SRQ Magazine | July/August 2024

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If you find yourself missing the crowds this summer and looking for something new to enjoy until they return, we’ve got you covered. From inventive salads and sumptuous sandwiches to chilled soups and dips, and from creative cooking classes to outdoor movies and family fun festivals, our 2024 Summer Sizzlers will take you out of the heat and into the happiness of the quiet season.

BY BARBIE HEIT, DYLAN CAMPBELL AND LAURA PAQUETTE

PHOTOGRAPHY BY

WYATT KOSTYGAN, WES ROBERTS

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The blue-green waters of the Sarasota region have always had a magnetic pull, drawing sailors and wannabes into the mesmerizing embrace of the waves, where dolphins dance, manatees graze and birds nest along the sandy shores. Set your sail to catch the Gulf winds and join us as we delve into the offerings of the local sailing communities catering to both beginners and seasoned sailors in our region. BY BARBIE HEIT

PHOTOGRAPHY BY WES ROBERTS

July/August 2024

45 BEST OF SRQ LOCAL WINNERS SHOWCASE FEATURING THE WINNERS OF THE 2024 BEST OF SRQ LOCAL READERS COMPETITION.

Cover: The Dirty Rotten Fruit Basket from Arts & Central, photography by Wyatt Kostygan. Previous page: Watermelon Lemonade from Summer Tap, photo by Wyatt Kostygan. This page: The Truth of the Night Sky at Sarasota Art Museum, photography by Wes Roberts; Interview with Dr. Melissa Chiu, director of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington D.C.; Great Heights Creamery opened by Ryan and Christina Edward, photography by Wes Roberts.

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Ryan and Christina Edwards came to Sarasota in search of family. Four years later, they have a family business with Great Heights Creamery. Sarasota dentist Apollo Lirio recently completed all six of the World Marathon Majors. Take a bite out of the cronookie from Five-O Donut Co Dr. Kirstie Francis’ research at Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium is helping scientists discover potential medicines from the sea. Nathan Benderson Park (NBP) played host for the third year in a row to the 17th Annual RoboBoat Competition, showcasing the work of 19 student teams

from around the world. Meet Dr. Melissa Chiu, the director of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C.

culture city 69

The Truth of the Night Sky at SAM is the collaborative effort between two Hermitage Artist Retreat fellows, Anne Patterson and Patrick Harlin. Although the two artists work in different mediums, Patterson and Harlin share a few distinct commonalities that have paved the way for The Truth of the Night Sky, the culmination of their artistic work together. Legendary ballet dancer Carlos Acosta made his solo U.S. tour stop in Sarasota with his ballet On Before

forage 74

Enjoy Italian specialties and an inviting atmosphere at the new 15 South by Napulé.

giving coast 78

Restaurateurs Amanda and John Horne have been deeply involved in philanthropic efforts, serving the community they have called home for more than 40 years.

Recognizing visionary design in commercial, public, hotel and mixed used buildings, commercial, restaurant and office interiors, new home communities and public spaces and parks.

JULY/AUGUST

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SALES AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE

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VP OF PHOTOGRAPHY + VIDEO

Wyatt Kostygan

MANAGING EDITOR

Barbie Heit

CLIENT MARKETING+ DIGITAL PROGRAMS MANAGER

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DIGITAL MARKETING + EVENTS MANAGER

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CONTRIBUTING ART DIRECTOR + SENIOR DESIGNER

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EDITORIAL ASSOCIATES

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Laura Paquette

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CONTRIBUTING EDITORS + ARTISTS

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STORIES ABOUT THE LOCAL PEOPLE, PLACES AND EXPERIENCES THAT DEFINE OUR HOMETOWN

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THE SCOOP

Ryan and Christina Edwards are churning out craft ice cream at Great Heights Creamery. Dylan Campbell

IT WAS THE SUMMER OF 2020, AT THE HEIGHT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND BROOKLYNITES RYAN AND CHRISTINA EDWARDS NEEDED A CHANGE. Both were burnt out from their respective jobs–Ryan worked as an ICU nurse and Christina as an interior designer–and the rigors of parenting a one-year-old baby in their tiny Brooklyn apartment. Many of their family members had moved down to the Sarasota area, leaving them feeling isolated and alone in the Big Apple. So they packed up their car and followed suit.

Back in Brooklyn, the Edwards had found solace in ice cream. Not in downing pints of Ben & Jerry’s like most people, but in making it. “We started making ice cream as a hobby about 10 years ago. We would just bring it to birthday parties, family get-togethers, holidays and people went crazy for it,” says Ryan. They always had the thought of opening up an ice cream shop, but it just didn’t feel like a good idea in New York because it’s so seasonal. “We were just testing it out and having fun with it,” adds Christina. “I like to bake so we were trying all different types of mix-ins from cookies to roasted pistachios. We were like okay, maybe one day this could be a thing, but it was never as if we were planning to open an ice cream shop in x-amount of years.”

Upon arriving in Florida, the Edwards family went back to their lives. Ryan found a job as a nurse and Christina continued to work freelance as an interior designer for a firm in New York. But things weren’t quite right. The couple still had a love for crafting homemade, high-quality ice cream and Ryan wasn’t happy with his career. So they built a cart in their garage while their daughter was napping, and got to work selling their homemade ice cream at local farmers markets in the area. Just like that, Great Heights Creamery was born.

On April 20, the couple opened their first brick and mortar location, a roughly 1,300 square foot storefront in the Rosemary District. The ice cream at Great Heights Creamery, however, is no normal ice cream. It all starts with the base, made from scratch using grass-fed dairy from the local business Dakin Dairy Farms. “The fact that we make our base from scratch is not very common. Probably 90% of ice cream shops don’t even make their own ice cream, they just get it from the distributor and then resell it. That’s why you get the same exact flavors in every ice cream shop you go into, because they're not making it themselves,” says Ryan. While making ice cream completely from scratch is an intense labor of love, it’s definitely worth it. “It creates the best, creamiest, most amazing ice cream,” says Christina. Their diligence is what allows the couple to make such distinct and delicious flavors. There are 13 flavors available, including nine signature flavors, four rotating flavors and three vegan options. Collaborations with local businesses can be found throughout their menu, from their Somewhere in Tuscany flavor, which uses Mazzone Extra Virgin Olive Oil along with rosemary and sea salt to the gluten-free Yes, Honey, which infuses raw artisan honey from Sarasota Honey Company into the ice cream. Signature standbys Oatmeal Cookie is made with cinnamon ice cream, brown sugar and scratch-made oatmeal cookies and the ever-popular Brownie S’mores showcases a toasted marshmallow ice cream rife with bits of brownie and graham cracker crumbles. Yes, making it is a “sticky mess”, but it’s a mess that they will happily make again and again. They wouldn’t change a thing. It’s funny how life churns out. SRQ

Below: Great Heights Creamery opened in Sarasota's Rosemary District this April, bringing craft ice cream and good vibes to all who come through their doors.

MARATHON MAN

This Dentist Runs More Than Just His Own Practice. Barbie Heit

SARASOTA RESIDENT APOLONIO “APOLLO” LIRIO STARTED RUNNING IN MARATHONS IN 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Just four years later, on March 3, the 50-year old family dentist and father of three–who also happens to be the team dentist for the Riverview High School football, basketball and lacrosse teams–competed in and successfully completed the 2024 Tokyo Marathon. By doing so, he earned the Abbott World Marathon 6 Star Medal, a prestigious award given to marathon runners who successfully complete all six of the World Marathon Majors. These are the largest and most renowned marathons in the world–Chicago, Boston, New York, Berlin, London and Tokyo.

This spread: When it comes to a challenge, Sarasota dentist and marathon runner Apollo Lirio says "Just do it."

Twelve years ago, Lirio and his family moved here from Philadelphia where they had been living for 16 years. An athlete for most of his life, Lirio participated in varsity sports in high school and college but like that of many responsible adults, his passion was laid aside as he settled into the routine of work and family responsibilities.

“During the pandemic, my business was closed, and life became very stressful for me and my family,” recalls Lirio, who as a dentist, was unable to shift into virtual work like many others, and found himself lacking sleep and purpose. “One day I saw this post online from the New York Marathon. With all the events and happenings across the world closing, the organizers posted that they would keep going by having a virtual marathon–gotta love New Yorkers, can’t tell them what to do–so I decided that I was going to do something I had never done, and that was to run a full marathon–26.2 miles!” The plan supplied Lirio with renewed energy and a goal. He ordered some shoes, researched training schedules, watched workout videos online and planned his race route through town on Google Maps. “I even dragged my wife, Stephanie, a board-certified psychiatrist and accomplished half marathoner, into this endeavor,” he adds. “On the day of the race, we woke up at 4:00am, packed up all our gear, and ran from our house on Honore to the Ringling Bridge and back. It took us about 9.5 hours of running through the empty streets of town, but we finished the 2020 New York Marathon right here in Sarasota! It was such an amazing feeling–I felt like my old self again.”

From that day on, Liro started keeping to a regular workout schedule and continued to run. When the world opened back up and live races resumed, he learned about the Abbott World Marathon Majors Challenge where competitors finish the 6 largest and most renowned marathons to join a class of less than 15,000 athletes from around the world.

To date, Lirio has completed seven marathons: 2021 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, 2022 Walt Disney World Marathon, 2022 Boston Marathon, 2022 TCS New York Marathon, 2023 TCS London Marathon, 2023 BMW Berlin Marathon and 2024 Tokyo Marathon. He successfully made the official time cutoffs in all of his races as a first-time marathoner–a very difficult task as a rookie runner in races that were filled with experienced runners. In Chicago, he finished about 30 minutes before the official cutoff with a time of 6 hours and 5 minutes. As he continued with his training, he was able to improve his time in each race. “I recorded my personal best time in my final Major, the 2024 Tokyo Marathon with a time of 5 hours and 24 minutes,” he says proudly.

Lirio’s regimen includes training four days a week, four months before a race, with most of his training being done during the week after work hours. With the help of a personal trainer, he’s learned about specific exercises and stretching techniques to help him perform better and avoid injury. “I typically would have workout sessions twice a week and run twice a week for 3-5 miles each session with a rest day on Friday,” he says. “Saturday mornings were for my long-distance training runs, anywhere from 10-20 miles.”

For those thinking of following his lead, Lirio says “Just do it. Run a 5K, a 10K or a turkey trot on Thanksgiving morning. Fun runs and races are a great way to be healthy and do something that’s really cool.” He credits running with putting him in the best shape of his life. “I have lost about 20 pounds, gotten stronger and I feel healthier. I love my life and I want to be able to enjoy every minute of it.” Looking back at his situation during the pandemic, Lirio knows he’s now in a much better place physically and emotionally. “I am very proud of myself. Five years ago, if you told me that I would finish the Boston Marathon, I’d tell you that you were crazy. Now, here I am, in the Abbott World Marathon Majors Hall of Fame.” SRQ

ROCKING THE BOATS

Nathan Benderson Park (NBP) played host for the third year in a row to the 17th Annual RoboBoat Competition. Barbie Heit

NATHAN BENDERSON PARK PLAYED HOST FOR THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW TO THE 17TH ANNUAL ROBOBOAT COMPETITION THIS PAST SPRING showcasing the work of 16 student teams representing 6 countries—Canada, Indonesia, Mexico, Poland, Turkey and the United States. This was a record year with all teams passing safety inspection in the first two days and 15 teams qualifying for finals. RoboNation is an international educational organization funded by individual and corporate sponsors as well as government grants, such as the one from the Office of Naval Research. The organization serves 250,000 students a year, grades K-12, across all nine of its robotics programs. “As this is our third year competing here, Sarasota is really starting to feel like home for us,” shares RoboNation’s Director of Communications and Marketing Alicia Gavin. All of the boats in the competition are unmanned, self driving and built by students as part of their STEM education. Throughout the event, each boat must complete a series of tasks testing acoustic navigation, sensing, speed, object recognition and more. Former champion, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (Barunastra ITS) from Indonesia, returned to Sarasota this year to compete amongst the 19 student teams of mostly undergraduate students for the win which includes a monetary reward and most importantly, according to Gavin, bragging rights. “This is a great opportunity for the students to learn different styles of innovation. Even though we're doing this on the water, there are skills that are transferable to all different

things like aeronautical engineering, engineering for vehicles and infrastructure, amongst many other tasks,” shares Gavin. “In the classroom, you're not necessarily getting real world experience. We offer the opportunity for students to actually see their creations in the real world, test them out and realize that not everything works the way it would under lab conditions.”

RoboNation’s Vice President of Programs, Lindsey Groark, believes that the competition helps to bridge the gap between classroom and real world learning. “RoboBoat is the sweet spot in our pathway programs because it is the first step in a fully autonomous system, meaning that for these students, this may be the first time they're building something that actually has a brain of its own and can control itself–they're not driving it with a remote control,” she says. “The learning that happens before the students get here, and then what happens here on site, the collaboration between the teams–it's magical, and it feeds that interest that hopefully will keep them engaged as they move on to further education and careers.” Groark shares that many RoboNation students go on to work in engineering for every type of company imaginable, with one former RoboBoat competitor who now works with the U.S. Navy coming back to the competition as a volunteer and mentor to the students. “Our judges are saying that what they've seen out of the teams this year is exceptional,” Groark adds. “Humans are naturally creative and curious and so why don't we give students a fun environment to figure it out to fail? If they're not failing they're not trying hard enough.” SRQ

Below, left to right: Student teams from all over the world designed and built self-driving unmanned boats to compete in the Annual RoboBoat Competition at Benderson Park.

