Arts + Entertainment 3.23.23

A+E INSIDE:

< HIGHLAND FLING: The Sarasota Ballet stages the Scottish-themed ‘La Sylphide.’ 3

BLACK TIE INSIDE:

AVANT-GARDE: The annual iconic costume bash brings ’70s styles to Ringling College 7 >

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

SILVER JUBILEE

Indigo Girls’ Amy Ray and Emily Saliers and ‘Angel’ star Roma Downey will be honored at the Sarasota Film Festival.

“The more things change, the more they remain the same.” That’s the tagline for the 25th Sarasota Film Festival that graces its silver anniversary poster designed by Maria Elena Diaz.

Things have changed a lot since the festival’s 1998 debut. Back then, President Bill Clinton was blessed with a booming economy, driven by the spread of the internet.

On TV, Roma Downey was starring as Monica in “Touched by an Angel,” dispensing heavenly advice to troubled Earthlings.

On the big screen, “Titanic” was a monster hit, sweeping the Oscars with 11 awards before ultimately raking in a staggering $2.25 billion at the box office worldwide.

Fast forward to the present: Not even seven Oscars will propel “Everything Everywhere All at Once!” anywhere close to that, thanks to couch

potatoes who got used to streaming movies during COVID.

Even though attendance at other arts events in Sarasota is down as much as 30% from the “Before Days,” Sarasota Film Festival Chairman and Board President Mark Famiglio thinks this year’s festival is going to be a blockbuster.

Lifting Famiglio’s hopes is a compelling mix of premieres, features, documentaries and shorts programmed by festival vets Tom Hall and Holly Herrick. He’s also banking on the star power of Downey, who will receive SFF’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and Indigo Girls band members Amy Ray and Emily Saliers, who will pick up the Sarasota Maestro Award.

“I’m ready to be surprised (by the numbers,” Famiglio said in a telephone interview. “We’ve printed 45,000 programs. We’re being inundated.”

Virtual programming rolled out for an exclusively online festival in 2020 accompanies this year’s live event,

which opens Saturday, March 25, with a screening of Dawn Porter’s “Cirque du Soleil: Without a Net.” The film, which takes viewers behind the scenes to see how Cirque rebounded from the pandemic, will fittingly unspool at The Circus Arts Conservatory.

The festival will close Sunday, April 2, with a screening of Sean McNamara’s “On a Wing and a Prayer.” The true-life story of a passenger who unexpectedly is forced to land a plane stars Dennis Quaid, Heather Graham and Jesse Metcalfe.

TV’s long-running angel Downey is the film’s producer and will attend the screening and accept her award.

The day before, she will host a conversation and sign copies of her latest book, “Be An Angel,” at Bookstore1, 117 S. Pineapple Ave.

In addition to angels, the SFF shines a spotlight on a saint. Cinephiles will appreciate the newly restored version of Danish director Carl Theodor Dreyer’s 1928 classic, “Passion of Joan of Arc,” about the French heroine who was burned at the stake.

Along with death-defying acts and spirituality, music is a thread that runs through the 25th edition of the SFF, which includes a sidebar dedicated to the topic, as well as programs focused on African Americans, female directors, LGBTQ issues and Judaism.

In some cases, films span categories, as in the case of the East Coast premiere of “It’s Only Life After All.”

IF YOU GO

Tickets and passes for the 25th annual SFF can be purchased online at SarasotaFilmFestival.com and the box offices of the festival’s screening locations.

The box office will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Sarasota Municipal Auditorium from March 14-27 and from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. from March 28 through April 2.

The box office at CMX CineBistro Siesta

Key will be open from 5-8 p.m. from March 25 to April 2. Ticket sales will take place from noon to 7 p.m. at the Burns Court Cinema from March 25 to April 2.

TO LOVE YOU, DONNA SUMMER’

Silver Jubilee

Alexandria Bombach’s documentary centerpiece about the 40-year collaboration between Indigo Girls’ Ray and Saliers will screen in the music, directed by women and LGBTQ focus sidebars.

