AnythingArtsNewsletter.com - artists promoting artists

AnythingArts.com Newsletter

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Welcome to AnythingArtsNewlsetter.com Sarasota Edition, an electronic newsletter, by artists for artists, distributed by email every two weeks to promote everything from the funky avant garde to high brow mainstream art. Thank you for helping us make AnythingArtsNewlsetter.com so successful! Don't forget to check out our AnythingArts.com site! Sign up now to receive the AnythingArtsNewsletter FEATURED ARTIST Christine Alexander AnythingArts.com has been featuring an artist or artsy person, event or venue now for almost three years. The intent is to share information about a worthy individual, one who lives and loves the arts, with our readers. For the most part, we try to surprise the “featured artist” so that they learn about it when the newsletter goes out. Occasionally, we have had to let the cat out of the bag early in order to gather photos and information. This issue is one of those times because the Featured Artist is my AnythingArts.com partner, Christine Alexander. The surprise is blown because I write this stuff and then Christine does whatever it is she does to make it a newsletter. So, SURPRISE Christine: please select some photos and make this article the lead story in Thursday’s newsletter. The downside to this is that I can’t make up things or write stuff Christine wouldn’t want to share with the world because she’ll just edit it before it goes to print. I can’t mention the three months she spent in a Turkish prison for attempting to smuggle in more Snickers bars than allowed by Turkish customs. I can’t mention the years of exotic dancing, live webcam showers or the electric fly swatter incident. So, I will have to stick to the facts. Christine was born in Glens Falls, NY in 1972 and moved to Sarasota at age four. Her first spoken word was “famous” and her second word was “me.” Amazingly, Christine is still chasing fame and says the word “me” at least 500 times a day. From an early age, Christine and Karen, her only sibling, would go to movies with their parents, get up under the screen and read and act out the previews for upcoming movies. (read the rest of the story here)



Now [ camp cigma contest ] Camp Cigma is having a contest – you can win two tickets to David Copperfield’s January 23 performance at the Van Wezel! But act now, the drawing is tomorrow. Send an email to info@campcigma.com accepting placement on their email newsletter list. If you win, one adult and one child between the age of seven and 13 will get to sit with Camp Cigma’s Ilan at the show. Tickets are non-transferable.

Beginning today [ new times for creative life ] The Creative Life has a new broadcast schedule. Listen to it on 96.5 FM or online on the 2nd, 4th and 5th Thursdays of each month from 10:00 – 11:00 am.

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. Go behind-the-scenes where you'll find potters, jewelers, painters, sculptors, fabric artists, musicians and even a magician at work.

January 10 [ bradenton farmers’ market ] The Downtown Bradenton Farmers’ Market launches Saturday, offering fresh food vendors, produce, plants and flowers, entertainment, prepared foods, and lots of fun for the community. Located on Main Street in downtown Bradenton, the market will run from 9:00 am – 1:00 pm.

January 11 [ ballroom boot camp ] From 9:30 am - 4:30 pm at DanceFusion, 5725 Lawton Drive in Sarasota, this is an intensive one-day event and includes six one-hour seminars, breakfast and lunch, and a ballroom boot camp notebook. Cost is $100 per person; sign up by calling 941-923-3923.



January 12 [ happy birthday ] Rick, look what I did! Happy birthday to me! :) Everyone else, please come to a Lazy Fairy Improv Show or an FST Improv show - THAT can be my birthday gift from you - or cash. Either way, I will be happy! (thanks for the hysterical write up, Rick!)

January 12 [ venice theatre benefit concert ] The Venice Theatre Guild’s 2009 Scholarship Benefit Concert begins at 8:00 pm, with a vibrant cast of Venice Theatre favorites along with a couple of surprise performers who will entertain you with an evening of music, sketch comedy and improv. Tickets are $25 and are available now at the theatre’s box office at 941-488-1115 or online. Proceeds go to the Ruth Brothers Scholarship Programs. Venice Theatre, 140 West Tampa Avenue on the island in Venice.

Opens January 13 [ celebrate poe’s 200 ] The Powel Crosley Theatre presents “Poe at the Crosley,” just in time to celebrate Edgar’s 200th birthday. Enjoy the telling of chilling tales by Poe and his guests, Sarah Bernhardt and Auguste Dupin, including The Bells, The Black Cat, The Conversation of Eiros and Charmion, How to Write a Blackwood Article, The Murders in the Rue Morgue, and others. 7:30 pm at the Crosley Estate; phone 941-722-3244 for tickets.

