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AnythingArtsNewlsetter.com Sarasota Edition, an
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Peace and Happy Holidays
Original artwork by
Sean Colson |
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December 27
[ sideways signing ]
MC Coolidge, Reality Chick
columnist for the Pelican Press for two years and voted best local columnist
in the 2008 Creative Loafing Best of the Suncoast Readers Poll, will sign
copies of “Sideways in Sarasota,” her book of collected columns, from 1:00 –
3:00 pm at Circle Books on St. Armands Circle, 478 John Ringling Boulevard.
“Sexy, humorous, and sometimes sober” – um, sobering – the book, that is! |
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December 27 - 29
[ sailor circus spectacular ]
The talented performers of the PAL Sailor
Circus, with special guests from Booker High’s VPA program, will dazzle you
as they perform their 2008 Holiday Spectacular Winter Show. Inspired by the
classic story of The Nutcracker, this circus-style fairy tale/ballet boasts the
Nutcracker’s famous battle between the mice and toy soldiers taking place on
unicycles! The Sugar Plum Fairies will perform aerial feats! The Snow King and
Snow Queen will fly high during their aerial silk act! Come one, come all! Step
right up and get more info here. |
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December 29
[ greek night ]
El Greco Café, at the corner of Main
and Orange streets in downtown Sarasota, invites you to Holiday Greek Night.
Live Greek music begins at 6:00 pm with Dino and Company featuring George Soffos
on bouzouki and Elias Kostantinou on vocals. Great food at reasonable prices, no
cover charge and Greek dancing, too! Reservations recommended; make yours by
calling 941-365-2234. |
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December 29 & 30
[ oh, oliver! ]
Head over to the Van Wezel with a
canned food item and get $5 off “Oliver!” tickets. Introduce your kid to the
world of musical theatre while helping the hungry through the Mayor’s Feed
the Hungry program. Show times are December 29 at 7:30 pm and December 30 at
2:00 and 7:30 pm. Tickets can be purchased at the box office (for the $5
off), by calling 941-951-3368 or online. |
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December 30 & 31
[ michael + amy = dueling pianos ]
Straight from their AnythingArts.com calendar listing: “Want a one-of-a-kind
entertainment experience? Here’s the recipe: start with two multi-talented
musical and comedic entertainers and mix in an eclectic blend of music from
Beethoven to Billy Joel, Gershwin to Garth, Andrew Lloyd Weber to AC/DC.
Then add a substantial dollop of stand-up comedy and improv, and top it all
off with a heaping helping of audience participation. Dish it up on two
unsuspecting grand pianos for one hilarious and unforgettable serving of
what we like to call Quirkish-Delight! Always fun. Always exciting.
Completely entertaining.” At Venice
Theatre, 140 West Tampa Avenue in Venice. Phone 941-488-1115 for more
info. |
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December 31
[ forget “ringing” ]
“Dance in” the new year with
Dancefusion, Sarasota's premier ballroom and
Latin dance studio located at 5725 Lawton Drive. For $75, you get a swing
dance lesson; dancing to ballroom, Latin, hustle and swing music; hats and
noisemakers; refreshments and snacks; a giant-screen TV to watch the ball
drop; and a champagne toast at midnight. But B.Y.O.B. No walk-ins so please
RSVP to 941-923-3923.
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December 31
[ my friend scott ]
My Friend Scott will rock the outdoor stage by the Gator Club during the
downtown New Year’s Eve celebration. Look for them to begin around 9:00 pm,
with modern rock, classic rock and pop hits, originals, plus a few
surprises!
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Through December
[ tremble ]
No, you're not seeing things. After dark, gaze up at the second story window
above
Citrus Café on Pineapple Avenue - are you peering directly into
someone's private space, or are you seeing something else? Check out this
special video art installation by Guy Hundere, artist in residence at the
Hermitage Artist Retreat. If you’re driving by, please stay on the road! |
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Beginning January 2
[ pastore’s paintings ]
The Dancing Crane Gallery, 1019 10th Avenue in Bradenton’s
Village of the
Arts, presents Marianthe Pastore’s works of women. Meet the artist and view
her “exceptionally emotional artwork” from 6:00 – 9:00 pm.
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When to Begin?
[ where to begin? ]
There’s no shortage of things to do and see at the
John and Mable Ringling
Museum of Art! Through January 4, Modern Masters of the Japanese Prints:
Tradition and Transformation. Through January 11, To Live Forever: Egyptian
Treasures from the Brooklyn Museum. Through February 8, Fashioning Kimono:
Art Deco and Modernism in Japan. January 4 & 6 at 7:30 pm, Artist Series of
Sarasota at the Historic Asolo Theater featuring Claire Huangci on piano.