Another film in the music program, the East Coast premiere of “Love to Love You, Donna Summer,” is sure to be a crowd pleaser, thanks to the disco queen’s ties to Florida.

Directed by Roger Ross Williams and Brooklyn Sudano, “Love to Love You” mines an archive of previously unseen film footage, photos, artwork and recordings to tell the story of the multifaceted artist.

Audience members eager to put on their dancing shoes and get their hustle on won’t want to miss the SFF disco street party on Friday, March 31, near the intersection of Cocoanut Avenue and Fourth Street. Famiglio expects the shindig to draw more than 1,000 revelers.

“You never know who’s going to stop by,” he said, remembering the year the festival got a call from the road manager of the rock band Aerosmith. “At first, we thought it was a hoax, but it turned out they were coming to support their sound engineer,” who was involved in the film festival.

Rounding out the music program is “Little Richard: I Am Everything,” which also appears in the African American and LGBTQ sections. Using archival footage and interviews with family members and musicians, as well as Black and queer scholars, Lisa Cortés’ documentary rips away the whitewashed veneer of the musical superstar Richard Penniman.

In terms of boldface names, the SFF’s documentary lineup doesn’t disappoint. In addition to “It’s Only Life After All,” the program features

“Being Mary Tyler Moore,” an intimate portrait of the groundbreaking actress; “Judy Blume Forever,” a Prime Video release about the trailblazing author; Barbara Kopple’s “Gumbo Coalition,” about a crusade against the resurgence of white supremacy and “Invisible Beauty,” which profiles model-turned activist Bethann Hardison, who knew “Black is beautiful” before the fashion industry got woke.

Among the world premieres at the 25th SFF are Sam Shahid’s documentary, “Hidden Master: The Legacy of George Platt Lynes,” about a fashion photographer who found fulfillment celebrating male nudes; “Losing Grip,” which follows Shane Wiskus’ obstacle-filled journey to the Olympics and “Perfectly Good Moment,” Lauren Greenhall’s erotic revenge fantasy.

Films making their East Coast premiere at the SFF include “Karen Carpenter: Starving for Perfection,” about the pop superstar’s fatal struggle with eating disorders; “A Small Still Voice,” which profiles a

soul-searching chaplain wrapping up a yearlong residency; and Swedish director Lasse Hallström’s “Hilma” starring Lena Olin as an artist able to connect with people of varying backgrounds.

Like its counterparts around the country, the SFF offers festivalgoers the opportunity to interact with those behind some of its featured films. For instance, after the March 31 screening of the animated documentary “The Conspiracy,” directed by Maxim Pozdorovkin, producer Caroline Hirsch and local leaders of the Jewish community will participate in a panel discussion.

Unspooling in the Jewish focus program along with “The Conspiracy” is Matthew Mishory’s “Fioretta,” about genealogist Randy Schoenberg’s search for the gravestone of his oldest known ancestor, who died in the 1600s in Venice, Italy.

It’s nearly impossible to live in coastal Florida without being aware of how extreme weather can wreak havoc on everyday life, and the SFF has a lineup of films addressing envi-

ronmental issues. Among them is the world premiere of Joshua Bryan McLawhorn’s documentary “Unfiltered: The Truth About Oysters.” In “no ways ‘preachy,’” according to the festival’s program notes, the film takes an honest look at the ecological reality of Florida’s waterways. Also focused on Florida’s environment is Eric Bendick’s “Path of the Panther,” which follows efforts to protect the wild cat and other species in Florida’s Everglades.

The SFF isn’t just an event that presents films and brings together the community’s cinephiles; it is a competition as well. The jury for narrative films includes IndieWire Executive Managing Editor Christian Blauvelt and documentary filmmaker Bombach.

Serving on the documentary jury are Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz partner Victoria Cook, Hamptons International Film Festival Executive Director Anne Chaisson and veteran film public relations executive Katie Martin Kelley.

on

Sarasota Ballet’s Highland fling

Get your kilts out and get ready for a Highland fling among the palms as the Sarasota Ballet stages the Scottish-themed “La Sylphide” on March 24-25.

