, which is also a fundraiser for Art Center Sarasota. Attendees also have an opportunity to purchase signed copies of “The Man, The Myth, The Cajun,” a book that Melançon and his daughter Janet wrote about his life, art and family. Tickets are $50 or $75 (the latter includes an autographed book). Tickets can be purchased at https://www.artsarasota.org/events-programs/p/celebrate-josephmelancon. Art Center Sarasota is located at 707 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. For information, visit www.artsarasota.org or call 941-365-2032.  

 Azara Ballet, a non-profit professional dance company, will be performing “LOVE  between LINES”, in their grand finale of the season at Neel Auditorium, March 1 and 2nd at 7pm.  Kate Flowers, Co-founder Azara Ballet, explains how they are transforming the ballet culture, “This is a mesmerizing contemporary ballet show with an overarching theme of cultural freedom and liberation. This unique production features four original short works of art, each a testament to the creative prowess of Azara Ballet's talented dancers and choreographers.” Love is Love | Choreography, Kate Flowers: As an LGBTQ+ identifying ballerina, Kate was inspired to bring the message of love and equality to the stage through the lens of ballet. Fueled by the lack of queer representation she had growing up in the media and in the dance world, she proudly challenges traditional ballet norms with her piece, Love is Love. Kodumaa | Choreography, Martin Roosaare: Choreographer Martin Roosaare unveils a lesser-known narrative of his Estonian heritage in this captivating dance piece. Exploring the poignant tale of Estonia's liberation from the Soviet Union in 1991, commonly referred to as the "singing revolution," Roosaare weaves a mesmerizing story using the expressive language of dance. In the Studio | Choreography, Martin Roosaare & Kate Flowers: This piece unveils the untold stories of dancers. Beyond the masterpiece of beauty and elegance that an audience witnesses in the final product on stage, there are years of passion, hard work and often pain. This piece delves into the internal world and mental struggles of dancers by inviting you to view the perspective "In the Studio". Ms. Protagonist | Choreography, Olivia Huseonica: Ms. Protagonist boldly examines the diverse roles assigned to women in media and society. The dancers convey that real women are not confined by prescribed roles or the limited imaginations of those who tell their stories. This work celebrates the profound truth that women are beyond capable of transcending the inadequate narratives often ascribed to them.  LOVE between LINES performances are Friday and Saturday, March 1 and 2 at 7pm at the Neel Performing Arts Center on  the campus of State College of Florida located at 5840 26TH St W, Building 11, Bradenton. For more information about Azara Ballet, visit AzaraBallet.org. For an amazing sneak peek of the performance please link to https://youtu.be/X9Sv2x2Oico. 

FROM OSPREY TO THE OLYMPICS | Sarasota County native Jake Ilardi made history by making the first-ever U.S. Olympic skateboarding team. His brother Nate caught it all on camera, February 2024. 

Read Here!