A DOSE OF VITAMIN SEA

They say the building blocks of life are found in nature so what better place to look for cures than in the ocean? Laura Paquette

WHAT IF WE COULD FIND A WAY TO CREATE DRUGS THAT FIGHT AGAINST CANCER, PARASITES, VIRUSES AND A MYRIAD OF OTHER HEALTH ISSUES? Thanks to exciting research at Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, scientists, like Dr. Kirstie Francis, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Molecular Microbiology, are making strides toward discovering potential medicines from the sea.

DR. FRANCIS WAS BORN AND RAISED IN FLORIDA AND HAS HEARD THE CALL OF THE OCEAN HER WHOLE LIFE. She holds a B.S. in Marine Science and Microbiology Immunology from the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science at the University of Miami, an M.S. in Biology from Florida Atlantic University and a Ph.D. in Integrative Biology from the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University. During her studies at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Francis was mentored by award-winning chemist Dr. Amy Wright, who inspired her to research secondary metabolites, or natural products produced by organisms to perform a certain function. Francis joined Mote last year as part of a philanthropy-funded position that grants her three years to develop a new research program to explore the potential role of natural products produced by marine microorganisms in new drug discovery. She spends her days in the field doing sampling, including a recent trip to Puerto Rico to study the natural products produced by sponges’ microbiomes, and working in the lab on a variety of tasks like DNA extractions, bacterial and fungal culture and chemical extractions and analysis. Most of her research deals with antibiotic drug discovery, but she is also assisting in research for anti-cancer responses.

“The ocean, and specifically marine microorganisms, are a great place to look for medicines because they have evolved to have really interesting chemistry. We call these compounds secondary metabolites, or “natural products” in the context of medicine. Basically, they are chemicals that are produced by organisms that have a function that is not critical for the organisms' survival but provide some type of evolutionary advantage,” Francis says. “What’s really interesting is that a lot of the biochemistry in these organisms is conserved in humans as well, so if something is active in and being produced by these organisms, there’s a chance that it might be active in our human bodies too.” While it may sound complicated, Francis likes to remind people that humans have been discovering natural product medicines throughout our history. “In more recent history, you can think of penicillin which was discovered from a fungus, or morphine from poppy plants. There are marine examples as well, like the anti-cancer drugs Halaven®, which was discovered from a sea sponge, and Yondelis®, which was discovered

from a tunicate (sea squirt),” she says. “Now we have the technology to identify what compound is responsible for an activity. That’s a change, but humanity has been doing this for a long time, and there’s a lot of historical knowledge that we can explore.”

Francis explains that these natural products can be found anywhere there is life, but that “the more biodiverse the environment, the higher chance there is that there will have been that evolutionary pressure to evolve a useful secondary metabolite, aka natural product.” Many researchers have studied coral reefs, deep-sea vents and even mangroves, found here in Sarasota, to search for natural products. “A lot of people, especially if they don’t live on the coast or don’t have any connection—they think—to the ocean, they’re not really motivated by (the idea that) this environment is being destroyed, the corals are bleaching and we’re losing these ecosystems,” she adds. “But, if you tell them that we’re getting anti-cancer drugs and new antibiotics and antivirals, all these cool things from these environments, then it might connect with them a little bit more and be a reason why they’ll be motivated to conserve these awesome environments.” SRQ

Left Dr. Kristie Francis searches under the sea to discover new cancer fighting drugs and antibiotics. Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, 1600 Ken Thompson Pkwy., Sarasota.

Left: Dazzle your taste buds with Five-O-Donut's ultimate indulgence, the cronookie. Five-O Donut Co., Various locations in Siesta Row, University Town Center, Ringling Blvd., Bradenton and Ellenton, fiveodonutco.com.

ONE SMART COOKIE

At Five-O Donut Co., Owner and Founder Christine Nordstrom unveils the scrumptious cronookie. Laura Paquette

SAY BONJOUR TO THE CRONOOKIE, a mouthwatering combination of a chocolate chip cookie and croissant, at local favorite Five-O Donut Co. Christine Nordstrom, the company’s owner and founder, has conjured up many tempting treats during her time running both Five-O and Sift Bakehouse, and with the fun and fresh cronookie, she’s combining her passion for baking donuts and cookies into the ultimate indulgent concoction.

“We’re launching a new line of croissant-focused specialties. This is the first one, and it’s the cronookie. It’s basically like a half-baked chocolate chip cookie inside our croissant donut, and we bake it with our crispy chocolate chip on top with a touch of sea salt. I travel a lot and I always see things here and there. I take inspiration from a lot of different things I’ve seen, but this is more a marrying of the two things that I do well,” Nordstrom says. “There’s a Parisian bakery doing these. They bake the croissants, and then they cut them, and bake the chocolate chip cookie dough inside of them. It started in Paris, and I saw it a couple of weeks ago.” For Five-O’s cronookies, Nordstrom starts with the shop’s beloved croissant donut, called Le Five-O. “The croissant donut is super popular and is probably one of the number one things we sell,” she adds. “It just makes sense for what we do with croissants because nobody’s doing it with a donut. We do actually fry the donut. It’s a fried croissant donut and then we take it and manipulate it again and bake it. Ours is deep-fried and glazed with our vanilla bean glaze. Then we process them and fill them with the cookie dough and rebake them, so it’s a little bit more of a process.” Both crunchy and gooey, the cronookie is a versatile dessert and can feature a myriad of flavors. Nordstrom plans to roll out exciting new varieties like an Ohio Buckeye cronookie. For now, stop by and try the original cronookie. “It’s a really good juxtaposition of sea salt, chocolate, butter and vanilla,” she says. “We recommend people buy them and warm them slightly at home.” SRQ

THE MARIE SELBY BOTANICAL GARDENS HOSTED DR. MELISSA CHIU, THE DIRECTOR OF THE SMITHSONIAN’S HIRSHHORN MUSEUM AND SCULPTURE GARDEN IN WASHINGTON, D.C. WHEN SHE PAID A VISIT TO SARASOTA THIS MARCH. Through her work at this national museum of modern and contemporary art, Chiu has doubled the Hirshhorn's attendance to one million visitors a year, supported technological innovations like the Hirshhorn Eye app and launched the Infinity Mirror Rooms exhibition by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. In honor of Selby’s Yayoi Kusama: A Letter to Georgia O’Keeffe exhibit, Chiu spoke at Selby, bringing her expertise and enthusiasm to the community.

AN ARTFUL VISIT

Catching up with Dr. Melissa Chiu, the director of the Hirshorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C. Laura Paquette

WHAT FIRST SPARKED YOUR INTEREST IN ART?

DR. MELISSA CHIU: I grew up in the far north of Australia, and I first became interested in art through a family friend who was very immersed in the art world in Sydney. She greatly encouraged me to make and study art, as did my parents. That’s kind of where it first started, and at a very young age, six or seven years old. That’s what first got me interested, and then discovering what it was to curate and work on a museum came much later in high school. I was most interested in art history, and I realized there aren’t that many applications for art history in terms of jobs. One of the main places is museums, so I really liked the idea of being able to be with art and figure out how to best present art through storytelling and art historical narratives. That was how I came to understand what being a curator is. My first step was when I graduated from high school, and I studied art history and criticism at University of Western Sydney and then I started to have internships at museums and places like that.

WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO THIS ROLE AT THE HIRSHHORN? I was very attracted to the museum because of its exceptional collection. We are fortunate to have one of the best collections of 20th-century and 21st-century art. Some very strong holdings are in artists like Francis Bacon, Alberto Giacometti, Josef Albers, Henry Moore and Willem De Kooning. From that, I also understood it to be a national museum with a mission to connect as many people across the nation through their visits to Washington, D.C. with our national collection. It was really the mission and the collection that attracted me to the museum.

CAN YOU SPEAK ABOUT ONE OR TWO OF THE EXHIBITS AT THE HIRSHHORN THAT HAVE IMPACTED VISITORS? I think one of the exhibitions that’s probably had the largest impact is an exhibition we put together here at the Hirshhorn. It attracted over 150,000 visitors. That was our Kusama exhibition. It focused on her Infinity Mirror Rooms way back in 2017. That exhibition went on a national tour from Cleveland to Seattle, Los Angeles and Atlanta. That had a huge impact on the number of visitors, but also in terms of people’s perceptions of what contemporary art or current art could be. It was all-immersive; it was in some ways also something that made people take a moment in their lives to think about what was around them when they were in the Infinity Mirror Rooms. I often think of that exhibition as significant to Hirschhorn history but also to visitors who came.

DESCRIBE THE RENOVATIONS TO THE SCULPTURE GARDEN. HOW WILL THEY TRANSFORM VISITORS’ EXPERIENCES? The renovations to the Sculpture Garden have begun already; in fact, it’s a construction zone right now and has an anticipated opening in 2026, in time for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The idea behind the renovations and design is by Hiroshi Sugimoto, an artist best known as a photographer but who has done remarkable architectural projects recently, especially in Japan. He reconceived our Sculpture Garden with the brief that we gave him to extend all of what we do inside the museum outside in the Sculpture Garden, and that enables us to show 50 percent more of our modern collection, including Henry Moore, Lucio Fontana, Barbara Hepworth and to also have a space for performance art,

performances and our public programs like lectures which we now have in the new design. Finally, (it will have) a commissioning space, a large, open field where we can commission new art by rising artists and others, so we’re very excited about all the flexibility the new Sculpture Garden will provide. In terms of the visitor experience, it will be very different from today. It will be a real place for an encounter with artworks from the 20th and 21st centuries.

WHY IS TECHNOLOGY LIKE THE HIRSHHORN EYE IMPORTANT IN CONNECTING VISITORS TO THE ARTISTS?

We asked ourselves ‘How could we make an artwork more easily understood by a visitor who might not have an art history degree?’ I think we came to the answer that it might well be through the voice of the artist, the person behind the artwork. Hirshhorn Eye provides this instantaneous video where you scan the

artwork with your phone, and a video of the artist talking about the work comes up. For us, that was a way of humanizing the artwork, meaning that a person made this, with all the characteristics of humanity. It also allowed us to provide more information than the wall text. It’s available in our collection book; you can scan the images in the book. It’s a great way to provide more information, availability and connections to artists, which is our mission.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO VIEW/ EXPERIENCE MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART? Some would say that if you want to understand what’s going on around us now, artists provide a way of understanding the world in real-time. Artwork also provides us with different perspectives and worldviews that may allow us to question our own thinking and beliefs. I think it’s both a challenge; art can be challenging, but in a way that makes us think, rather than beating us up.

WHAT ARE SOME EXCITING PROGRAMS AT THE HIRSHHORN? The program that I think people will be interested in is our 50thanniversary show. It’s called Revolutions: Art from the Hirshhorn Collection, 1860–1960, and it’s a new presentation of works from our collection, dating from 1860 to 1960. That allows for an understanding of how our idea of modern art evolved, and it begins with a wonderful portrait of a lady from the 1800s by John Singer Sargent and then contrasts that with a current-day portrait by Amoako Boafo, a well-known artist from Africa. We’re looking at how that history is connected to today and how contemporary art can inform a different view of those historical works. I think people will enjoy the juxtapositions between the work, and there are lots of treasures that we haven’t shown in a long, long time.

YOU SPOKE AT SELBY IN HONOR OF THE YAYOI KUSAMA: A LETTER TO GEORGIA O’KEEFFE EXHIBIT AND HAVE FEATURED HER WORK AT THE HIRSHHORN. WHY IS KUSAMA’S WORK SO POPULAR AND ENDURING? Kusama is an artist who was active in Japan, first in the early stages of her life and then in the New York art scene in the 1950s and 1960s. Then she moved (back) to Japan. I think it’s because of that arc that her artwork has been overlooked until fairly recently. The appraisal of her work is based on a number of factors. One of which is that she is something of an outlier. She was not part of a movement, even though she was close to artists like Joseph Cornell and Donald Judd, and she was clearly a part of the New York art scene, but she wasn’t part of a movement. I think because of that, she wasn’t included in what we would call an art historical cannon. I think today we’re very interested in artists who are outliers, rather than being part of a movement. There’s a whole reappraisal going on, and I think for a younger generation, there’s a greater understanding of what it means to be completely independent and an individual.

If you look at the younger generation, they seek out differences in social media. It’s about that sense of individuality, and I think people can understand that about Kusama. Visitors can also understand and relate to her Infinity Mirrors Rooms in a way that they perhaps couldn’t understand as fully way back in 1965

when she created her first one, which we have on display here and forms part of the Hirshhorn collection. There are a number of reasons why she’s become such an important figure, but I do think it’s because of her longevity and the fact that she was making work that only now seems to be kind of relatable for a broader audience.

WHERE DO YOU SEE THE FUTURE OF ART GOING?. I’m not sure about the long-term future, but I would say that it’s very curious right now that there’s so much interest in the art world in the handmade and crafted. Whether it’s in clay, weaving or textiles, these are all things that humans create, at a moment when so much of the discussion (is) about future societies, about AI and machines creating things for the very first time. It is a very interesting counterpoint between the artwork that people are most interested in at the moment, which seems very handmade and the fact that we are all grappling with the influence of technology on our lives. It’s almost the human condition to seek out something that’s the opposite of what’s occurring in real life. SRQ To learn more about the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, visit hirshhorn.si.edu.

SUMMER SIZZLERS

OUR COLLECTION OF MUST-TRY LOCAL SUMMER EXPERIENCES

If you find yourself missing the crowds this summer and looking for something new to enjoy until they return, we’ve got you covered. From inventive salads and sumptuous sandwiches to chilled soups and dips, and from creative cooking classes to outdoor movies and family fun festivals, our 2024 Summer Sizzlers will take you out of the heat and into the happiness of the quiet season.