January 5 at 7:00 pm, Monday Night Movies at the Ringling presented with the
Sarasota Film Festival offers “It Happened One Night.” January 9 – 11
(various times), Voices of Fuzíon - contemporary dance performances by
Fuzíon Dance artists. January 12, Monday Night Movie presents “Jezebel.”
Call 941-358-3180 for all the details.
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January 4 & 5
[ yiddish indie films ]
The Sarasota Film Society is showing “Yiddish Theater: A Love Story”
January
4 & 5 at 10:00 am as part of the Indie Film Series at Burns Court Lakewood
Ranch, and “Praying in Her Own Voice” the following weekend. |
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Beginning January 5
[ brush paintings & lizards ]
Sea Grape Artists Gallery presents their artists of the month, showing
January 5 – February 2:
Kate
Staber’s oriental brush paintings of pure
beauty and
Tania
Begg’s whimsical beaded creations. Kate’s work has been
exhibited and won awards in the U.S., and she has also exhibited in China.
Tania’s “Lizzart” features – what else? – lizards, from her jewelry to
tabletop masterpieces and wall-hugging sculptures. Gallery hours are Monday
- Friday 10:00 am - 5:00 pm, open until 8:00 pm on Thursdays. 113 West
Marion Avenue, Punta Gorda. Phone 941-575-1718.
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Opens January 6
[ come on baby ]
A delightful stroll back to the fabulous 50s, “Hula Hoop Sha-Boop” at
Florida Studio Theatre will take you back to an age of innocence. Musical
vignettes and comedic stories recount the days of poodle skirts and soda
fountains. This sock-hopping tribute features over a decade of favorites
including “Yakety Yak,” “Stay,” “The Twist,” “It's My Party,” “Peggy Sue”
and many more classic favorites! 7:30 pm at 1241 N. Palm Avenue, Sarasota.
Call 941-366-9000 for tickets.
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January 8
[ lew fonesca launch ]
Sarasota News & Books hosts author
Stuart Kaminsky for the launch of his
latest Lew Fonesca mystery, “Bright Futures.” Lovable everyman Fonesca is
once again faced with cases that try his patience and test his sanity. A
local curmudgeon who has been campaigning to end state-sponsored school
funding is brutally killed. A recent graduate of a public high school for
the gifted is arrested for the crime and turns to Lew for help. But wait –
there’s more (and we’re not telling)! You’ll have to head to the store at
1341 Main Street in Sarasota at 7:00 pm; it’s a free event and you’ll get a
complimentary glass of wine or cup of coffee with your purchase of “Bright
Futures.”
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Beginning January 9
[ freak out ]
The Ringling College’s Selby Gallery presents Thomas Woodruff’s “Freak
Parade” with an opening reception from 5:00 – 7:00 pm. Or, on
January 15,
attend the artist reception and panel discussion beginning at 5:30 pm. Freak
Parade features a series of 34 large sideshow banner-like paintings of
fantastic characters, bizarre animals, magical insects and strange plants by
the postmodernist artist-illustrator, who is currently the chair of the
department of illustration and cartooning at New York’s School of the Visual
Arts. |
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January 9 & 10
[ the studio tour ’09 ]
Observe a community of artists at work in their studios. Bradenton’s
Village
of the Arts is hosting their second annual Village Artists Studio Tour from
noon to 3:00 pm on both days. This free, self-directed studio tour with
demonstrations features 18 studios. This event differs from the monthly ArtWalks because you get to go behind-the-scenes where you'll find potters,
jewelers, painters, sculptors, fabric artists, musicians and even a magician
at work. But more importantly you'll find friendly, articulate artists who
will inform, inspire and entertain you.
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January 10
[ bradenton farmers’ market ]
The
Downtown Bradenton Farmers’ Market launches on January 10 and will offer
fresh food vendors, produce, plants and flowers, entertainment, prepared
foods, and lots of fun for the community every Saturday morning. Located on
Main Street in downtown Bradenton, the market will run from 9:00 am – 1:00
pm. |
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Beginning January 12
[ painters and movies ]
Selby Library presents the Painters and Movies Series, beginning January 5
with Gauguin and “The Wolf at the Door” starring Donald Sutherland.