Macarena Gimenez and Luke Schaufuss star in Johan Kobborg’s production of the classic Danish ballet about a Scottish man torn between his betrothed and an ethereal creature.

Considered a “crown jewel” of Danish ballet, the production has a storied history that the Sarasota Ballet faces pressure to live up to. It’s not just metaphorical big (toe) shoes to fill, it’s also a physical chair.

“The chair that Luke (Schaufuss) sits in is the same one that Baryshnikov and Erik Bruhn sat in,” says Jason W. Ettore, general manager of the Sarasota Ballet.

Unless you’re a balletomane, which Ettore most assuredly is, it’s easy to dismiss the difficulty of passing down a production through the years, particularly before the spread of affordable film and digital technology.

To give the challenge some context, Ettore notes that if a director decided to stage the original “As You Like It” today, and Shakespeare came back to life for the show, he probably wouldn’t have too many objections.

Plays, musical compositions and screenplays provide lots of clues for modern-day artists to draw upon when they stage a classic. Not so with ballet, Ettore points out.

Many enduring ballet productions owe their longevity to the long life of choreographers, such as New York City Ballet’s iconic Artistic Director George Balanchine, he says.

In the case of “La Sylphide,” a community of Danish and English dancers and choreographers who found their way to Sarasota

were instrumental in keeping alive August Bournonville’s classic, which debuted in Copenhagen in 1836. (There was an earlier incarnation that debuted in Paris in 1832, but that version didn’t survive.)

Ettore says Flemming Flindt, who retired in Sarasota and died here in 2009 at age 72, might be the one who deserves the credit for “La Sylphide’s” appearance on the Sarasota stage. As a director for the Royal Danish Ballet, Flindt preserved the 19th-century works of Bournonville, while adding his own signature.

Continuity matters when it comes to protecting historical gems like “La Sylphide.” That’s why Sarasota’s arts community has breathed a collective sigh of relief that the ballet’s board of directors recently renewed the contract of ballet Director Iain Webb for another 10 years.

A former Royal Ballet dancer in London, Webb joined the Sarasota Ballet in 2007. Along with his wife, Margaret Barbieri, a former Royal Ballet prima ballerina who is now assistant director at Sarasota Ballet, Webb is credited with putting Sarasota on the global ballet map.

Under Webb’s direction the ballet has been invited to perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., the Joyce Theatre in New York and the Jacob’s Pillow summer dance festival in the Berkshires of Massachusetts.

TICKETS going fast!

“WHEN

“TO

Kobborg’s version of Bournonville’s “La Sylphide” has been performed by companies across the world, including The Royal Ballet and the Bolshoi Ballet. This weekend, his production will be accompanied by The Sarasota Orchestra conducted by American Ballet Theatre Music Director Ormsby Wilkins.

“Johan is one of the most soughtafter directors in the ballet world,” says Ettore. “He was one of the greatest dancers of his generation. He was a principal with both the Danish Ballet and Royal Ballet. The artistry that he brings to Sarasota is amazing.”

Another key player in the growth and evolution of the Sarasota Ballet is Executive Director Joseph Volpe, who joined the organization in 2016. The retired general manager of New York’s Metropolitan Opera spent 42 years at the Met. Volpe worked his way up the ranks after starting as an apprentice carpenter.

On April 30, the Sarasota Ballet will honor Volpe with a gala that includes a special performance at the Sarasota Opera House, followed by dinner, catered by Michael’s On East, and dancing at the Circus Arts Conservatory. “We incredibly grateful to have him,” Ettore says of Volpe.

Like all performing arts organizations, the Sarasota Ballet was knocked off its feet by COVID. Asked how the ballet has recovered, Ettore

has to temper his exasperation.

“Haven’t enough words been written about that already?” he asks.

Pressed to discuss COVID’s impact, Ettore notes that the Sarasota had the financial wherewithal to pay its artists and other employees and provide assistance to ballet folk stranded during the crisis.

While the ballet’s coffers were full enough to withstand the pandemic, Ettore credits local arts patrons for their financial and emotional support during COVID.