BY BARBIE HEIT, DYLAN CAMPBELL AND LAURA PAQUETTE. PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYATT KOSTYGAN AND WES ROBERTS

Opposite page: Bird Key Sandwich from Michelle’s Brown Bag

AWESOME HANDHELDS

Think beyond peanut butter and jelly for your summertime sandwich cravings. The Old Salty Dog, City Island, will have you hooked with a dynamite Fish Sandwich. Choose grouper, mahi mahi or salmon to savor the sea’s delicacies. At Meshugana Deli chow down on the Pastrami Reuben, featuring pastrami shipped in from New York City. “The sandwich starts with our homemade bread that we bake every day,” says Owner Adam Woldman. “We make our own seedless and seeded rye bread.” Homemade Russian dressing, fresh sauerkraut and Swiss cheese round out the flavors of this epic handheld. Michelle’s Brown Bag Cafe is dishing up the delightful Bird Key Sandwich, with all-white meat chicken salad, tarragon, lemon, homemade mayonnaise, fresh celery, gorgonzola cheese, sliced Granny Smith apples, sliced tomatoes, sprouts and fresh spring greens. “It’s been our number one sandwich for 22 years,” adds Michelle Ettinger, the cafe’s owner. Stop by The Original Wolfie’s & Wolfie Cohen’s Rascal House for the Hot Corned Beef Sandwich, which includes your choice of bread and cheese. The restaurant piles the sandwich high with top-quality lean and fatty cuts of beef to ensure peak flavor. For the ultimate all-day breakfast, enjoy Project Coffee’s Two-Handed Sandwich. “We’re 100 percent vegan,” says Ian Steger, one of the shop’s operators. “It’s on a brioche bun that we make in-house at our bakery, and it has a sizable hash brown patty. We use a product called Just Egg, a mung bean-based egg scramble, and mix that with chives and a Violife vegan cheese.” Finished off with spicy mayo, this sandwich warrants an early wake-up. —L.Paquette

This page, clockwise: The Original Wolfie’s Hot Corned Beef, 1420 Blvd of the Arts, Sarasota, 941-3124072; Project Coffee’s Two-Handed Sandwich, multiple locations; Meshugana Deli’s Pastrami Reuben, 4001 Clark Rd. Sarasota, 941-933-0244; Old Salty Dog’s Fish Sandwich, 1601 B Ken Thompson Pkwy., Sarasota, 941388-4311. Previous page: Bird Key Sandwich, Michelle’s Brown Bag Cafe, 630 S. Orange Ave., Sarasota, 941-365-5858.

Immerse yourself in the arts and culture world Sarasota and Bradenton are so famous for. This summer, our local A&E scene includes a celebration of America along with theatrical treats and performances to delight the entire family.

GO ARTS

Skyway 2024: A Contemporary Collaboration

THE RINGLING MUSEUM OF ART |

This year the Ringling Museum is participating in Skyway 2024: A Contemporary Collaboration, a joint triennial exhibition between the Ringling and four other Tampa Bay area art museums featuring the work of some of the region’s best artists. Joining the Ringling in the third iteration of Skyway, the exhibition debuted in 2017, are the Sarasota Art Museum; the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg; the Tampa Museum of Art and the University of South Florida Contemporary Art Museum. Skyway 2024 will be a celebration of contemporary art within the area, not bound by one medium, showcasing works ranging from painting to sculpture to installations and mixed media from 63 local artists and art collectives. A curatorial team from the participating museums, including the Ringling’s Christopher Jones and Ola Wlusek, drew from a pool of nearly 300 submissions to illuminate some of the region’s very best creative minds. The artists in this year’s exhibition are all in different stages of their careers. Some have been featured in Skyway before and are leading voices in their field. Others are just ge ing started. All of them have something to say. Through January 26, 2025, 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota, ringling.org

Run Away with the Circus

CIRCUS ARTS CONSERVATORY | The Summer Circus Spectacular returns to The Ringling’s Historic Asolo Theater for three months of high-flying thrills in one of the most storied venues in Sarasota. An annual collaboration between The Ringling and the Circus Arts Conservatory, the Summer Circus Spectacular has become a crowd-favorite, pairing some of the top acts in professional circus in a venue that actively works to promote and preserve the circus tradition. This year’s show is highlighted by acts like The Bello Sisters, Acrobatic Hand Balancing; Antino Pansa on the slack wire; the contortionist Uranbileg Angarag and more. Pro tip: Take a stroll through The Ringling’s Circus Museum prior to the show, which houses a variety of galleries, installations and exhibits that tell the story of the circus. Tuesday to Friday at 11am and 2pm, Saturdays at 2pm and 5pm. Through August 17. 5401 Bay Shore Rd., Sarasota, ringling.org.

Florida Studio Theatre Summer Improv

FLORIDA STUDIO THEATRE | From June through September, improv is coming to the Florida Studio Theatre. FST’s Summer Improv Season is headlined by five special performances, starting off with Director’s Cut in June. Director’s Cut allows the audience to truly dictate the direction of the story — performers will lobby audience members for a chance to tell their particular story, however, if the audience doesn’t like the story, they can cut it out of the show until only one cast member remains. In Freedom! Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Laughter, a special, onenight Holiday show July 6, improvisers will celebrate Independence Day by telling a never-before- heard story of the American Revolution, inspired by audience suggestions. The crowd favorite FST Improv Presents: The End of the World, returns for one night in July. In this 90-minute improvised performance, the end of the world is nigh, with humanity’s last remaining hope placed on the shoulders of FST Improv, who must band together to record a movie detailing our demise as a warning to any who

come to Earth a er us. Fast Times at John Hughes High serves as a nod to the classic high school movies of the 80s. Cast members will create an allnew story using the popular teenage archetypes found in John Hughes movies that illustrates the quirks and idiosyncrasies of adolescence. Comedy Lo ery closes out FST Improv’s Summer Season, a show where twelve audience members select the night’s slate of games, a er which cast members do their best to create scenes, sketches and songs that will win over the crowd. Tournament of Fools and Comedy Roule e will also be performed at FST’s Bowne’s Lab Stage throughout the summer season. June 1 to September 28. Florida Studio Theatre, 1241 N. Palm Avenue, Sarasota, floridastudiotheatre.org

Sarasota Opera House Summer Movies

SARASOTA OPERA | Throughout the summer, head over to one of the best venues in town to see some of the biggest names to ever grace the silver screen. From May until October, the Sarasota Opera House will screen a different kind of summer blockbuster: classic performances from film, opera and ballet, playing nearly every weekend throughout the summer. Friday nights will feature classic films like A Star is Born, On The Waterfront, Viva Las Vegas, American Graffiti and more while Sunday matinees will showcase operatic and ballet performances such as Faust, Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and I Puritani. In a time where options at the box office are scarce and audi-

continued on the page 29

Skyway 2024

American Graffiti

SUMMERTIME DIP

The fish are staying cool this summer and you can too with the Smoked Green Curry Fish Dip at Indigenous. A staple on the menu for quite some time, it makes for a great sharing appetizer and a great way to utilize the restaurant’s sustainably caught, wild or farmed raised fish. “It is quite unique because we do not smoke the fish like most typical restaurants,” says Indigenous’s chef, Stephen Phelps. “The fish we use is from the fish we butcher onsite and then it gets soaked in a marinade, baked and chilled. It is then mixed with a green curry paste we make with ginger, lemongrass, garlic, thai basil, cilantro, chilies, and palm sugar. The paste and fish get mixed with whipped cream cheese and is portioned in glass jars and chilled for service. The fish dip is then served with our house made nori and turmeric sea saltines. We also use some amazing baby vegetables as well on the plate from Homestead Hydroponics and Blumenberry Farms.”—B.Heit Indigenous Restaurant, 239 South Links Ave., Sarasota, indigenoussarasota.com

SUMMER IN THE KITCHEN

Take advantage of the summer season to learn new culinary skills. Feeling a sense of wanderlust? Enroll in the beloved Tapas Cooking Class at Taste of Spain. Owner Fatima Soriano heads up the class, teaching students about the history of tapas, how to order them in Spain, how to make tapas and more. Munch on premade tapas before you start cooking, and return home with recipes to help you plan your next tapas party. “It’s fun and interactive,” says Soriano. Pineapple Kitchen also offers a variety of fun classes. This summer, they’ll host the Charcuterie by Jenny Class, Boozy Cake Pop Class & Craft Cocktail Workshop and Fresh Handcrafted Pasta & Savory Sauce Workshop among other exciting offerings. Pineapple Kitchen allows you to choose more laid-back demonstration-based courses or hands-on programs. In August, they’ll start back up with their popular Kitchen Kids classes.—L. Paquette Taste of Spain, 2667 Mall Dr., Sarasota, 941-580-8663, tasteofspainsrq.com; Block 15 Cork & Craft, 1528 Main St., Sarasota, 941-404-0324, block15srq.com; Pineapple Kitchen Tasting Room & Wholesale Warehouse, 4914 Lena Rd., Unit 104, Bradenton, 941-254-1763, pineapplekitchen.com.

SUMMER SOUPS Okroshka Cold Yogurt Soup

At Chayhana Vostok, which means “Eastern teahouse” in Russian, Okroshka Cold Yogurt Soup is a refreshing and popular dish for lunch or dinner, and perfect as an appetizer or a main course. Made with yogurt, cooked vegetables, fresh cucumbers, potato, radish and egg, the chilled soup is healthy, crunchy, flavorful and just right for a steamy summer day. Located on Tamiami Trail just South of Walt’s Fish Market, the Uzbek restaurant serves all the hearty dishes that have become so well-received by visitors and locals alike. B.Heit Chayhana Vostok, 4242 S Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, 941-923-5919. Left: Okroshka

Above left to right: The smoked Green Curry Fish Dip at Indigenous is a unique and delicious treat. Eat, drink and socialize while learning new cooking skills at Pineapple Kitchen (center) and Taste of Spain (right).

PHOTO BY WYATT KOSTYGAN AND COURTESY OF PINEAPPLE KITCHEN, TASTE OF SPAIN.

Cold Yogurt Soup

ences are consuming more at-home entertainment than ever before, the Sarasota Opera offers a refreshing option for a day at the theater with their summer movie offerings. Fridays at 7:30pm for the Classic Movies and Saturdays at 1:30 for the Movie Performances. Through September. 61 N Pineapple Ave., Sarasota, sarasotaopera.org

A Modern Masterpiece Uncovered: Galloway’s Furniture Showroom by Victor Lundy

SARASOTA ART MUSEUM | Take a trip back in time at the Sarasota Art Museum this summer with one of their latest exhibitions, Modern Masterpiece Uncovered: Galloway’s Furniture Showroom by Victor Lundy. The exhibition seeks to uncover the modernist masterpiece that was the Galloway’s Furniture Showroom of Sarasota, which opened in 1959 and was designed by renowned architect Victor Lundy. The original building was a testament to the Sarasota School of Architecture, a regional movement that brought modernist principles to Florida’s Gulf Coast.

The two-floor showroom was ovular in shape, ringed with floor to ceiling windows, a “floating” second floor mezzanine supported by massive glulam beams and roof cut outs for plants to grow through. Unfortunately, a 1980s renovation concealed much of the original structure, completely transforming an architectural landmark into a mundane structure. The exhibition looks to reinvigorate the spirit of the original building by providing historical context to Lundy’s masterpiece as well as presenting design concepts for the rehabilitation and expansion of the building prepared by architecture students from Hampton University. July 28 to November 27, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, sarasotaartmuseum.org

Jack Dowd: Last Call

RINGLING COLLEGE GALLERIES, STULBERG GALLERY | Ringling College Galleries proudly presents the captivating exhibition, Jack Dowd: Last Call. Immerse yourself in an extraordinary installation featuring a majestic 22-foot mahogany bar with 13 life-size characters bellied up to the bar. Delve into the evocative world of Dowd’s bar patrons through 13 pastel drawings, alongside a collection of sculptures and paintings that illuminate the illustrious career of Jack Dowd. A cultural homage to the dynamic essence of American urban nightlife, Last Call features 13 life-size sculptures engaging along a 22-foot mahogany bar. Symbolizing a communal space in a traditional New York City tavern, it reflects the diversity of its patrons, echoing the ethos of the 1930s Ash Can School, which portrayed the realities of urban life. Its showcase inspired the creation of Last Call: The Dance, an original ballet choreographed by Robert DeWarren, formerly of the Royal Ballet and Ballet La Scala Milan, and performed at the Asolo Theatre in 2007. Ringling College Galleries, 2700 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota Tuesday to Saturday, 12-6pm. Through August 16, ringlingcollege.gallery/2024-jack-dowd

To the Moon: Snoopy Soars with NASA

THE BISHOP MUSEUM | Just before the first man landed on the moon, Charlie Brown and Snoopy soared through space with NASA’s Apollo 10 mission in May 1969. The exhibition To the Moon: Snoopy Soars with NASA examines the history of Apollo 10 and the Peanuts characters’ role in that flight and in the NASA Manned Flight Awareness safety program. Through August 15. The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, 201 10th St. W., Bradenton, bishopscience.org.

Summer Mainstage

FLORIDA STUDIO THEATRE | Ken Ludwig’s Dear Jack Dear Louise When two strangers meet by le er during World War II, a love story begins. U.S. Army Captain Jack Ludwig, a military doctor stationed in Oregon, begins writing to Louise Rabiner, an aspiring actress and dancer in New York City, hoping to meet her someday if the war will allow. Ken Ludwig tells the true story of his parents’ courtship, and the results are anything but

expected. July 3 to August 11. The Outsider by Paul Slade Smith Ned Newley doesn’t even want to be governor. He’s terrified of public speaking, and his poll numbers are impressively bad. To his ever-supportive Chief of Staff, Ned seems destined to fail. But his political consultant sees things differently: Ned might be the worst candidate ever to run for office. A timely comedy that skewers politics and celebrates democracy. July 24 to August 18. FST’s Keating Theatre, 1241 North Palm Ave., Sarasota, floridastudiotheatre.org.