Opens January 13 [ florida's flora, fauna ] The South Florida Museum, 201 10th Street West in Bradenton, hosts Florida’s Flora and Fauna through March 9. World recognized illustrator Debra Jane Carey's ability to capture the dynamic of nature has been compared to “photography improved.” Her interactive exhibit brings to life plants and animals from land, sea and sky. Discover how Florida’s history shaped its flora and fauna. The exhibit is open during regular museum hours, Monday through Saturday from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm and Sunday from noon - 5:00 pm.

January 14 [ cezanne’s quarry ] Author Barbara Corrado Pope will discuss her book “Cezanne’s Quarry” at 6:00 pm at Selby Library, 1331 First Street, Sarasota. Was French painter Paul Cezanne involved in the murder of a woman? Come and find out!

January 14 [ the given day ] From Dennis Lehane, the author of “Mystic River,” comes this epic novel that captures the tumultuous period in our nation after the end of WWI and the pivotal events which culminated in the Boston Police Strike of 1919. Lehane will discuss “The Given Day” at the Historic Asolo Theatre at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art at 6:00 pm. Tickets cost $35 and includes one copy of the book; presented by Sarasota News & Books for the benefit of the Friends of the Ringling Museum Library.

January 15 [ orchid lecture ] Heather Hill, an environmental science master’s degree student at Florida Gulf Coast, will give a lecture on orchids at 7:00 pm at the Sarasota Garden Club. She has been working with Marie Selby Botanical Gardens on the Everglades Rare Plant Propagation Project since 2005. Cost is $5 for non-members at free for members. For more information call 941-955-0875.

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January 15 [ opening reception ] New exhibitions open at Art Center Sarasota, 707 N. Tamiami Trail, with a reception from 5:00 – 7:00 pm: Neighbors Not Strangers, The Art of the Juicy Crones, Wise Eyes: A Lifetime of Art, and Fine Arts Society of Sarasota. Also on view: Black Muse 2009 and The Sarasota Garden Club. Phone 941-365-2032 for more info.

January 16 [ artist reception, eh? ] The Katherine Butler Gallery presents the works of two outstanding Canadian artists, ceramacist Tara Lynne Franco and oil painter Ruth Dwyer. Meet them at the gallery, 1943 Morrill Street in Sarasota, between 6:00 and 10:00 pm during the Towles Court Third Friday Artwalk. Their work will be on display through January 27. (artwork shown by Tara Lynne Franco)

January 16 [ figures and flow ] Figures & Flow debuts at Allyn Gallup Contemporary Art, 1419 5th Street, in Sarasota’s Rosemary District. The show features new work by artists Lynn Davison and Jean Blackburn, with an artist reception from 6:00 – 8:00 pm. For more information call 941-366-2093 or visit their website. (artwork shown by Lynn Davison)



January 17 [ booker high superstars perform ] Booker High School’s superstars Anthony Lombard, Erica Reynolds and Ana Fiore from the Class of 2008 return to the stage once more to perform “original modern dances, lots of Mozart, Cole Porter, a Phantom of the Opera medley, some West Side Story” and more. Guest speakers include Scott Keys, Jeff Kin and Steve Dragon. Admission is free but donations are encouraged as this is a fundraiser for the music and arts programs at Booker High VPA, Gocio Elementary and the performers' college expenses. 7:30 pm at the Booker High theatre, 3201 N. Orange Avenue.

January 18 [ opera and orchestra ] Sarasota Opera and Sarasota Orchestra team up for an afternoon of great music, displays and demonstrations, refreshments, ticket offers and prize drawings from 1:00 – 3:00 pm at the historic Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Avenue in downtown Sarasota. No tickets are required.

January 19 [ eat, drink & think ] Internationally-known mystery writer Stuart Kaminksy is the featured Eat, Drink & Think guest at Canvas Café, 239 S. Links in Towles Court. The event begins at 6:30 pm and costs $40 per person plus tax and gratuity. Attendance is limited to 40, so make your reservation now by calling 941-366-2233.



January 19 [ comedie tonight ] Sarasota Senior Theater’s Reading Group presents an encore performance of “Comedie Tonight!” at the Manatee Players, 102 Old Main Street in Bradenton, at 7:30 pm. This comedy variety show is billed as “an evening of skits, wits, half-wits and poets.” The Sarasota Senior Theater Speech Choir will also perform “The Daniel Jazz” by Vachel Lindsay, “Annabel Lee” by Edgar Allen Poe and “The Creation” by James Weldon Johnson. Admission is $10. Reservations can be made by calling The Manatee Players’ box office at 941-748-5875.