But things still aren’t quite back to the way they used to be. This season, Ettore says the Sarasota’s attendance is down about 15% from the pre-pandemic 2019 season. But he says this is better than the industry’s record right now of audience declines of between 20% and 30%.

For those arts aficionados who want to see “La Sylphide,” there is a limited window of opportunity. The production will be staged three times over the weekend of March 24-25 at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.

The company returns to the stage April 23-29 with a tribute to George Balanchine at the Sarasota Opera House.

“We’re a touring company in our hometown,” Ettore quips, noting the different venues that host its performances. But regardless of the stage, it’s a safe bet that the Sarasota Ballet will land on its feet.

Monday-Friday 10-6 • Saturday 10-4

Also open two hours prior to showtimes

Prices, dates and times subject to change without notice.

THURSDAY

SAMANTHA BENNETT, VIOLIN

11 a.m. at Sarasota Yacht Club, 1100 Ringling Blvd.

$60

Visit ArtistSeriesConcerts.org

Bennett, who also served as principal second violin with the Sarasota Orchestra, is the founder and co-artistic director of ensemble NEWSRQ, a new music collective based in Sarasota. Lunch will be served.

‘THÉRÈSE’

7:30 p.m. at 1732 Rhoades Terrace

From $25

Visit SarasotaOpera.org.

This rarely heard work by Jules Massenet about a love triangle during the French Revolution makes its Sarasota Opera debut. Continues at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.

‘CELEBRATION’

7:30 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church of Sarasota, 2050 Oak St. $35 Visit ChamberOrchestraSarasota. org.

A musical birthday card to Israel on the occasion of its 75th birthday by the Sarasota Chamber Orchestra presents the music of five Jewish composers — Felix Mendelssohn,George Gershwin, Boris Levenberg, Noubar Aslanyan and Ernest Bloch. Founder Robert Vodnoy is the conductor.

FRIDAY

OPERA APPRENTICE

ARTIST CONCERT

Noon at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave.

$10

Visit SarasotaOpera.org.

The hour-long concert in the Peterson Great Room features Sarasota Opera’s Apprentice artists singing arias and ensembles.

TANIA VERGARA PÉREZ

7 p.m. at Sarasota Contemporary Dance Studio, 1400 Boulevard of the Arts, Suite 300

$20

Visit SarasotaContemporaryDance. org.

“The Voices That Make Me Move” originated from the choreographer’s interest in creating the visual poetry of dancing bodies in response to world women’s literature. Continues Saturday, March 25.

‘BACKWARDS FORWARDS BACK’

7:30 p.m. at Urbanite Theatre, 1487 Second St.

$5-$39

Visit UrbaniteTheatre.com.

In this world premiere by Jacqueline Goldfinger directed by Urbanite Co-Artistic Director Brendan Ragan, a soldier returning from war must decide whether to address his PTSD or risk losing his family. Runs through April 23.

THIS WEEK

‘LA SYLPHIDE’

7:30 p.m. at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail

From $35 Visit SarasotaBallet.org.

The Sarasota Ballet performs Johan Kobborg’s production of August Bournonville’s iconic full-length romantic ballet. “La Sylphide” tells the story of a Scottish fiance torn between a local woman and an ethereal creature. Continues at 2 and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.

‘MADAMA BUTTERFLY’

7:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave.

From $25 Visit SarasotaOpera.org.

Since its 1904 premiere in Milan, “Madama Butterfly” has become one of the most popular operas in the world. Over the years, the tragic tale of a Japanese geisha who commits suicide after being jilted by a U.S. naval officer has sparked controversy. It’s an audience favorite nonetheless. This is the opera’s closing performance of “Butterfly.”

VANESSA RUBIN

8 p.m. at Fogartyville, 525 Kumquat Court $30 members; $32 not-yetmembers; $16 students Visit WSLR.org/fogartyville.

A native of Cleveland, jazz

vocalist Vanessa Rubin draws on the influences of her mother’s Trinidadian roots and her Louisianaborn father in her storytelling, which follows in the footsteps of jazz greats Carmen McRae, Shirley Horn and Freddy Cole.