Green Day’s American Idiot

THE SARASOTA PLAYERS | American Idiot takes Green Day’s chart-topping 2005 punk rock album and brings it vibrantly to life. American Idiot follows a young anti-hero, Johnny, the self-proclaimed “Jesus of Suburbia”, and his two buddies, Will and Tunny, as they a empt to break out of their mind-numbing, aimless suburban existence. A er escaping to the city, Johnny finds himself embroiled in a passionate affair with a stunning and unpredictable young woman, and an even more passionate affair with hard drugs. Tunny finds a sense of purpose by enlisting in the Army, but is wounded in the line of duty, both physically and emotionally. Meanwhile, Will, who decided to remain in the suburbs with his newly pregnant girlfriend, becomes moored to his couch, hopeless and stuck. Each of the men struggles to find the balance between rage and love—a conflict that defines their generation. With Green Day’s heart-pounding, visceral songs and a young cast who rage against the machine of society with heart and spunk, American Idiot is a knockout guaranteed to bring the house down. August 7 to August 16. The Sarasota Players, 1130 Theatre, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 1130, Sarasota, theplayers.org.

—D. Campbell

Victor Lundy’s Galloway Furniture Showroom

WELLEN PARK VIBES

Get your groove on with Wellen Park’s Sunday Groove series occurring every Sunday this summer. As the temperature heats up, cool things down with a relaxing concert, free of charge and full of good vibes. The Sunday Groove series does more than just ease concert-goers into the week, it serves as a connection point for people throughout the community. Local artists like Derek Roura and Rob Hazen have rocked the stage in the past and will continue to do so this summer in Downtown Wellen. From 9am-1pm every Sunday, these fan favorite artists will play live underneath the Heritage Tree. While no outside alcoholic beverages are permitted, audience members are encouraged to kick back and unwind with to-go adult beverages from the surrounding restaurants. The good vibes at Wellen Park don’t end with their Sunday Groove concerts. Throughout the summer, the Downtown Wellen Music Series will continue with more musicians coming to the Solis Hall Stage in Downtown Wellen, ready to rock out with the community. Don’t miss out on their special 4th of July Celebrate America Concert, where audience members are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets as they listen to live music by Derek Lersch Band against the backdrop of the lake. On the first Friday of every month, musicians will perform live at Solis Hall from 6-10pm in Wellen Park’s Friday Night Live series. Additionally, Dueling Pianos will come to Wellen Park on the third Thursday of every month. —D.Campbell Downtown Wellen Park, 19725 Wellen Pk Blvd, Venice, wellenpark.com/events

SUMMER SOUPS Tomaten Chiliesuppe

Tomaten Chiliesuppe—Siegfried’s dragonblood. A remarkable tomato chilisoupe with bacon, onion, tomatoes and Siegfrieds Rheinland Dry Gin “The Tomaten Chiliesuppe is actually not a traditional German soup but my wife and I have it on our menu because it’s our favorite soup in the world,” says René Zimmermann, owner and chef at Siegfried‘s Restaurant and Biergarten. “One of my favorite chefs I ever worked with in Germany once shared parts of the recipe with me because I loved it so much—we decided this tomato soup must be on our menu at Siegfrieds and our guests love it.” The Tomaten Chiliesuppe is not a typical tomato soup. It’s creamy and has fresh flavors of rosemary and thyme with a hint of spice. Bacon and Siegfried’s Rheinland Dry Gin are added during the cooking process to give it that special touch and authenticity. The fun part, shares Zimmermann, is this gin is actually from the Rheinland where he and his wife come from in Germany. “It’s a perfect dish in the summer and when you dip our fresh German bread into it, that’s all you need some days. It’s definitely a dish you won’t find anywhere else.” B.Heit Siegfried‘s Restaurant and Biergarten, 1869 Fruitville Rd Sarasota, 941-330-9330. siegfrieds-restaurant.com. Left: Tomaten Chilliesuppe

Above, left to right: Wellen Park 4th of July Celebrate America Concert featuring live music by the Derek Lersch Band .

SUMMERS IN MOTION

Fill your long hot summer days by getting out and getting active. Our editors took a deep dive to find you the latest fitness gear to keep you in shape all summer long. Check out these three independently owned businesses to get suited up. —M.Mitchell

This page: Deathwish Deck 2 $65, REAL DECK 4 $70, Jacuzzi Deck 2 $73, Compound Postcard Deck $115, Compound Boardshop, 3604 S Osprey Ave, 941-552-9805.

DEEP DIVE Nylon Dive Flag $16, Tinted Sunscreen $18, Oceanaways SeaSharp Dry Combo $80, GO Travel Fins $110, Yellow

Airtank $240, 3 - Gauge Inline - Imperial $403, MK 11/s270 - Regulator $608, Florida Underwater Sports SRQ, 6920 S Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, 941-870-4461.

FLIP SIDE lndependent Hardware $4, Unite Skate Tool $12, Bones Reds Bearings $19, Independent Standard Trucks $50, Triple 8 Sweatsaver Helmet $50, Bones Swiss Bearings $64, 187 Slim Knee Pads $75, Compound Boardshop, 3604 S Osprey Ave, 941-552-9805. RIDE ON Cliff Crunchy Peanut Butter $2, Cliff Cool Mint Chocolate $2, GU Energy Gel Salted Watermelon $2, GU Roctane Gel Strawberry $3, GU Roctane Gel Cherry-Lime $3, Puns MFLO 2.0 BTL Block $13, 32oz Insulated Chromatek $20, Saddle C9 GS CRU VAR EST $45, Kryptonite Lock U Keeper-12 STD $46, Cateye Padrone Wireless C $60, Lazer Helmet Codax Kineti $65, ShimanoRC300W Shoes Pale Green $125, Village Bikes, 3898 S Osprey Ave, Sarasota, 941-366-7702.

This page: Dirty Rotten Fruit Basket, Arts & Central, 611 Central Ave., Sarasota, 941-306-2356, artsandcentral.com. Opposite page clockwise: Ensalada de la Casa, Kolucan Mexican Bar and Grill, 6644 Gateway Ave., Sarasota, 941-921-3133, kolucan.com; Sunshine Grilled Chicken Salad, Mad Salads, 2119 S. Tamiami Trail, Venice, 941-899-1303; and Chilled Israeli Couscous, Palm Avenue Deli, 1297 N. Palm Ave., Sarasota, 941-263-3742, palmavenuedeli.com; Dirty Rotten Fruit Basket and Chopped Salad, Shaner’s Pizza, 6500 Superior Ave., Sarasota, 941-927-2708, shanerspizza.com

SENSATIONAL SUMMER SALADS

Nothing says summer like a fresh and delicious salad. The Shane’s Chopped Salad at Shaner’s Pizza combines the flavors of finely chopped lettuce, salami, ham, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and black olives with a homemade Italian dressing. “It’s a home run,” says Owner and Founder Shane Rawley. From Palm Avenue Deli, try the Chilled Israeli Couscous, which is inspired by tabbouleh salad. “The salad itself is simple, consisting of just Israeli couscous, tomatoes, cucumbers and herbs, all tossed in a lemon-garlic vinaigrette,” adds Hart Lowry, the culinary director for Hi Hospitality Group, which operates the eatery. “The sauces underneath the salad are where the complex flavors are. One is a vegan creamy lemon garlic yogurt with coconut yogurt and vegan feta cheese. The other sauce is zhoug. Ours is made with lots of herbs, green chile, spices including caraway, and olive oil.” For a salad with a coastal flair, stop by The Cheesecake Cutie & Café and sample the refreshing Old Bay Shrimp Salad. Owners Jennifer and Kane Geils describe the mayonnaise-based salad with Argentina shrimp, Old Bay, lemon, onion and celery as “simple and delightful.” Enjoy it over a bed of lettuce, on a roll or with some crackers. Kolucan Mexican Bar and Grill’s Ensalada de la casa is great for a south-of-the-border flair and local ingredients. “We utilize mixed greens because they’re delicate and make the salad lighter. We add roasted corn, jicama, avocado and a bit of watermelon radish with a little bite. We garnish that with our queso fresco and avocado,” says Chef and Co-owner Gino Calleja. “The dressing is a bit different. We came up with it ourselves; we don’t necessarily have this in Mexico. We decided to do a light, creamy dressing. It has buttermilk, chives, cilantro, lime juice and garlic. The lime juice adds a bit of acidity.” If you want something sweeter, head to Arts & Central and indulge in the “Dirty Rotten” Fruit Basket. Made with seasonal fruit, whipped kimchi mascarpone, quinoa, fermented garlic honey, candied walnuts, herbs and flowers, the dish is a symphony of flavor, and Executive Chef Erik Walker considers it to be one of the most thoughtfully created items on the menu. With its abundance of bright and colorful ingredients, the Sunshine Grilled Chicken Salad at Mad Salads is as appealing to the eye as it is to the palate. The base of the salad is an Arcadian mix which combines several different lettuces including baby red oak, baby green oak, baby red leaf, baby green leaf, tango and lolla rosa. The curly and colorful greens are dressed in a zesty citrus lime vinaigrette and topped with a cornucopia of vibrant ingredients like creamy green avocado, sweet yellow corn, juicy mandarin oranges, smoky roasted red peppers, crunchy pecans and plump golden raisins. This hearty salad is also topped with grilled chicken breast. On the go? You can also order this striking salad as a wrap. —L. Paquette and K. Wight

CREATIVE QUENCHERS

Recharge with this lineup of cool summer drinks. First up is the Watermelon Lemonade from Summer Tap Juice Bar. With fresh watermelon juice, an entire lemon, lemon zest and a hint of strawberry, this summer sip will help you beat the heat. “It’s the most popular for the summertime,” says Owner Galina Naguibine. From the Elevation Tea Company truck, the Lavender Lemonade is a crowd favorite only available at the Farmers’ Market at Lakewood Ranch at Waterside. The drink is made with Kenya purple tea, one of Elevation’s specialties, organic lemon juice, homemade lavender syrup and butterfly pea flower tea. “It’s so captivating with the vibrant colors,” Owner Jennifer Martinez adds. “It’s by far one of our bestsellers.” Tea lovers can enjoy the Red Berry Tea from Amuse 5 in Bradenton. “When I opened my business, I wanted to give my customers teas with little caffeine that were more natural,” says Claudia Gutierrez, the cafe’s owner. “I decided to make one from berries because here we have all the berries nearby. We have strawberries in Myakka, blueberries in Ocala and a lot of red fruits.” She sources fresh, local fruit and dries it on trays in the sunshine. Then, she combines the fruits and hibiscus to create a rich blend. If you’re more into coffee, don’t miss the Iced Coconut Latte from Riviera French Café inside the Mall at University Town Center. Co-owner Andréa Chrétien, who hails from the South of France, adds that the latte is “more than just a beverage. It’s a passport to exotic destinations. With its smooth blend of rich espresso, chilled coconut milk and a hint of sweetness, each sip takes you on a journey to tropical paradises and palm-fringed beaches.” Screaming Goat Taqueria is serving up delicious Aguas Frescas to quench your thirst. The eatery always has lime and hibiscus ginger aguas frescas, but frequently features new, seasonal varieties. “Everything is fresh,” says Owner Malin Parker.—L.Paquette Summer Tap Juice Bar, 411 S. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota, 941-993-1449, summertapjuicebar.com; Visit the Elevation Tea Company truck at the Farmers’ Market at Lakewood Ranch; Amuse 5, 5850 14th St. W., Bradenton, 941-251-9143, amuse5bakery.com; Riviera French Café, The Mall at University Town Center, Second floor in front of the elevator, 140 University Town Center Dr., Sarasota, 813-825-1750, rivierafrenchcafe.com; Screaming Goat Taqueria, 6566 Gateway Ave., Sarasota, 941-210-3992, screaming-goat.com.

SUMMER SOUPS Ukrainian Red Borscht

Bacres European Artisan Deli offers lunch and dinner a’la carte, fresh bakery items, confectionery production and a deli assortment. All of their products are made in-house or outsourced from locally-based European partners. Bacres prides itself on traditional recipes made from the highest quality of raw materials possible. Their classic borscht recipes are hearty and delicious and served cold to satisfy the hungriest locals on the hottest summer days. Bacres’ Ukrainian Red Borscht is made with beets, cabbage, carrots, parsley, celery, pork stock, beans, onions and potatoes for a filling meal or snack. Ukrainian Red Borscht with Meat is created with beets, cabbage, carrots, onions, potatoes, bell peppers, dill, lemon juice and for added flavor and substance, this dish includes meat. The White Borscht, featuring sourdough, sausage, bacon, carrots, potatoes, onions, garlic and heavy cream will definitely have you coming back for more. B. Heit Bacres European Coffee & Bakery, 3333 N Tamiami Trail Plaza Unit 100 Sarasota, 941-360-2400, www.bacres.eu

Above, left to right: Red Berry Tea from Amuse 5, Aquas Frescas from Screaming Goat, Iced Coconut Latte from Riviera French Café

Left: Ukrainian Red Borscht

This page: Watermelon Lemonade from Summer Tap Juice Bar.

and being

Sail Away

This spread: For locals who love adventure, exploration

on the open water, sailing in our region is a top-notch way to spend the day. Drone photo by Andrew Mattheus.

With beautiful waters and many locations to explore, there is no wonder why Sarasota is one of the most popular sailing communities in Florida.