Opens January 20 [ sugar at the golden apple ] “Sugar - The Some Like it Hot Musical,” based on Billy Wilder’s film of the same name, runs through March 22 at the Golden Apple Dinner Theatre. “Sugar” is the rollicking story of two out-of-work musicians, Joe and Jerry, who witness the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre and disguise themselves as women in an all-female band to avoid being killed by gangsters. Joe is captivated by Sugar, a member of the band, and a wealthy older man becomes attracted to Jerry, who of course is in drag. It is a raucous, sidesplitting evening of theatrical fun. For reservations or more info, phone the box office at 941-366-5454.

January 24 [ guitar sarasota ] GuitarSarasota brings back classical guitarist Ana Vidovic, from Croatia, for one concert only! Ms. Vidovic has given over 1,000 public performances since first taking the stage in 1988, with recitals in London, Paris, Vienna, Salzburg, Rome, Budapest, Warsaw, Tel Aviv, Oslo, Copenhagen, Toronto, Seoul and Hong Kong. The concert will be at 7:30 pm in Fellowship Hall at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 2256 Bahia Vista Street. A short meet and greet reception will follow. Tickets range from $5-20, and can be purchased at the FSU Center Box Office by calling 941-351-8000. No credit cards are accepted at the door.

January 25 [ studio artists concert ] The Sarasota Opera Studio Artists present their ever-popular concert at 4:00 pm at 1st Methodist Church, 603 11th Street West in Bradenton. Arrive early as this concert is always full! Free-will offering.


Angela Sauer is a first-year student in the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training program. She originally hails from Okemos, Michigan. She graduated from Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame, Indiana, and then lived in Chicago for two years between undergraduate and graduate school. This season, she’s understudying Beline in The Imaginary Invalid, and Paulina in The Winter's Tale for the Asolo Rep. She was on stage crew for Wilder! Wilder! Wilder!. She will also be working on costumes for Miss Julie, and will be the assistant stage manager for Three Postcards. What inspired you to come to Sarasota to attend FSU/Asolo Conservatory? I knew that pursuing an MFA in acting was the right decision for me. Acting is my vocation, and I wanted to be as well-trained as possible. I decided to come to Sarasota for grad school because I was impressed with the quality of training I could get here. When I visited the program last February, I was struck not only by the skill of the acting students here, but also by their level of professionalism with their craft. Additionally, this program encourages students to expand as artists individually, instead of attempting to crush them into molds. I knew immediately that this was a good fit for me and would allow me to develop into the actor I wanted to be. After being in classes here for a semester, I know that I was correct in this assertion. One valuable lesson you've learned so far at the Conservatory? I've learned a multitude of valuable lessons since beginning classes here in August, about acting and about life. I'm learning to stop performing and to go on to stage living instead. I'm learning how to connect with scene partners and respond truthfully to them instead of just reciting lines the same way regardless of what's happening around me. And perhaps most importantly, I'm learning to give full freedom to my creative subconscious and to allow things to happen without censoring myself. Three major roles as an actor you want to tackle? It's difficult to name only three roles that I'd like to play. I think Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream would be a great deal of fun, and would fit well with my psycho-physical rhythm. She's frequently exasperated and vaguely insane, yet it's not difficult to relate to her longing and her frustrations. Many years down the line, I would love the opportunity to play Dr. Vivian M. Bearing in Wit. She is a professor of 17th-century poetry who is dying from ovarian cancer. She tries to use her scholarship to make sense of her physical battle. I feel a deep connection to that character, and hope that one day I am lucky enough to be cast in that role. Third, I think I'd have to say Cathy Hyatt-Wellerstein in the musical The Last 5 Years. The musical is written so that her scenes are in the opposite of chronological order, and I imagine it would be a challenge as an actor to try to take on her journey in reverse. She's a passionate woman who is struggling as an actor and is in a complicated relationship. I've played this role many, many times in my bedroom, singing along with the cast recording. I would love to be able to tackle it in a performance for more than just my stuffed animals. Goals? Dreams? My highest goal is just to do great work as an actor. I don't know where that's going to lead me, or what I'll be doing as a result. I suppose that solid plans, security, and stability are things that I'm willing to risk in order to pursue this career. I don't mind that uncertainty at the moment, as I have two and a half years left here to better understand what it is that I need to do in order to put my skills to good use. Final words? I am an actor because I feel that this is the way that I'm going to change the world. Theater is my civil service. If people can come to the theater and learn from the stories we tell, then we can change their perspectives. If they can put their troubles out of their minds for a little while, we can help heal their souls. If a busy family can come see a play and have something to talk about at dinner the next night, we can unite them. We can change people's lives in astonishing ways, and I believe that we can change the world. And when the world is in a depressed state, people need the arts more than ever. I'm incredibly proud to be doing what I'm doing.