SATURDAY MY HOMETOWN FEST

8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Henderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle $25-$35 Visit MyHometownFest.com.

Now in its eighth year, My Hometown Fest helps raise money for children and families with speech and hearing disabilities. This family event features food, beer, spirits and live music, which begins at noon.

FAMILY ART MAKING DAY

9 a.m. at Creative Liberties, 927 Lime Ave. Free Visit CreativeLiberties.net.

All ages are welcome at this workshop sponsored by “artists helping artists.”

YOGA AT THE UMBRELLA HOUSE

10 a.m. at 1300 Westway Drive $30-$40 Visit ArchitectureSarasota.org.

Salute the sun with Kris Galea of Yoga From The Heart in Paul Hiss’ modern masterpiece, which Architectural Digest named “one of the five most remarkable houses of the mid-20th century.”

‘DON GIOVANNI’

7:30 p.m. at 61 N. Pineapple Ave. From $25 Visit SarasotaOpera.org.

Set in 17th century Spain, Mozart’s most famous opera focuses on the infamous heartbreaker Don Juan, telling a story of obsession, betrayal, crime and revenge.

DON’T MISS

JOAN ELLISON’S JUDY GARLAND: ‘COME ON GET HAPPY’

When: 3 p.m. Sunday, March 26

Where: Riverview Performing Arts Center, 1 Ram Way

Tickets: $30-$50; $5 students/children

Info: Visit ThePopsOrchestra.org.

Backed by The Pops Orchestra, Joan Ellison takes a musical tour of iconic singer Judy Garland’s life from Hollywood to Carnegie Hall. The Pops’ final show of the season takes audiences over the rainbow with the original symphonic arrangements that accompanied Garland, courtesy of the Judy Garland Trust. Continues 7:30 p.m. Monday at SCF Neel Performing Arts Center, 5840 26th St. W. Bradenton.

SUNDAY ‘ERNANI’

1:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House

From $25

Visit SarasotaOpera.org.

The latest presentation in the Opera’s long-running Verdi Cycle, “Ernani” features a stirring score that follows a bandit who has lost everything as he faces competing suitors — including the king — for his true love.

SPHINX VIRTUOSI:

‘SONGS FOR OUR TIMES’

4 p.m. at Holley Hall, 709 N. Tamiami Trail

$35-$45

Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.

The Sphinx Virtuosi is a professional, self-conducted ensemble of 18 accomplished Black and Latinx artists commemorating current events and the vibrant legacy of the past.

THE WORLD FUSION ORCHESTRA

7 p.m. at Fogartyville, 525 Kumquat Court $18 members; $21 nonmembers; $10.50 students Visit WSLR.org/fogartyville.

Gypsy Jazz meets up with funk, classical and hardcore fusion in The World Fusion Orchestra, founded by international composer and virtuoso guitarist Gustav Viehmeyer. The ensemble features multiplatinum drummer Art Weiss and upright bassist Jack Berry.

MONDAY

BUFFALO PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

7:30 p.m. at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail $35-$115 Visit SCASarasota.org.

MICHAEL BOLTON

7 p.m. at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail $88-$118. Visit VanWezel.org.

One of the leading practitioners of “blue-eyed soul,” Michael Bolton is spreading the gospel about his first new studio album of all original music in nearly 15 years. “Spark of Light,” the first single from the album, was released March 8.

Acclaimed conductor JoAnn Falletta leads the Grammy Award-winning Buffalo Philharmonic in a program featuring Kodaly’s “Dances of Galanta,” Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto and Dvorak’s Symphony No. 7. The program features violinist Sandy Cameron.

WEDNESDAY

DEAN NAPOLITANO

7 p.m. at McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre, 1923 Ringling Blvd. $25 Visit McCurdysComedy.com.

A throwback to the great comedians of yesteryear with his own modern twist, Dean Napolitano has appeared in a variety of shows and roles on TV, including “Heroes,” “The Shield,” “Safe Harbor” and “From Earth to the Moon.”