The blue-green waters of the Sarasota region have always had a magnetic pull, drawing sailors and wannabes into the mesmerizing embrace of the waves, where dolphins dance, manatees graze and birds nest along the sandy shores. Set your sail to catch the Gulf winds and join us as we delve into the offerings of the local sailing communities catering to both beginners and seasoned sailors in our region.

Away

WRITTEN

BY

BARBIE HEIT | PHOTOGRAPHY

BY

WES ROBERTS

This spread, clockwise: Sarasota Yacht Club is a place to make waves and memories last a lifetime. SYC Lasers coached by Brett Putnam compete at Sailfest. RWB Optimist sailing team lead by Coach Bryce Tone. RWB Optimist sailors compete at Sailfest. Sarasota Yacht Club member and RWB Optimist parent Ed Miersch at the Buccaneer Blast in Key Largo, Florida. RWB Optimist sailor rigs on the SYC deck.

Sarasota Yacht Club

A FIVE-STAR PLATINUM CLUB OF AMERICA AND THE WORLD the Sarasota Yacht Club (SYC) is one that is rich in history. Its location, minutes from downtown Sarasota in the protected flat water of Sarasota Bay on the west side of Bird Key, with quick access to the Gulf of Mexico through Big Pass, cannot be beat, offering the best in sailing and boating.

Dalton Tebo, the Sailing Director at SYC handles all of the logistics of running a race team. “We have five coaches and about forty-five sailors on our team who sail with us year-round,” says Tebo. “Our team practices most weekends and travels to a regatta about once a month. Most regattas are local and in Florida, although some of our sailors have qualified to sail in national and even international regattas all over the world.”

The Club has hosted many regattas, including the United States Optimist Dinghy Association (USODA) Team Race Midwinters for three years. They also host their very own Sarasota Yacht Club Invitational Regatta each year in November with close to one hundred boats participating. This regatta is a big event at the Club and continues to be a yearly tradition with great racing and a fantastic party. For those new to the world of sailing or for those looking to sharpen their boating skills, the Club offers private lessons for youth and adults. “The best option for young sailors is to join our summer camp, learn to sail and see how they like it,” shares Tebo. “Any sailor who wants to continue their sailing passion, coming out of camp or a sailor who already knows how to sail is encouraged to join our racing team and sail with us year-round.”

SYC member and sailing team parent, Ed Miersch is thrilled with the progress his son has made as a sailor. “In less than three years, our son Eddie went from not knowing anything about sailing, to being invited to join Team USA. This is all due to the amazing environment curated by SYC’s Dalton Tebo and Brett Putnam.” Every member every day, whatever it takes. That is the SYC staff motto. “What makes the club special to me is that it feels like home, and all of the members feel like they are your family,” shares Tebo. “It truly is a special place with an amazing staff and membership. It’s always a pleasure to be here at SYC.” Sarasota Yacht Club, 1100 John Ringling Blvd, Sarasota, 941-365-4191, sarasotayachtclub.org

Venice Yacht Club

THIS

YEAR MARKS THE 73RD ANNIVERSARY OF VENICE YACHT CLUB, a club founded by sailors, weary of the long drive to Sarasota to get their boats. The sailors wanted to establish a maritime tradition in Venice for enduring friendships of common interests with fun on the water and on land and that they did. The history of The Club is a rich one, tied to and invested in the success of Venice. Founded in 1951 as semi-private, its business and social affairs were conducted in space rented at the Tarpon Center Resort, owned by George Gibbs, Jr., occupied by The Jetty Villas condominiums today. Two years later in 1953, converting to a private club, an addition was built at the resort’s main building for its larger functions. By year end 1951, there were 118 members. As membership continued to increase, more space was required. In 1957 an extensive search began for land with immediate access to water. By 1961, land had been acquired on Roberts Bay, and the new clubhouse was commissioned. In 1960 while constructing its new clubhouse, the Club was one of the 13 founding members of the Florida Council of Yacht Clubs, now made up of 37 yacht clubs. The Council monitors and promotes pending legislation for boating and water safety. Reciprocal privileges at all 37 clubs are enjoyed by individual members of the clubs when visiting other places in Florida. Through its 73 years, significant enhancements have been made to the property and clubhouse. From a single, small dining room, there are multiple dining venues today from formal to casual inside the clubhouse and outside under cover at the significantly expanded Tiki and all along the pool deck. Menus are refreshed often, and varied specials

are offered daily. Steak nights, taco nights, seafood nights along with beverage specials add to members’ pleasure enjoying dining in a venue of their choice.

A robust social and event calendar begun in 1961 has expanded through the years. Multiple clubs within the Club exist for special interests: golf, fishing, books, bridge, MahJong, the Joy sailing club, a wine club, bingo and many others. With its waterfront presence of 72 slips along 5 docks, a fueling station and dockmaster’s office, the club’s location is perfect with immediate access to the Gulf. There are kayaks for daily rental by members, and adult sailing is also available. The Club sponsors the U S Sailing-designated Community Sailing Center, Venice Youth Boating Association, Inc., that is always open to the public and was begun in 1952 as the “Pram Fleet.” Here young sailors become captains of their ships long before they can drive a car.

“Investing in greater Venice for 73 years has been a priority,” shares General Manager, Bruce Furman. “Our members helped initiate the original volunteer corps at Venice Hospital with funding and volunteers, Sundowner Cruises for many years for the public, conducted by our boaters, were for the benefit of Venice’s chapter of the American Cancer Society, and founded in 2011, the Venice Yacht Club’s Charitable Foundation in only its first ten years has provided nearly $1 million in grants to charitable organizations in greater Venice. With a long-range strategic plan in 3-year segments in place and with continued diligence in financial oversight, the Club looks forward to the future with great excitement and confidence. A resurgence in sailing is underway along with several other important initiatives.” The Venice Yacht Club, 1330 Tarpon Center Drive Venice, 941488-7708, veniceyachtclub.com.

Bruce Furman, CCM, General Manager of the Venice Yacht Club. The Venice Yacht Club is made up of a growing community of sailing families who dedicate their time to giving back to their marina, ocean and community. Luffing Lassies compete at a regatta in Sarasota.

Clockwise:

Luffing Lassies

THE LUFFING LASSIES ARE AN ACCOMPLISHED GROUP OF WOMEN WHO SELL REAL ESTATE, TEACH AND PRACTICE LAW, RAISE CHILDREN AND SPOIL GRANDCHILDREN. They are healthcare professionals, they run businesses and thrive in the arts. And….they love to sail. Created with a mission to establish a fun and welcoming atmosphere where women can come together, build relationships, and gain the confidence to explore the world through sailing, the Luffing Lassies was founded in 1972 by Lilly Kaighin. It is one of the oldest and most active sailing groups at the Sarasota Sailing Squadron and with 125 women sailors of all ages and backgrounds, it is also one of the largest of any Sunfish fleet in the US, and possibly the world. It gains 12 new members each September through its Introduction to Sailing course. Then there’s the Introduction to Racing course for those Lassies who already know how to sail and aim for sportier aspirations. “Sailing is an environmentally friendly activity and sport. Sailors are in touch with the health of the bay and consciously take care of our natural resources. None of our fleets use motors. We are powered by Mother Nature,” shares Judy Hodgson, Co-Captain of the Luffing Lassies and SSS Commodore 2019-2022. Every Thursday during the school year, the Club meets to race against each other or sister clubs in the Florida Women’s Sailing Association on Sunfish boats and Hobie Waves, 420s. Many members learned to sail or polished their skills at the Luffing Lassies’ annual Introduction to Sailing week where women are teaching women to sail. At the end of every summer, Luffing Lassies veterans and instructors introduce a new crop of sailors to joy on the water. Each woman learns to skipper a boat, on her own, within a matter of days and she will be racing that boat after just a few weeks. When not racing, rigging, learning or sailing for fun, Luffing Lassies are an integral part of the Sarasota Sailing Squadron which hosts many international and national regattas and competitive sailing qualifiers. Luffing Lassies help the Squadron host these events and serve in many volunteer capacities. The two organizations know the value of one another and have been partners for decades. Luffing Lassies, 1717 Ken Thompson Pkwy, Sarasota, luffinglassies.org

Sarasota Youth Sailing

Above: As a competitive sailor and Board President, Travis Yaks is passionate about sailing and teaching the younger generation about the sport.

“The Sarasota Sailing Squadron boasts the best sunrise skyline vista in the county. We are a performance sailing club that is uniquely 100% volunteer driven. In fact, our members volunteered 8,882 hours last year, among the highest of many not-for-profit organizations in Sarasota County. We have nine different fleets of boats, including a robust youth program. In the last five years, we’ve had three female Commodores, including myself. I am proud to be listed among this group of women leaders.” —2021-2024 Commodore Ingrid Summers

SARASOTA SAILING SQUADRON (SSS) IS A SPECIAL PLACE that teaches, supports, and provides sailors with a community of like-minded people who love to sail. The Squadron has a rich history that spans 76 years and currently has 800 voting member families and almost 2,000 sailing members who enjoy this gem on Sarasota Bay. SSS makes sailing accessible by removing the barriers of getting on the water. Sarasota Youth Sailing and the Luffing Lassies are two sailing groups hosted by the Sarasota Sailing Squadron.

FOUNDED IN 1980 TO HELP PROMOTE SAILING TO THE YOUTH OF THE SARASOTA AREA, a Sarasota Youth Sailing (SYS) is a local 501.c3 organization that offers opportunities for kids to learn to sail and continue to grow in their understanding of the sport, the environment and the lifelong activity of sailing. Through summer camps for kids aged 6-17, and with year-round training and competitive racing programs, young sailors learn to compete as they continue to gain an understanding of the sport that unlike many others, they can participate in for their entire lives. Over the years, SYS has continually provided young sailors the foundation needed to grow in the sport, with several going on to represent the United States in international youth championships all around the world. Current US Rolex yachtsman of the year, Ravi Parent, is an alumni of SYS and Halle Shipman, Young Women Sailor of the Year is currently training for an Olympic campaign.

“The mission statement of Sarasota youth sailing speaks to supporting kids in going as far in the sport as their hard work and drive will take them,” says Board President Travis Yates, an experienced competitive sailor himself. “Just as importantly, I believe Sarasota Youth Sailing works to give access to the water and the sport of sailing to students who otherwise could not get that, whether it be for financial reasons, or in some cases physical or emotional reasons.” Throughout the year, SYS hosts children from local schools, homeschool communities, therapeutic support programs, and the general public. “This is an important part of the positive impact that SYS has on our local community,” shares Yates. “We have routinely worked with organizations like Visible Men’s Academy, Sarasota School of Arts and Science and our local community, supporting students with autism, which we do through an organization called Spectrum Sailing.” Yates recalls sailing with one young man from Visible Men’s Academy who had grown up in Bradenton but never touched water other than in a swimming pool. “I was blown away to learn that this boy had never been to a beach, but some of these kids just don’t have access to resources and for us to be able to provide these experiences is just amazing.”

In partnership with the Sarasota Sailing Squadron and the Luffing Lassies, SYS hosts two major youth sailing regattas that bring kids from all over the nation to Sarasota to compete. SYS also hosts a number of regattas for the interscholastic sailing association which organizes the sport of sailing for high school students nationwide. Through the generous support of parents of students involved and wonderful local benefactors, SYS provides a great service to the community and raises the funds necessary to try to make sailing as accessible as possible. SRQ Sarasota Youth Sailing, 1717 Ken Thompson Pkwy, Sarasota, 941- 504-4236, sarasotayouthsailing.org.

VOTED ONE OF “SARASOTA’S TOP 12 REALTORS” BY SRQ MAGAZINE READERS

THE

MEI TEAM | DENISE AND NICOLE MEI

Denise and Nicole Mei are motivated by their steadfast dedication to providing exceptional real estate solutions. As a collaborative family team, Denise and Nicole leverage their diverse skills and experiences to deliver unparalleled service to their clients. The Mei team consistently ranks among the top-performing teams at Michael Saunders & Company, a testament to their ability to understand and exceed their customers’ needs and expectations. Beyond their professional achievements, the Mei Team prioritizes quality time with family above all else.

“GUIDING YOU HOME WITH INTEGRITY, EXPERTISE, AND A COMMITMENT TO EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.”

AS A REALTOR, what sets our business apart is our personalized approach to each client’s needs. We prioritize building strong relationships and understanding our clients’ unique goals, whether they’re buying or selling a property. Our commitment to communication, transparency, and integrity ensures that every transaction is smooth and successful.

Our best advice for someone looking to buy or sell in the current real estate market is to stay informed and work with a knowledgeable real estate agent who understands the local market dynamics. With the current market fluctuations, having expert guidance and strategic planning is crucial for achieving your goals.

What we love most about our job is the opportunity to make a positive impact in people’s lives. Whether it’s helping clients find their dream home

or guiding them through the process of selling their property, being able to assist them during such significant life transitions is incredibly rewarding. We thrive on the satisfaction of knowing that we’ve played a role in making their real estate goals a reality.

Being recognized by SRQ readers as a Top Realtor this year is a tremendous honor and validation of the hard work and dedication we’ve put into our profession. It signifies that our peers and clients appreciate the quality of service we provide and trust us to deliver exceptional results. This recognition motivates us to continue striving for excellence and serving our clients with the highest level of professionalism and expertise.