January 25 [ trip to bountiful ] The Lemon Bay Playhouse presents Horton Foote’s “The Trip to Bountiful” Tuesdays through Sundays. Carrie Watts is living the twilight of her life trapped in an apartment in 1940's Houston with a controlling daughter-in-law and a hen-pecked son. Her fondest wish is to revisit Bountiful, the small Texas town of her youth which she thinks of as "home." Tickets are available at the box office by calling 941-475-6756 or online.

Through January 30 [ opus ] Florida Studio Theatre's hit production of “Opus” runs through January 30. When their mentally-imbalanced violist disappears, a world-class string quartet takes a chance on a gifted but relatively inexperienced young woman. With only a few days to rehearse a grueling Beethoven masterpiece, the four struggle to prepare their highest-profile performance ever – a televised ceremony at the White House. Their rehearsal room becomes a pressure cooker as passions rise, personalities clash, and the players are forced to confront the fleeting nature of their life’s work. For more information call 941-366-9000.

January 30 & 31 [ women and film ] Celebrate the 10th anniversary of Through Women’s Eyes at the Women’s International Film Festival at the Hollywood 20 Regal Cinemas. This festival showcases films by women directors from around the globe, ranging from slice-of-life comedies to searing accounts of controversial issues. Loads of screenings and post-film discussions with filmmakers and women’s issues experts. Check it out here.

January 31 & February 1 [ st. armands art festival ] The St. Armands Circle Art Festival returns for its sixth anniversary, with hours from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm both days. This event brings together 200 of the nation’s most talented artists who will collectively display over $15 million in artwork. The artists were juried by an independent panel of expert judges, and hand-selected from hundreds of applicants based on quality and diversity. All of their artwork is original and handmade in America. Admission is free and open to the public.

Mark your calendars [ the hermitage ] Mark your calendars for these special events: January 26, 10:00 - 11:30 am, learn about volunteer opportunities, tour the Hermitage grounds, and meet an artist-in-residence. RSVP appreciated to admin@hermitage-fl.org or call 475-2098. February 7, 5:00 – 8:00 pm, open studio and visit with Hermitage artists-in-residence David Kinsey and Sabrina Small. February 12, noon – 1:00 pm at the Elsie Quirk Library, 100 W. Dearborn St. in Englewood, reading and discussion with children's book author and writer-in-residence Amy MacDonald. February 15, 3:00 - 6:30 pm, Hermitage Beach Cottage Dedication, open house, auction preview, Hermitage tour and beach reading with Romulus Linney. February 20, 5:30 - 6:30 pm, beach reading with writer-in-residence Dennis Green.

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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.

[ dance classes ] Bonnie Gray Productions offers a new session of classes beginning January 12. Try your hand – or, feet – at tap, jazz, modeling, or basic social/ballroom. $116 for eight weeks of fun. 515 9th Street East in Bradenton. Call 941-741-8131 for more information.

[ photography & photoshop classes ] Studio 41 Photography, located in The Painted Lady Art Gallery at 4613 S. Tamiami Trail, is now offering photography and other classes. Beginner Adobe Photoshop, a six-session class, starts today from 6:00 – 8:00 pm. To sign up, call Lisa at 941-924-1200 or email.

[ go to china ] The Sino-American Field School of Archaeology, a Sarasota not-for-profit education organization, is offering a summer program for transferable credits in Xi'an, China. Courses, given in English, are Chinese Art and Cultural History, and field work in archaeology. University/college students, high school seniors and a few interested adults are eligible to apply. For information write to Dr. Alfonz Lengyel at fmfsafsa@Juno.com.

[ 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.



[ 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!

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 • 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. Christine Alexander and Rick Hughes know you are an artist or an arts patron and/or 2. You signed up for it, or 3. One of your friends has forwarded it to you because they knew you’d love it. To ensure that you continue to receive emails from us every two weeks, please add info@anythingarts.com to your address book today. Also, please send us your news!