‘PARALYZED’

7:30 p.m. at Florida Studio Theatre’s Bowne’s Lab Theatre, corner of Cocoanut and First Street $18-$39 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

In this world premiere, the lives of two strangers — Leigh and Lee — with little in common besides their names come together after the discovery of a mysterious suicide note. Runs through April 21.

PAUL ANKA — GREATEST HITS:

HIS WAY

7:30 p.m. at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail $82-$132 Visit VanWezel.org.

The Canadian-American crooner

Paul Anka is best known for his iconic hits “Put Your Head on My Shoulder” and “Having My Baby,” but not everyone knows he earns royalties for the English lyrics of “My Way,” one of Frank Sinatra’s most recognizable anthems, not to mention the theme song from “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.”

OUR PICK

JAY LENO

The longtime “Tonight Show” host promises to be in fine form after recovering from burns recently sustained while working on one of his vintage cars and broken bones suffered in a motorcycle accident. The show must go on!

IF YOU GO

When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 28

Where: Van Wezel Performing Arts

Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail

Tickets: $82-$122

Info: Visit VanWezel.org.

The Accidental Artist

A car crash forced Howl off the corporate treadmill into a world of dazzling abstract images.

MARTY FUGATE CONTRIBUTOR

Grace Howl knows the secret of artistic growth. All it takes is courage and a leap of faith.

Howl has been a Floridabased artist since 2008. MARA Art Studio + Gallery is showcasing her work in its “Intersections” exhibition. The show is made up of three series of Howl’s paintings from yesterday and today. One series revealed her latest artistic direction; the others illustrated where she’s coming from and where she started.

“Altare de Asana Tantra” (2013) speaks of Howl’s birth as an artist. Seven large-scale, mixed-media paintings are all marked with a jagged X against shattered backgrounds of cryptic symbols.

As origin stories go, this one is highly abstract. But the message is there if you know how to read it. The series’ dominant image inspired the show’s name: “Intersections.”

It also recalls a crossroads in Howl’s life. Back in 2007, Howl was a power player in corporate America. Art was the last thing on her mind. But a car accident changed that.

“I was T-boned in an intersection,” she recalls. “That changed my world. I was no longer a part of corporate America, but I didn’t miss it. Believe it or not, I was blessed with colors and images that came to me.”

Vivid patterns and scenes flooded Howl’s mind. She started painting them as a form of therapy. This artful outburst came easily to her. It’s where Howl’s mind wanted to go. “I had no idea that art therapy existed,” she says. “Nobody suggested it Grace Howl’s “No Fear No Rules” sign.

to me. I just started painting on my own.”

Howl’s recovery period was tough. She couldn’t talk or perform many ordinary activities. “But I could paint — and I loved painting. That discovery really took me on a new journey.”

Once Howl began painting, she couldn’t stop. In an incredibly prolific period, she created a large body of work. The act of painting calmed Howl’s mind in a troubling time. Her self-prescribed art therapy worked.

But creating art didn’t feel like therapy to Howl. She was having too much fun. “I really enjoyed the painting process,” she says. “People liked my work — and I did, too. So I kept painting, and developed a ‘nofear, no-rules’ attitude. I just painted whatever I felt like painting. And that’s how I got into the art world.”

It’s all because of a collision in a fateful intersection. Howl marked that moment in the seven paintings of her “Tantra” series, though she didn’t know it at the time.

“I didn’t see what I’d been painting until I’d completed the ‘Tantra’ series,” Howl says. “When I saw them all hanging together in my studio, it suddenly hit me. The large, jagged mark in the center of each painting wasn’t a cross or a distorted X — it was an intersection!”

Howl finally recognized the image she’d been painting — the intersection that dramatically transformed her life. “I broke out into tears and cried for over an hour after having that realization.”

But Howl didn’t cook up the archetypal image of a jagged crossroads from an intellectual recipe. That’s

not her style. Howl doesn’t start with a preconceived idea; she discovers what she’s painting during the act of putting pigment on the canvas. In her “Tantra” series, she found out after the fact.