The Mei Team

Michael Saunders & Company | Siesta Key Office

O (941) 349-3444 F (941) 349-4333

Denise Mei, Broker-Associate M (941) 685-3198

E DeniseMei@michaelsaunders.com

Nicole Mei, Realtor M (941) 400-0540

E NicoleMei@michaelsaunders.com

5100 Ocean Blvd., Sarasota, FL 34242 michaelsaunders.com/meiteam

MOLLY HIGDON

Molly Higdon, a Sarasota local since 2010, a ributes her education in Business Marketing and Management and her passion for helping others as the groundwork for her success in Real Estate. Molly has built a reputation for her refreshingly friendly customer service and is known for her a ention to detail, strong work ethic, professionalism, and integrity. Molly is commi ed to providing the highest level of representation to her clients. Her goal is to create a stress-free, enjoyable and profitable experience for every client whether they are buying or selling.

“I STRIVE TO EXCEED EXPECTATIONS IN ALL THAT I DO. MY GOAL IS ALWAYS TO HELP YOU ACHIEVE YOURS.”

MY MISSION As a member of the Sarasota Gulf Coast Homes team, our mission is to deliver excellence and aim to exceed expectations in everything we do. Our goal is to guide you successfully and easily through the contractual investment and emotional decisions involved in the real estate process. We are committed to providing you with superior service and expertise. ACCOLADES Molly is a proud member of the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing, earning the Guild Elite Designation, the institute’s most prestigious designation of excellence, recognizing the best of the best with proven performance in the multi-million-dollar market. In addition, she is a member of the Keller Williams Luxury International Division. With over $60M worth of real estate sold and 100% 5-Star reviews, she has what it takes to help you with all of your Real Estate needs.

2025 BOSRQ Marketing Packages Space Closing August 28, 2024

If you’d like to join us for a BOSRQ Local Workshop this summer, contact us at growmybusiness@srqme.com

Preview to the 2025 Competition Program

NOMINATIONS PHASE

| WED. OCT 9, 2024 - WED. NOV 13, 2024

The Nominations Phase (or write-in phase) is where we ask our readers to tell us which local businesses should be on the official voting ballot in each category. Readers are invited to share their nominations by writing in their favorite businesses. Based on the number of nominations a business receives, the top 3-12 nomination-ge ers (cut-offs vary by category) will make it onto the official ballot and move into the voting round.

VOTING PHASE

| WED. JAN 8, 2025 - WED. FEB 5, 2025

A er nominations are collected, it’s time to elevate those with the most nominations to the official Best of SRQ Local Ballot. There is a “go dark” period between the Nominations and Voting phases to tabulate nominations. The top 3-12 performers in each category make it into the Voting Round playoffs and are added to the official BOSRQ voting ballot. Readers are invited to return in January to vote for their favorites on the ballot.

BEST OF SRQ LOCAL AWARDS EDITION,

SRQ MAGAZINE

THE BIG REVEAL: APRIL 2025 | WINNERS SHOWCASE: JULY 2025

MEET THE WINNERS | OCTOBER 2025

A er all the votes have been counted, the Official Readers’ Guide to the Winners will announce the ranking of the winners alongside quotes from the readers who voted for them. Finalists and winners who booked a Double Feature or Triple Threat have their print ads placed adjacent to the feature and continue to have their enhanced listing included in the digital winners guide on the website. If the SRQ team produced a Best of Video for you, it will also be included on the SRQME YouTube site.

culture city

LOOKING TO THE STARS

An all-new installation at the Sarasota Museum of Art grounds visitors to Earth by pointing their eyes toward the cosmos. Dylan Campbell

PHOTOGRAPHY BY WES ROBERTS.

culture city

Left: The famous photo, “Earthrise” ‘served as the inspiration for Harlin’s eponymous composition. The influence of the natural world. including the cosmos, in their world is what brought Harlin and Patterson together as artists.

SOMETHING SPECIAL IS HAPPENING AT THE SARASOTA ART MUSEUM (SAM). Some may even call it cosmic. On April 21, SAM unveiled The Truth of the Night Sky: Anne Patterson and Patrick Harlin, a brand new, immersive exhibition organized in collaboration with the Hermitage Artist Retreat. The show is the brainchild of multimedia artist Anne Patterson and composer Patrick Harlin, who met in 2014 while in residence at the Hermitage Artist Retreat.

Although the two artists work in different mediums, Patterson and Harlin share a few distinct commonalities that have paved the way for The Truth of the Night Sky, the culmination of their artistic work together. To start, Patterson is a synesthete who sees color and shape when she hears sound, especially classical music. Harlin is a composer who weaves together classical, jazz and electronic music to create his works. Both, however, have a deep admiration and respect for the natural world. It is this respect for nature and mutual yearning to look deep into the starfilled sky that served as the inspiration for The Truth of the Night Sky

For viewers, the sensation of walking through the space promises to be like no other. Through the interweaving of Patterson’s sculptural installations and Harlin’s celestial compositions, The Truth of the Night Sky is meant to evoke the feeling of traveling on an intergalactic journey. The multimedia installation, which spans two gallery spaces, is set to the processional music of Harlin’s 2021 composition Earthrise. The work, directly inspired by the seminal 1968 photograph of Earth from the Apollo 8 space mission, sets the tone for the exhibition—the piece is at once ethereal, resoundent and hopeful.

“Patrick had composed this classical music piece called Earthrise in 2021. This really inspired him and Patterson to talk about what this collaboration could look like,” says Dr. Rangsook Yoon senior curator at SAM and curator of the show. “Both of them are really interested in nature and concerned about climate change and the preservation of earth. They started to compare their notes and got to creating this exhibition in which people can have an immersive adventure and walk through the galleries seeing Anne’s works while listening to Patrick’s composition.”

The Truth of the Night Sky is designed to be rooted in the stars. To get the most out of each artists’ work, the collaboration is divided into sections, each a stepping stone on the lunar voyage of the viewer. Upon entering the first gallery, viewers will be greeted with select excerpts from Harlin’s 20-minute orchestral composition, paired specifically with certain pieces from Patterson’s career. These pieces include sculptures, paintings and drawings from multiple series of Patterson’s, including Stars Spinning Through Spring and The Truth of the Night Sky. Sculptures from Stars Spinning Through Spring include Fire Star and Galactic Ice, abstract pieces forged out of piano wire, steel, fabric and resin that connote the volatility of these celestial formations. An assembly of driftwood, thread and gold leaf create the Weeping Tree, hung about 30 feet high in the gallery space, cementing the viewer in a sense of time and space. “Part of what I think is beautiful about this exhibition is that it’s very poetic,” says Yoon. “In the first gallery, we see this almost dead looking tree that’s hung majestically in the air. There are these golden leaves hung from the branches of this static tree that are falling like stars–those are the “tears’’ of the Weeping Tree. It really anchors us to the artist.”

Following the Weeping Tree is a section with eight sculptural works from Patterson’s Celestial Orbs series, circular compositions of steel piano wire, resin and gold leaf, again paired with a specific excerpt from Earthrise. The layout of The Truth of the Night Sky is carefully curated–while viewers can simply look at each sculpture and move on, following the pathway of illuminated lights that appear under each work more closely aligns with the artists’ intentions for the space. “They wanted to almost transform the space as though it’s a concert hall or theater. Meaning that unlike how people typically interact with museums, which is a more individual

approach, ideally visitors will walk together through the space, collectively experiencing the exhibition together,” says Yoon. “When we go to a concert hall and sit down with the rest of the audience, we are all going to hear the same music at the same time.They wanted to give you that feeling.”

The cosmic journey culminates when viewers enter the second gallery space, which has been completely transformed for the exhibition. Thousands of colored ribbons cascade from the ceiling to the floor, bathed in projected abstract images while Harlin’s Earthrise plays in full. The projections illuminate the ribbons, reflecting light in a way that, when synchronized with Harlin’s composition, evoke the sensation of traveling through the cosmos. “The artists wanted to create this imaginary intergalactic journey that makes you think about the vast possibilities of the universe,” says Yoon. “It gives way to this awe inspiring moment where you’re lost in this vast universe.”

The Truth of the Night Sky, however, is about something deeper than just an imaginary journey through space and time. It is a reflection point, reminiscent of how humbling it truly is to look up at a star-filled sky. It’s a reminder that as mankind floods the atmosphere with carbon dioxide and sea levels continue to rise, nature deserves our respect.

“The Apollo 8 mission, which birthed the original Earthrise photo and later Patrick’s composition, was the catalyst for changing the environmental movement and the foundation for Earth Day. Patrick and Anne were thinking about that image and how it changed our perspective about the earth,” says Yoon. “They’re trying to create a semblance of that opportunity through this exhibition–for us to really think about where we are in this moment, in this uncertain time of climate change. It’s also meant to give us a sense of hope and respite as well.” SRQ.

culture city

PIROUETTING THROUGH TIME

Famed Cuban-British ballet dancer Carlos Acosta makes a personal statement with his Sarasota performance of On Before. Dylan Campbell

FAMILIES CAN BE COMPLEX. SOME ARE CHOSEN. SOME ARE NOT. Some are loving and nurturing, others more hostile–in a divided time they are one of the most unifying aspects of humanity–whether separated, splintered or together, everybody at some point originates from a family. Through that, everybody bears the cross of those that came before them. Whether willingly or unwillingly, pieces of our ancestors live on from generation to generation. Carlos Acosta believes that.

It’s why the Cuban-born ballet legend, now 51, has come out of semi-retirement to dance once again. His show, On Before, came to Sarasota in April, the lone U.S. stop on his tour. Performing the intimate two-person ballet, constructed as a tribute to his late mother, is how Acosta can feel his family best: with their past living on through his present. “Death is very important, it’s a part of life, but it’s the journey toward death that you’re invested in,” says Acosta. “But there is also something to learn about death, being that essentially you never leave, because the information that you give others lives on. We think about when the information that lives in us, you can trace it back to people that you never even met.”

Acosta, born in Havana, Cuba in 1973, is in the twilight of his career, at least when it comes to being on stage. He still cuts a striking figure, his body lean, lithe and athletic, but 28plus years as a professional ballet dancer takes its toll. So much has been done, from rising to prominence with a Gold Medal win at the 1990 international dance competition Prix de Lausanne to dancing with the top ballet companies in the world, including the Royal Ballet in London for 17 years. He’s the director of Birmingham Royal Ballet, the founder of Havana-based ballet company Acosta Danza— he’s an author, actor and a father to three. He’s paved the way for so many, becoming the first POC male dancer to play lead roles at The Royal Ballet and is a sterling product of the Cuban National Ballet School. But paving the way takes time and at 51, Acosta’s days on the stage are numbered. Each performance inches closer to what will be his last.

It’s fitting then that On Before made landfall in Sarasota. For one, Acosta is close friends with Ariel Serrano and Wilmian Hernandez, the co-founders of the Sarasota Cuban Ballet School, which presented the show at the Sarasota Opera House. Additionally, On Before is the most personal and vulnerable work Acosta has ever created—for a man staring down own mortality as a professional dancer, performing an intimate ballet that deals in themes of love, loss and death is par for the course. On Before stars Acosta along with Laura Rodriguez from Acosta Danza. Backed by a choir dressed in all-black, the pair transform themselves through various duets and solos: at times they are doomed lovers or a mother and son, all up to the interpretation of the audience. “There is a sharing of the space of two people, a male dancer and a female dancer. They are sharing the space where sometimes it can be interpreted as the mother and child or as lovers and it gives me an opportunity to dance with my mother so to speak,” says Acosta. “Every time I dance in this show I feel her presence and it’s a way of always having her live on. For me it has this very, very emotional connotation, especially in the time where I am in my career, being on stage is a luxury for me nowadays. It’s unusual for me at the moment.”

On Before features a collection of nine pieces from contemporary choreographers —a few of them being specifically designed for the program—woven together to create a story, that is, in Acosta’s eyes, up to the audiences’ interpretation. The choir, dressed in all black, represents death, binding the

production together into a continuous piece as opposed to a stretch of segmented works that follow each other. “In the story, the narrative is told in retrospect. It’s a full circle journey. So the beginning implies with the imagery that we give the audience that there’s a story waiting to be told. Then you start to tell the story, which is very open to interpretation,” says Acosta. “There are no bows the entire show, it’s a continuous thing. You have to invest your attention in these two characters and the choir around them. And then in the second act the journey carries on and the choir represents that wave that takes the female character away and he remains alone on the stage.”

Although the themes of On Before are evident, the abstraction of the narrative was something that was important for Acosta in the creation of the show. “This is the kind of narrative that I like so much because it could mean something different to me than what it could mean to you. So the audience receives it in a way that could be different with them and it forces them to make something out of it,” says Acosta. “For me, it’s a way of thinking about my mother by keeping her presence close to me but also sharing her and her essence with the audience as well. My mother played a very important role in cultivating the artist that I am—on stage, I’m just the tip of the iceberg but in fact it’s the teamwork of my parents that played a pivotal role in the work itself.”

That’s how Acosta finds himself at the end of On Before, alone on stage, but surrounded in life by love of his family and friends, both from this realm and the next. SRQ.

This page: Carlos Acosta soars in a performance of On Before.

Below: Using bread freshlybaked in a wood-fired pizza oven, Chef Mancini crafts mouthwatering dishes.

forage

EAT, DANCE AND LOVE AT 15 SOUTH

Alessandro Di Ferdinando brings classic Italian dishes and a fun flair to his new St. Armands location. Laura Paquette

This page left to right: Pizza Chef Antonio Mancini is a perfectionist about the pies he creates. The meat and cheese board features imported products from top Italian brands, along with freshly-grilled vegetables.

ALESSANDRO DI FERDINANDO IS ON A MISSION TO BREATHE NEW LIFE INTO THE BUILDING THAT ONCE HOUSED THE FORMER 15 SOUTH RISTORANTE ENOTECA. Di Ferdinando has been part of the Sarasota food scene for years. He used to own Made in Italy in Venice and Napulé with former business partner Giuseppe Del Sole. Today he is the owner of Napulé and the new 15 South by Napulé. In April, Di Ferdinando officially opened 15 South by Napulé on St. Armands, where he has combined his passion for Italian cuisine, music and dancing to create an exciting dining destination.

