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Art in the Park
March 11 & 12, 2023
10 AM–5 PM | RAIN OR SHINE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FREE ADMISSION & PARKING
Art in the Park is a celebration of the fine art created in the University Park community. Over 150 pieces of art by 60+ artists will be on exhibit and for sale. Visit ArtintheParkUPCC.com to find out more about the show!
Granting Wishes
Make-A-Wish Southern Florida spares no expense when granting wishes for local children (you’ll find that those wishes can range from going on shopping sprees to meeting the pope), which is why events like Cooking For Wishes have been critical for their operation. Make-AWish staff said wishes can often cost around $8,000. Local donors stepped up in a major way and brought in $650,000 at this year’s event. Social scene mainstays Thomas and Linda Doan, in particular, put forth $80,000 for local kids.
Talented Women
The Sarasota Ballet has a longstanding practice of hosting a major dance company as part of its program lineup each year.
This year’s offering was the Dance Theatre of Harlem, a renowned multiethnic company that put on a varied repertoire from Feb. 24-27.
Sarasota social scene figure Rochelle Nigri assembled a crew of local “Melanated Women of Magic” — composed of Black doctors, lawyers, financial advisors, Realtors and more — to mark the occasion and catch the show opening night.
Second Heart Help
The Second Heart Homes nonprofit — which has provided temporary housing and programs for homeless in the Sarasota and Bradenton areas since 2019 — recently had the good fortune of the 100 Women Who Care-Greater Sarasota organization donating more than $26,000 for its programs. The donation was part of a presentation system where Second Heart Homes staff made their case for needing the funds.
“We put it to immediate use by purchasing computers for every home in our program,” Second Heart Homes founder Megan Howell said in a statement. “This will allow our clients to enhance their skills through access to computer programs and webinars. They will also be able attend important online meetings for therapy, medical appointments and court proceedings.”
Some of the donation was also used to help a homeless man enter the Second Heart Homes system.
Trip to the ’70s
The Florida Studio Theatre welcomed some fierce figures and wild designs from a throwback time during its annual fundraiser on Feb. 6.
The ’70s Shindig more than lived up to the name, where guests arrived in colorful clothes, floral designs, big glasses, poofy hair and much more.
The event, chaired by season underwriter Wendy Grady, started off with drinks like “The Groovy Green Tea” and “Lit Lemon Drop” before it was time for the program to start with a performance from the casts of “The ’70s: More Than A Decade” and “A Place in the Sun: A Tribute to Stevie Wonder.”
This year’s Spelman Award was presented to Ed and Susan Maier for their work introducing numerous friends and colleagues to the many productions at Florida Studio Theatre.