Such revelations can be intoxicating — but they’re not the point.

Howl isn’t motivated by results. She loves the paintings she creates. But she loves the process even more — especially when she’s lost in it. “While I’m painting, I lose all track of time and my things-to-do list,” she says. “I’m just there — creating whatever it is I create right now.”

During the act of creation, Howl tries to live in the moment. She recently discovered that the masters of Zen were way ahead of her. How did she discover them?

“After three years of pandemic tension, I needed to calm myself down,” Howl says. “I started reading about the legacy of Zen in Japanese culture. It’s informed so many things there: from martial arts to calligraphy to the tea ceremony. The Zen principle of “Ichi-go ichi-e” is at that heart of that ceremony. One book defined it as, ‘The art of making the most of every moment.’”

That principle instantly resonated with the artist. It’s what Howl had always tried to do. Before her Zen studies, she could never put it into words. Now she could. And she could also put it into action.

Howl has now fully embraced “Ichi-go ichi-e.” She applies it to the art of daily living. And the art of painting, too.

Mara Torres is the owner of MARA Art Studio and Gallery and Howl’s artistic representative. She’s also her friend and fierce advocate. She notes that “Ichi-go ichi-e” is the core concept of Howl’s 2022 “Now and Color” series. According to Torres, the artistic expression of that principle is like nothing she’s seen before.

“Grace doesn’t like to repeat herself,” Torres says. “In her latest

IF YOU GO

‘SHE/HER/HERS’ WILL

INCLUDE HOWL’S WORK

When: runs through April 14

Where: MARA Art Studio + Gallery, 1421 Fifth St., Sarasota.

Info: MaraStudioGallery.com or call (941) 914-8110

series, she definitely steps out of her comfort zone. Her use of color goes in a completely new direction. It’s a true creative leap — and a leap of faith.”

As Torres sees it, new artistic directions can be risky. Many artists play it safe and stick to familiar paths. A few go off the map — a sign of courage. She sees that quality in Howl. And she doesn’t see it very often.

“Timid artists take baby steps from A to B,” Torres says. “Grace goes from A to Z in one big leap. I love the way her creative mind works.”

“Timid artists take baby steps from A to B. Grace goes from A to Z in one big leap. I love the way her creative mind works!”

Howl doesn’t know how her creative mind works. She just tries to get out of its way.

“Each painting is a fresh discovery for me,” Howl says. “I don’t know where I’m going until I get there. My process is very intuitive — and it always had been.”

Howl points to a crudely lettered sign that’s hanging in her studio: “No Fear, No Rules.”

“I painted that sign as a daily reminder to just keep going,” she says.

BLACK TIE

AVANTGARDE

Ringling College of Art and Design brought back styles of the 1970s in a major way during its annual Avant-Garde fundraiser on March 18.

Guests arrived in groovy flower power attire for the event benefiting the school’s student scholarships. Some groups embraced the copacetic look with wild wigs and floral patterns while others adopted looks from “M*A*S*H”, “Saturday Night Live” and other TV shows.

The afternoon’s social hour ended with the raucous debut of President Larry Thompson and Pat Thompson both dressed as Elton John. The couple sang along to several of the pop legend’s songs to the cheers of the crowd.

The night continued with remarks from Thompson during the program, followed by a paddle raise and finally music from the Blonde Ambition Band.

Saturday, March 18, at Ringling College of Art and Design | Benefiting Ringling College of Art and Design

BLACK TIE & TALES HARRY SAYER

José Andrés speaks with Michael Klauber.

Photos by Harry Sayer

Rifka Glatz, Dr. Larry Haspel, Carole Kleinberg, Fran Lambert, Ellis and Bernice Lasberg, Bunny Skirboll and Anne Virag.

Beyond the expected honors and program, the organization also announced its new “Safety, Security and Preparedness” initiative aiming to enhance security for its senior population, as well as prepare for natural disasters, such as Hurricane Ian.

25 Years of Mission Possible

The Moffitt Cancer Center based in Tampa has provided care and treatments for patients for years.