January
12 – “Klimt,” which explores the life of Autrian symbolist painter Gustav
Klimt and stars John Malkovich. January 26 – “Tintoretto,” about one of the
last great painters of the Italian Renaissance. All shows at 2:00 pm at 1331
First Street, Sarasota. |
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Opens January 15
[ spitfire grill ]
No, it’s not a new restaurant, it’s the latest play to take the stage at the
Players Theatre. A feisty parolee finds her way to a small town in Wisconsin
(aren’t they mostly small towns in Wisconsin?) and starts working at
Hannah's Spitfire Grill. The diner is for sale but there are no takers, so
the owner decides to raffle it off. The entry fee is $100, and the best
essay on why the writer wants to be the new owner of the grill wins. Soon,
mail is arriving by the wheelbarrow full and things are definitely cookin'
at the Grill. Phone 941-365-2494 for ticket info.
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Through January
[ eco chic ]
Visit State of the Arts Gallery at 1525 State Street, Sarasota, for this
special exhibit featuring organic works. Gallery hours are Tuesday – Friday
from 11:00 am – 4:00 pm and Saturdays from 9:00 am – noon. |
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Through January
[ not quite a million little pieces ]
Roskamp Center for Arts & Humanity,
1226 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota,
presents “40 Pieces,” an exhibit of recent small works by Philip Louis
Phillips and Barbara E. Disbrow Harrison. View Monday – Saturday from 10:00
am – 5:00 pm. |
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[ voice and speech training ]
John Burr offers voiceover and speech training at his new studio in
Sarasota. And this year, he's added a new program for kids from 14 to 18,
called the Young Talent Program. Whatever your needs, with his many years of
experience, John can help you develop into a world-class voiceover talent or
public speaker. Check out John's
website for the details. |
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December 30 & January 1
[ give peace a chance ]
For World Peace Day, be part of an ad-hoc choir. Rehearsal will be December
30, 5:30 - 6:15 pm at the Sarasota Unitarian Universalist sanctuary.
Performance will be January 1 at 11:55 am at the Sarasota UU, with warm-up
beginning at 11:00 am. 3628 Fruitville Road. Call 941-812-5073 for more
info. |
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Through January 1
[ snooty decal contest ]
We’re not talking snobbery here, we’re talking Snooty! The Feed the Manatees
Snooty Club decal contest deadline has been extended, so during the holiday
break, let your five- to 12-year-olds loose with the art supplies and their
imaginations to create an “image only” (as in “no words”) decal to enter
into the contest. Obviously the art must be related to manatees.
Check out
family programming, or contact Amara Cocilovo at
941-746-4131 x 11 or acocilovo@southfloridamuseum.org for more info. |
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Beginning January 5
[ collage art ]
Collage as Art, an ongoing class at Art Center Sarasota, is an exploration
of collage as fine art. Technique and design are given equal attention as
paper collage is combined with a variety of other mediums to expand and
stimulate creative expression. Excellent for all skill levels. $170 for
members, $190 for non-members. Runs six consecutive Mondays, 10:00 am – 1:00
pm. Stop by 707 N. Tamiami Trail in Sarasota or call 941-365-2032 to
register.
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January 7-9
[ youth opera ]
Young people age 8 and up now have the opportunity to participate in
Sarasota Youth Opera's 25th year. Enrollment is currently open for the
spring session, which begins in January and ends in May. Placement classes
for singers who plan to join will be held January 7, 8 & 9. The program
admits all who apply, regardless of skill level, and provides vocal and
acting training. Tuition for the program is $150 per session. Partial
payments can be arranged and there are a limited number of scholarships
available. For more details and to sign up for the program, call
941-366-8450, ext. 221. |
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[ photo contest ]
How do you capture the essence of Sarasota in a single image for an audience
in China or France? The Sarasota Sister Cities Association (SSCA) has issued
such a challenge to all area photographers through its People and Places
photo contest. Contest details, applications, and rules are now available. A panel of art and photography
professionals will select photos that best express the contest theme for an
exhibition at the Ringling College of Art and Design in November 2009. |
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[ even more to do ]
Be sure to check out the brand new
AnythingArts.com websites for
Sarasota and
Bradenton. There’s an
events calendar and lots hundreds of photos and things to see. We also have
our new St. Pete,
Tampa and
Bellingham sites up and
we’re working on them. Have fun spreading the ARTS! |
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Auditions
[ pick me, no me ]Be sure to check the audition pages of local
theaters to make sure you don’t miss anything (click the theater name):
Florida Studio Theatre
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The Players Theatre of Sarasota
•
Manatee Players
• The
Golden Apple
•
Island
Players •
Asolo Repertory Theatre |
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Information about show times, places and dates is assumed accurate but
not guaranteed. Please contact the presenting organization directly, by the
link or phone number provided, to confirm information.
You are receiving this email because 1.
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