Di Ferdinando has partnered with his longtime friend and Executive Chef Giancarlo Cosmo Di and Pizza Chef

Antonio Mancini for this project. The two-story restaurant is rustic and understated, with a few glitzy touches, like a gold-tiled wood-burning pizza oven imported from Italy. The open kitchen gives diners an up-close view of Pizza Chef Mancini at work. Upstairs, guests will find a bar, club and dance floor. Because Di Ferdinando worked in the club and DJ world, he wanted to share his love for music and dance with the Sarasota community. His motto, “Eat. Dance. Love.”, is a play off the film Eat Pray Love, and represents his hope that the restaurant will be a joyful

place where people can come together over a delicious meal. He hopes to host salsa dancing every Friday night, and he also wants to offer an in-house DJ and club music, evocative of Miami, every other Saturday, which will alternate with a 70s and 80s revival with a live band. “The people who used to come here 20 years ago will be able to relive their memories,” he says.

Of course, food is 15 South’s main attraction, and the menu offers guests a variety of Italian delights. To start, Di Ferdinando recommends the Meat and Cheese Board which features imported products from top Italian brands. “We decided to add some vegetables too,

so you can get meat, cheese and vegetables, like grilled zucchini, grilled artichokes and red peppers roasted and marinated in parsley and garlic. It can be a small one for two or a big one for four people,” he adds. “With that, you’ll be able to eat our homemade bread that we bake every morning in the wood-burning oven. It’s ‘Grandma-style.’ They used to cook this way hundreds and hundreds of years ago, with an oven and fire.” He notes that the Parmigiana Di Melanzane Classica, or Eggplant Parmesan, is also very popular. Bruschetta lovers can indulge in the Stracciatella Bruschetta. “It has stracciatella, which is the inside of the burrata cheese. It’s creamy. Then we take the Brussels sprouts leaves and deep fry them so that they become curly and crunchy. We put a mix of honey and truffle oil right on top,” he says. “People are going crazy for it.”

For the main event, pizza and pasta are equally good choices. The Ravioli Cacio E Pepe All’Amatriciana combines two classic Italian sauces into one dish. The ravioli are bursting with the cheesy and peppery filling which contrasts well with the spicy tomato sauce. “The pizza is amazing,” adds Di Ferdinando. “It takes 90 seconds to cook. It’s thin-crusted and Neapolitan style, cooked with just wood. The oven goes anywhere from

750 to 900 degrees Fahrenheit.” He suggests ordering the La Napulé pizza, which is a white pizza with mozzarella, provolone, homemade sausage, broccoli rabe cream, basil and extra virgin olive oil, or the Mortazza Pizza, another white pizza with mozzarella, provolone, mortadella, pistachio crumbs, pistachio cream, basil and extra virgin olive oil. The entrée selection features a balance of meats and seafood. One standout dish is the Grilled Lamb Chops with Hollandaise Sauce, Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus. “This sauce works so nicely with the lamb because Chef Cosmo Di makes his own sauce with a little twist. I see those plates coming back with just three little bones from the lamb,” Di Ferdinando says. For coastal flavor, many diners opt for the Brodetto Di Mare, which has stuffed calamari, jumbo shrimp, scallops and clams cooked in a lightly spicy tomato sauce.

While it’s tempting to fill up on bread and pasta, those who save room for dessert are in for a sweet surprise. The Torta Ricotta E Pistacchio, a layered pistachio cake, is a light and flavorful end to any meal as well as a feast for the eyes. Whether guests are in the mood for a sweet treat or mouthwatering pasta, they should look no further than 15 South by Napulé. SRQ

This page left to right: The ravioli bursting with cheese and peppery filling, is served in a special tomato sauce. One of the standout features at 15 South is the impressive wood-fired pizza oven, imported from Italy. 15 South by Napulé, 15 South Blvd. of the Presidents, Sarasota, 941-867-8081, 15south.net.

giving coast

GIVING HEARTS ROCK

Restaurateurs Amanda and John Horne have been deeply involved in philanthropic efforts, serving the community they have called home for more than 40 years. Barbie Heit

giving coast

RESTAURATEURS AMANDA

AND JOHN HORNE are the proud owners of Oysters Rock Hospitality. The dynamic husbandwife team from Bradenton, well-known in the local hospitality industry for excellence and friendly service, are deeply involved in philanthropic efforts, serving the community they have called home for more than 40 years.

John Horne is a 5th generation Floridian who grew up in Bartow and moved to Anna Maria Island in 1981. His career in the hospitality industry spans over four decades, starting when he was in college pursuing a Business degree at Clemson University in South Carolina. During those summers and for 10+ years, he worked at Fast Eddie’s Place on Anna Maria Island and on the West Coast of Florida and Orlando, gaining valuable experience that laid the foundation for his future endeavors. In 1995, he opened his first restaurant, Anna Maria Oyster Bar, located on the Anna Maria City Pier. Over the years, he’s earned a reputation for serving fresh, delicious seafood in a welcoming, familyfriendly atmosphere. Born in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and educated in England, Amanda Horne’s hospitality career began in hotel management in England and Northern Ireland, working in what was at the time, the mostbombed building in the world, the Europa Hotel in Belfast. Here at home, she works alongside John at Oysters Rock Hospitality to promote affordable dining and inclusivity in the community. The happy couple first met in 2006 at a fundraiser at the Anna Maria Island Community Center and they have been married for 23 years. “How is that possible?” asks John. “We count by twos because we feel we put at least 48 hours of fun into each day and we want to be married for 50 years, so by being 50 when we married, the only way to do it was to cram two years into every one!”

In 2022, a momentous change came to the well-loved Anna Maria Oyster Bar. After serving up great seafood for years, the Hornes were presented with the opportunity to acquire Sarasota’s iconic Café L’Europe. According to the couple, everything changed from this point, leading to the birth of Oysters Rock Hospitality. “Anna Maria Oyster Bar was our 25+ year-old pride and joy, loved by locals and tourists alike for its fresh seafood and friendly vibe. But adding a Sarasota staple like Cafe L’Europe to the mix took us to a whole new level. It gave us the

chance to create something really special,” shares John. Under the couple’s leadership and that of their home office team, Oysters Rock Hospitality has taken off in a big way. “We have opened two new Anna Maria Oyster Bars—at UTC and at North Port—and a new venue on the Bridge Street Pier called Pier Cheer. Bringing Café L’Europe into the mix was a meaningful change, and it made us even more committed to serving delicious food with a side of our signature Five Star Fun,” he adds. The Hornes have also acquired a new brand in downtown Bradenton that has attracted a devoted following of fans with its Mediterranean-inspired Brunch menu, coffee and pastries served from a walk-up window. “Looking back, I am grateful for everyone who has been part of the journey, from our hardworking team to our loyal customers. As we keep growing, one thing is for sure— we will always be dedicated to making a difference, one oyster at a time, and with a Five Star Fun margarita in hand,” he adds.

Beyond their restaurant ventures, the Hornes share a passion for giving back and have been deeply involved in community service and philanthropy. Through their Shuckin’ Good Cause program, the philanthropic arm of Oysters Rock Hospitality, the couple has provided financial assistance and support to the community and to employees facing various hardships or emergencies. “Shuckin’ Good Cause is our way of giving back while celebrating our love for seafood,” says John. “It is all about using our platform to make a positive impact and support causes that matter both inside our four walls and in our communities.”

Through the program, the Hornes host events, fundraisers, and special promotions to raise awareness and funds for various charitable organizations and community initiatives. “Whether it is supporting local schools, or aiding in disaster relief, we are committed to making a difference,” he adds. “At Oysters Rock Hospitality, we believe that businesses have a responsibility to give back to the communities they serve and this is our way of living out that belief and making a positive impact, one shuck at a time.”

One of the flagship initiatives under Shuckin’ Good Causes is the Dive Into Reading program. This program aims to improve literacy rates among children by providing access to books and educational

resources during the summer months. By partnering with schools, libraries, fellow restaurateurs and community organizations, they are able to reach children in need and help them develop critical reading skills.

“Dive Into Reading is so much fun and it is a company-wide and community-wide initiative. It is about using what we can to help our communities’ children who are behind in reading, which is an essential life skill. Every child deserves the best start in life that we can give them,” says Amanda. When the program started eight years ago, the aim was simple— to be a part of the solution, to help children who are already behind in school from falling even further behind in their reading skills during the summer break. Working with Suncoast Campaign for Grade Level Reading, school districts, libraries, other restaurants and groups in the community, the Hornes started a program that invited children to their restaurants, paired them with mentors, taught them basic social skills such as how to use a knife and fork and then gave them one-on-one reading time to develop their reading skills and hopefully, learn a love of reading. “We are Five Star Fun and that is what we want our children to learn about reading,” the Hornes explain. “We are so lucky to have such supportive communities, with over 350 mentors’ dedication at least one morning a week during the summer–they are the lifeblood of the program, and we are so grateful for their hearts and love for the children in our community.” Through their efforts, the Hornes have made significant strides in improving literacy levels among children, mentoring over 2,500 rising 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders. Serving on and chairing the Board of Directors for PACE Center for Girls–Manatee, advocating for the educational advancement of young women, John and Amanda are also the Co-Chairs of the PACE Center for Girls $6.5 million Capital Campaign to build a new school here in Manatee County.

“Be yourself, be pleasant, play hard and have no regrets,” a quote by Jimmy Buffett is a mantra that John tries to live by. Described by his wife as ‘a shorts-wearing, margarita drinking, fun-loving, oyster and Elvis lover with the biggest heart’, he is proud to be a champion of his community. SRQ John and Amanda Horne were honored as Good Heroes by SRQ Magazine in December 2023.

MODERN POMELO

CONTEMPORARY FARMHOUSE

AESTHETICS CREATE AN

ELEGANT FAMILY HOME

CONTENTS H & D

Home design stories, inspiration and thoughtful architecture on the West Coast of Florida—from Anna Maria Island and Lakewood Ranch to Sarasota, Venice and the Barrier Islands.

8 UNCOMPROMISING DESIGN

Located west of the Trail, Pomelo Place is a historic neighborhood with an eclectic mix of houses from different styles and eras. Single family homes from the 1920s, Spanish colonial architecture and old Florida-style cottages coexist alongside freshly-renovated properties and new construction. It was the ideal neighborhood for Jeff and Corey Talbot, a couple looking to build a home that was uniquely suited to their needs, one where they could put down roots and raise their young family.

18 GO WITH THE FLOW

Castilow is a general contractor and the president of Vertical Design + Build, a custom home building firm. Leonardo Lunardi is the principal architect of Lunardi Architecture. Both men are based in Sarasota and have worked on a handful of projects together over the years. One of their earliest collaborations was a California contemporary style home in Southside Village that finished construction in 2014. Ten years later, Castilow and Lunardi sit down and revisit this project through the lens of time.

COVER Late architect John Potvin’s creation is realized by Murray Homes and AND Masters Collective. THIS PAGE Contemporary Pomelo Place residence, photography courtesy of Murray Homes and AND Masters Collective. Vertical Design + Build and Lunardi Architecture reflect on their Southside Village collaboration, photography courtesy of Vertical Design + Build.

UNCOMPROMISING DESIGN

WRITTEN

BY

KATE WIGHT, PHOTOGRAPHY

BY RYAN GAMMA

This spread: The design of Pomelo Place is elevated (sometimes quite literally) with impressive visual elements like the cathedral ceiling in the outdoor kitchen and dining area. The modern farmhouse architectural style worked well with the pie-shaped lot the house was situated on.

How deeply personal touches made this contemporary farmhouse in Pomelo Place a dream home like no other.

LOCATED WEST OF THE TRAIL, POMELO PLACE IS A HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD WITH AN ECLECTIC MIX OF HOUSES FROM DIFFERENT STYLES AND ERAS. Single family homes from the 1920s, Spanish colonial architecture and old Florida-style cottages coexist alongside freshly-renovated properties and new construction. It was the ideal neighborhood for Jeff and Corey Talbot, a couple looking to build a home that was uniquely suited to their needs, one where they could put down roots and raise their young family. Jennifer Masters is an interior designer and the owner and founder of AND Masters, a bespoke design firm with a presence in Sarasota and New York City. “Corey Talbot and I are both members of the Junior League of Sarasota and we became close traveling back and forth to St. Petersburg together for a two-day conference,” Masters shares. “In the fall of 2019, she said she would love to see if we could potentially work together on the new home she and Jeff were planning to build. They invited me to the house where they were living at the time and we walked through it together to find out what wasn’t working for them and talked about their dreams and aspirations for the new space.”

Steve Murray is the President of Murray Homes, a family-owned Sarasota business that specializes in building and remodeling custom homes.

“Some friends of ours lived in a house in Pomelo Place and they were looking to move,” Murray says. “When they put it on the market, my wife Bev was the listing agent. The Talbots ultimately bought the property. They decided they wanted to tear down the existing structure on the property and completely rebuild which was where our introduction came in.”

With their designer and builder secured, the Talbots still needed an architect who could help them translate their vision from idea to reality. Murray knew just who to call.

“I’ve worked on over twenty houses with the architect John Potvin over the last twenty years,” Murray says. “I told them that John is a great individual. They got on extremely well with him and obviously signed on with him. They already had Jen Masters on board as interior designer who I hadn’t worked with be-

fore, although I had come close a couple of times. I was excited to work with her because she’s very talented. The other person we wanted to bring into the mix was Mike Gilkey, a fantastic landscape architect. And so the team started to form.”