Chef José Andrés

Monday, March 13, at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall | Benefiting Ringling College Library Association

nonprofit hosted a preview reception at Sage restaurant that featured drinks, caviar and functional but fashionable couture from designer Aniko that guests were able to try on at the event.

It was a good warmup for the big show, and Humane Society staff will be ready for its Hollywood debut come April.

“We’ve had so much fun coming up with this,” Steiner said.

The nonprofit has also hosted its annual Mission Possible luncheon year in and year out to help raise funds for its many endeavors. The luncheon has raised more than $2.7 million up to this point.

The 25th annual luncheon brought hundreds of guests to the Saslaw residence in Sarasota on March 9. Guests mingled and enjoyed music from the ReMissions — a band composed of multitalented Moffitt figures led by President and CEO Dr. Patrick Hwu.

C

hef and international humanitarian José Andrés headlined the latest in the Ringling College Library Association’s Town Hall lecture series on March 13.

Eight Over 80

Andrés met with supporters early at the Van Wezel before taking the stage with Michael’s On East founder Michael Klauber to speak about the effects food has on cultures. He also spoke about his nonprofit, World Central Kitchen’s work, that provides food for people in need across the globe.

“Food is this amazing way to spread respect and to spread love,” Andrés said.

— HARRY SAYER

But no, that just isn’t the Humane Society’s style. The nonprofit has put on fundraisers that have featured fashion show runways, art displays that have used the group’s popular Hot Guy models and more.

The pair of lecture events — held in the morning and evening — had hundreds of interested attendees meeting at the Van Wezel to hear from the culinary figure.This year, though, the nonprofit is taking the leash in a different direction. The 2023 Paws on the Red Carpet event is taking Humane Society supporters to a Hollywood bash at the Art Ovation Hotel on April 14.

“It’s going to be our spin on an awards show,” said Autumn Steiner, Senior Director of Philanthropy.

“There’s been the Golden Globes and the Oscars, here comes the HSSCs.”

The day, sponsored by Bayside Pet Resort, will promise a red carpet runway, the Hot Guy models serving as the Paw-Parazzi, a fashionable celebrity impersonator and more.

To get ready for the occasion, the

2023 SCHEDULE G Gaattees o s oppeen a n at 4 t 4::3300ppm m m maattcch be h beggiinns a s at 5 t 5::4455ppm m Join the party for the Sunset Polo Happy Hour and Community Concert Series at the Sarasota Polo Club on Thursday nights at 4:30 p.m. from March 16th through April 6th. Enjoy exciting polo action, tailgating, food, drinks and divot-stomping against a backdrop of a breathtaking sunset. Once the polo action is complete for the evening, stick around and join us for live music! FOR TICKETS AND MORE INFORMATION VISIT WWW.SARASOTAPOLO.COM

EVERY THURSDAY NOW THROUGH APRIL 6th 395669-1

More than 300 guests met at Michael’s On East to recognize several notable locals during Aviva Senior Living’s annual Eight over 80 event on March 12.

This year’s “Youthful at Heart” event paid tribute to David Chaifetz,

Dr. Shari Pilon-Thomas, senior member of the Immunology Department and Dr. Dana Ataya, associate member of Diagnostic Imaging and Interventional Radiology, served as the keynote speakers for this year. The latest Mission Possible raised $300,000 for research at Moffitt Cancer Center.

Back Row: Dr. Larry Haspel, David Chaifetz, Anne Virag, Ellis Lasberg. Front row: Carole Kleinberg, Rifka Glatz, Fran Lambert, Bunny Skirboll, and Bernice Lasberg at Eight over 80.

The Sarasota Opera hosted many of its closest supporters at the Opera Aficionado Dinner at the Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota on March 13.

Around 80 of the opera company’s donors and close figures met at the Ritz-Carlton C’a d’Zan Room for an evening of mingling followed by a dinner presentation.

General Director Richard Russell and Artistic Director Victor DeRenzi welcomed the crowd before guests enjoyed performances from a number of Sarasota Opera artists.