The Pomelo Place neighborhood features a diverse array of architectural styles from many different eras which gave the Talbots the freedom to push their own home design into an unexpected direction. “The contemporary farmhouse style of architecture was something that Corey and Jeff had resonated with early on,” Masters says. “That was definitely a directive to John to take with and run.”

“It’s a little bit of a departure from regular Florida design and that’s great. That’s what I like to do,” Murray adds. “But at the same time, there’s longevity in the design. Fads come and go but classic remains. You have to have classic architectural proportions and detail that allows structures to be timeless, and this house has a completely timeless feel.” While there are nods to the modern farm-

house aesthetic inside the home, the Talbots worked with Masters to blend some of their favorite interior design styles. “They have a love for midcentury modern pieces and they have a love for pieces that are relaxed and comfortable but refined,” Masters says. “They wanted some industrial moments with touches of concrete, and things that were made by hand were also really important to them. The design was really a true blend of a lot of styles, so we had to take all of those styles and find a common thread between them.”

In the foyer, you get a preview of the kinds of details you can expect to find as you move throughout the house. Instead of a rug, Masters had a stone marble mosaic installed in the floor to add a little formality and create a sense of arrival. The foyer leads into the formal living room which is where you first start to see the combining of interior design styles. The metal window frames have an industrial edge, but the transoms keep the space feeling residential instead of urban.

This page: A stone marble mosaic inlay lends a sense of formality to the foyer.

Meanwhile the ceiling beams, which are stained a little darker than the white oak flooring that runs through the home, have more of that rustic farmhouse flair. Those beams continue into the kitchen, where design styles continue to mix and mingle.

“The cabinetry is all a modified Shaker-style which speaks to that modern farmhouse look,” Masters explains. “But then we brought in a lime wash on the interior wall that divides the living and dining rooms and incorporated it again over the hood as a reference to the exterior concrete wall. So those are the industrial touches that were introduced in a very subtle way.”

The kitchen has a serene simplicity to it which is made possible by the addition of a butler’s pantry.

“The butler’s pantry was a design decision early in the floorplan. The Talbots didn’t have a formal dining space in their plan, nor did they want one, and so their dining area is very open to the kitchen,” Masters says. “We discussed lots of different options on how to keep

the kitchen clean and uncluttered and this was our solution.”

“We’re doing more and more butler’s pantries these days,” Murray adds. “They allow for the communal part of the kitchen to be enjoyed while the clutter can just be hidden away. For a room that’s not necessarily meant to be seen, the butler’s pantry is a visual feast. The narrow room is lined with shelves and cabinets that are a few shades darker than the cabinetry in the kitchen. Corey had bookmarked a photo of a cafe with floors she loved, and that image served as the inspiration for the custom mosaic tile here. Wall-mounted brass light fixtures added character and related to that cafe feel.

As you step out of the butler’s pantry and into the kitchen, you’ll see an outdoor kitchen and dining area. The Talbots may not have a formal indoor dining room, but the outdoor one is undeniably a showstopper. Like the foyer this space featured a built-in rug element, this one crafted from ipe wood. The glass walls on either side and glass-

continued on page 14

IN MEMORY OF JOHN POTVIN

Over the span of four decades, architect John Potvin transformed the landscape of Sarasota with his unique perspective and artistic flair. The Talbot home was the last project of his storied career. “John had just an incredible energy to him where he was just always the biggest personality in the room.” says Steve Murray. “Unfortunately, after he had designed this home, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and didn’t have very long to live and passed away,” Murray continues. “He was a good friend of mine and he was a fantastic architect and a great colleague. Obviously when you build over twenty houses with one guy you get to know them. You get to know their architecture and the kind of vibe he put into the design and the kind of energy that he had all the way through the process. All of that survives now through the structure and through the actual building process. We definitely feel that he’s still here because we see him all the time and interact with him all the time through his work.”

This page: Custom pieces like the handmade bed in the master bedroom will age and grow with the family over time.

Architect:

Interior

John Potvin

Builder/Contractor: Steve Murray of Murray Homes

Design: Jen Masters of AND Masters Kitchen Cabinets and Bathroom: Sarasota Architectural Woodworking Carpets and Flooring: International Wood Floors Landscape: Michael A. Gilkey Pool: Water

Designs

Photographer: Ryan Gamma Photography

backed fireplace at the far end, create the sense that you are truly immersed in nature. But the most breathtaking architectural element is the vaulted ceiling.

“There’s no second floor on that part of the house, so it allowed us to be very high and very steep in pitch. It really was an area where we could do what we wanted in order to achieve the look they were looking for,” Murray says. “I think it’s one of the best outdoor spaces we’ve ever built because of the lack of constraint that we had that gave us the ability to have this high, peaked Cathedral ceiling.”

Everywhere you turn in this house, you’ll find interesting and unique details that tell the story of the people who live there. The master bedroom is anchored by a handmade brass bed that will age and develop a patina over time. Corey’s

office has layers of visual interest, from the whimsical wallpaper to the starburst pattern in the ceiling. Hand-glazed concrete tiles add pops of pattern and color to the upstairs powder room. These hyper specific details are expressly tailored to the Talbots’ taste, something that’s not always possible when building a new home.

“This house is designed for their family to live in for the next 20 or 25 years, which is always lovely for us. When someone is only going to live somewhere for a year or two you don’t really feel that they’ve got 100% of their soul into the design. But when someone says we’re going to live there for 25 years and the kids are going to grow up here, it changes how you design.” Murray says. “The Talbots knew how they wanted to live in the house and how it was going to operate, and so every

Murray Homes, 2900 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite #1, Sarasota, 941-906-7000. murrayhomesinc.com. AND MASTERS Collective, 630 S Orange Ave Suite 200D, Sarasota, 941-706-3300. andmasters.com

area was specific to how they wanted it for them, as opposed to having one eye on resale. So that was great, because it took away compromise. Compromise is a terrible thing for design because you end up not doing anything very well. When you take that out of the equation, you’re then dealing 100% with personal choice and the right way to do it for you and you end up with a better product. All the houses that I’ve been involved with that have taken this very singular approach to design and interior design and finish, they have been inherently better by the feel of what the product is. They take on a personality of their own. I think that was achieved in this house.” SRQH&D

Below:

“I’ve worked with a lot of architects over the years and there are a few I’m excited to work with time and time again,” says Grant Castilow. “Leo definitely falls into that category.” Castilow is a general contractor and the president of Vertical Design + Build, a custom home building firm. He’s talking about Leonardo Lunardi, the principal architect of Lunardi Architecture. Both men are based in Sarasota and have worked on a handful of projects together over the years. One of their earliest collaborations was a California contemporary style home in Southside Village that finished construction in 2014. Ten years later, Castilow and Lunardi sit down and revisit this project through the lens of time. “The clients for this project were a husband and wife,” Castilow recalls. “He was a doctor, so the location appealed to him because it was so close to Sarasota Memorial Hospital.”

GO WITH THE FLOW

Builder Grant Castilow and Architect Leonardo Lunardi and the art of collaboration WRITTEN BY

THE LOCATION IN QUESTION WAS A LOT IN SOUTHSIDE VILLAGE, a mixed residential and commercial neighborhood located a mile south of downtown Sarasota. Popular with families and young professionals alike, the neighborhood is known for its green spaces and walkability. The streets are lined with mature trees that cast their shade over a diverse array of housing options including historic bungalows, Mediterranean-inspired villas, modern architecture, and single-family homes that have been built over the past several decades. Quiet residential streets soon give way into a flourishing shopping district largely centered around the intersection of Hillview Street and Osprey Avenue. This lively business hub is teeming with shops, from high-end galleries to trendy boutiques to beloved local eateries.

The aesthetics and amenities of Southside Village make it a desirable place to live, and that was true back in 2014 as well. Properties were hard to come by, and the one that the clients had purchased was not one that would be easy to work with. The lot was pie-shaped, which means it was narrower in the front and wider in back. Irregularly-shaped lots like these can be difficult to design for, especially if your clients have particular needs.

“Privacy was a big concern for these clients,” Lunardi says. “They wanted a serene outdoor space they could enjoy, and they wanted it to feel secluded.”

That was easier said than done. At just over a quarter acre in size, the lot wasn’t exactly small but it wasn’t particularly spacious either. It would be difficult to foster a sense of solitude and separation with neighboring properties snugly tucked against each side of the property line. The lot was also located near the boundary where the quiet residential neighborhood gave way into the hustle and bustle of the commercial district.

The property was just a few hundred feet away from the iconic local gourmet grocery store Morton’s Market. On the one hand, delicious snacks would only be a short walk away. On the other hand, the frequent comings and goings of customers would quickly ruin the illusion of a remote retreat in the backyard.

Ultimately, Lunardi spelled out a solution by designing what was essentially a U-shaped house. The bottom of the U would face the main road, while the legs of the U would extend toward the backyard, creating a space for a semi-enclosed private courtyard behind the house. The only thing that kept the house from being a true U-shape was the addition of an attached garage on one side. With the design completed, the project began moving forward at a fast clip.

“I remember being on a tight timeline,” Castilow says. “I think they wanted to be in the house for the holidays.”

“Was it a wedding?” Lunardi interjects.

“Yes!” Castilow says. “That was it. We absolutely had to be done in December because there was a family wedding.”

“I think they were also very firm on the budget,” Lunardi says.

“That’s right. What’s that saying? You can have it done, fast, good, or cheap, but you can only pick two,” Castilo says. “Obviously I’m always going to do a good job, so usually the compromise has to come on timeline or budget.”

“But this time there was no compromise,” Lunardi concludes. Because it had been so long since they had worked on the project, Castilow and Lunardi pulled out old plans, pictures, and documents to refresh their memories. Castilow made an unexpected discovery along the way.

“According to this, the city approved the permits in February of 2014 and we wrapped up the project in December of 2014,” he says. “Can you believe that?”

“There’s absolutely no way you could do it that quickly now,” Lunardi agrees.

The Southside Village home is an example of California contemporary architecture, a style that began to emerge in the mid-20th century. California contemporary design is characterized by clean lines, innovative construction techniques, and an emphasis on sustainability. Homes designed in this style often feature open floor plans and indoor-outdoor living areas and utilize natural materials like glass, wood, and

Below: Located steps away from Morton’s Market, this Southside Village home is an example of California contemporary architecture.

H & D

stone, details which can all be found in this home. While an increasing number of contemporary homes have been built in the Southside Village neighborhood over the past ten years, this was one of the earlier examples.

“When you look at this house through the lens of what’s going on today, it has the elements you’d expect from a contemporary house. But Leo was really ahead of his time,” Castilow says. “A lot of the things he did here were not things people were doing back then, like the recessed lighting bars in the living room or the accordion glass doors that lead out to the courtyard. Now you can get things like that from multiple suppliers, but back then you could maybe get them from one vendor or you had to get them custom made.”

Contemporary architecture often utilizes geometric forms, whether it’s in the form of straight lines and rectilinear shapes or curves and organic silhouettes. The Southside Village house takes the former approach.

“I was looking at the plan and you put a lot of corners in here,” says Castilow. “I think I counted 41.”

“You must have only counted the ones outside,” says Lunardi. “Because there were a lot more than that.” But while the house is quite angular, there’s a sense of movement and ease to it that is palpable even in photographs. The already-spacious indoor living area becomes even more expansive when the glass doors are folded away to create a seamless transition out into outdoor space. When you step into the courtyard, you see it is

Below, left to right: Whimsical artwork and light fixtures enhance the California design style. The staggered design on the sides of the house maximizes the use of the irregularly pie-shaped lot. Clerestory windows flood the living and dining areas of natural light.

bordered on both sides by the stems of the U-shape. The left side holds a master bedroom suite, while the right side features office space. The massive sliding glass doors on either side contribute to the feeling of openness, ensuring the courtyard is private without being penned in.

Inside the house, you’ll find large windows in nearly every room. The one exception is the kitchen, which loses its one exterior wall to the attached garage. It still gets ample natural light though,

thanks to clever design choices. The wall that separates the kitchen from the foyer doesn’t go all the way to the ceiling, which allows light to filter in from the clerestory windows in the living room. “Skylights have kind of a bad reputation, but I like using them to bring light into a room,” Lunardi says. “The quality of them is much better than they used to be.” Here, the skylights beam sunlight onto dual dichroic pendant light fixtures which adds an interesting and ever-changing visual element to the space.

Lunardi’s favorite detail, though, is on the exterior of the home. “One thing I really pushed Grant for was to do the cantilever in the front of the house,” Lunardi says. “Do you see when you look at the garage, how it looks like the building is almost floating above the ground?”

“That was our biggest conflict on the project,” says Castilow. “I thought you were crazy.”

“I still can’t believe you actually went for it,” Lunardi admits. “I don’t know how I convinced you.”

“You wanted to do it all the way around the house but you’ll notice I put my foot down,” Castilow says.

“That’s okay,” Lunardi says. “I got my way in the place where it was most important.” At the end of the day, what is their biggest takeaway from this trip down memory lane? “Looking back, I’m actually really happy about how this design has held up over time,” Lunardi says. “I’d love to look back on it in another fifteen years to see if it still feels this timeless.” Castilow adds, “I’m realizing that I’d really like to work with Leo again. It’s been too long. But no cantilevering this time.” SRQH&D

Vertical Design Build, 3232 S Tamiami Trail, Sarasota 941- 263-4999, verticaldesignbuild.com Lunardi Architecture, 1855 University Pkwy, Sarasota, 941-928-6953, lunardiarch.com

Right: Designing the house in a V-shape with a hidden courtyard creates a sense of privacy for the homeowners.