Published December 1, 2010The Rockstarr Bentley Landing PartyPresented by Five Points Collective with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Suncoast Charities for Children, 7 p.m. Sun., Dec. 5, Payne Park Auditorium, 2100 E. Laurel St., Sarasota, rockstarrbentley.com, $10 advance, $15 at the door.
As I finish the last spoonful of my beef and vegetable soup, I look up to see two members of Rockstarr Bentley approaching my table from the other end of Word of Mouth’s patio — right on time for our interview. They are suited in full stage attire, guitarist Rocky Bentley in tight leather pants, sparkly shirt, furry top hat, and 4-inch KISS-style shit-kickers, trailed by DeeJay Imminent sporting a Legion of Doom get up with spray-painted shoulder pads, fake chains and a black boa. An older couple at the table next to us aren’t quite sure what to think.
“Greetings, Earthling,†they take turns saying in a campy ’80s sci-fi movie tone. I ask the obvious opener: “So what planet are you guys from?†They proceed to regale me with the back-story of their fictional extraterrestrial origin. Since crash landing their spaceship into a foreclosed house in north Sarasota, they have been trying to receive transmissions from their planet, which they cannot remember the name of due to ill effects resulting from their prolonged hyperbaric space travel. So, they’ve been studying human pop culture in order to adapt, all while rehearsing in a secret underground missile silo hidden underneath a large sculpture in Sarasota. (more…)
Published October 20, 2010Industry w/designs from E Marie by Eliza Torres and music by DJ RusDeep 8 p.m.-midnight Sat., Oct. 23, The HuB, 1421 Boulevard of the Arts, Sarasota, 586-0681 or matthewholler.com,matthewholler.blogspot.com, $5.
The coveted label of “arts destination†is something that Sarasota has boasted for quite some time. But there are a few artistic avenues our fair coastal city has yet to venture down — at least far enough to merit a reputation. One creative arena that has long lagged behind the more popular visual and performing arts, yet could provide a huge economic boost to the area, is the fashion world, with it’s clique of affluent, young, uber-chic entrepreneurs.
Thankfully, there are still a few students in this kinda-quasi-college town that are passionate about seeing the Suncoast truly live up to its “art-infused community†claim, and become a fully developed beacon of creativity. One such student is senior Ringlingphotography major Matthew Holler.
To complete his senior year requirements, Holler had the choice of doing an internship or creating a “professional project,†an event where students work with members of the community in an effort to forward the city’s artistic vision. Holler chose the latter, making the fashion industry his primary focus. “There’s not much of an industry here yet,†says Holler, “but I think that there’s a possibility for it. We pride ourselves on being an art community, but how many beach photos and paintings of birds can we have? I think it really needs that other element in order to grow into a larger industry.†(more…)
Published September 8, 2010S/ART/Q Print Party 5-10 p.m. Sat., Sept. 11, The HuB, 1421 Boulevard of the Arts, Sarasota, 330-4838 or sartq.com, ringling.org, free, $5 per print.
A little over a year ago a professional artists’ collective emerged from the shadows of Sarasota’s contemporary art scene going by the name S/ART/Q. Their first exhibition was held in November at the former DK Vogue space downtown, followed by a second exhibition at G.Wiz Science Museum in March. But the original event that introduced the group to the community was a screen-printing party held at the HuB incubator in the Rosemary District last August. The nonprofit collective will now return to their humble beginnings for a second installment of their Print Party, a fundraising event where each artist offers a custom made design for screen-printing onto any cloth item you wish for only $5 a print.
Many of the artists involved in S/ART/Q are former Ringling Art School grads, but few have remained as close to the institution as Dave Piurek, a conservation technician and gilder for The John and Mable Ringling Museum. After receiving his BFA from Ringling College in 1998, Piurek landed a job as assistant preparer for the museum, actually working under fellow S/ART/Q artist Joseph Arnegger, hanging the priceless works of art that had been acquired by John Ringling. An avid art collector, Ringling had purchased over 13,000 pieces, many of them prominent works from all periods of art history, which now make up the vast majority of art on display at the Museum. (more…)
Captain Tom Stephens with Redfish and J.P.A.Published March 24, 2010
A day on the high seas with Sarasota artist and fishing captain Tom Stephens
Process: S/ART/Q Art Exhibit Opening reception 5-11 p.m. Fri., March 26, exhibition runs through April 25, G.WIZ Science Museum, 1001 Boulevard of the Arts, Sarasota, topnotchfishing.com, tomstephensfineart.com, sartq.com, free.
As he does on most days during the summer months, Captain Tom Stephens Jr. paces the deck of his 23-foot Dorado fishing boat docked behind New Pass Grill. He checks the rods, stocks bait and frees a pelican caught in a line. I probably resemble most of Stephens’ clients as I board the vessel with an itch to get fishing. The breeze is brisk as we make our way along south Longboat Key into Big Sarasota Bay. Stephens ascends to his perch to survey the shallow waters and soon locates a swirling school shimmering in the grassy flats. Anchor down — this is where his process begins. (more…)
Published February 10, 2010I’ll Be Seeing YouRuns through Feb. 11, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon.-Fri., Sarasota Orchestra’s Harmony Gallery, Beatrice Friedman Symphony Center, 709 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, 953-4252 or sarasotaorchestra.org; Pablo Rodriguez’s next exhibit, featuring “Modern Venus†and works from recycled materials, runs Feb. 20-26 at Art Uptown, 1367 Main St., Sarasota, 955-5409 or artuptown.com, pablorodriguezmedina.com.
“It was like an invitation to a date,†says Sarasota artist Pablo Rodriguez of his painting, “Modern Venus,†which he installed in early January in the Sarasota Orchestra’s Harmony Gallery as part of his exhibit, I’ll Be Seeing You. “This piece was supposed to be the centerpiece of the whole thing. It was a pretty big piece and in the Harmony Gallery that was the thing that was drawing your eye.†The piece hung uninterrupted for over two weeks after the exhibit opened on Jan. 12, but three mothers with children in the Sarasota youth orchestra deemed “Venus†too racy for their children’s innocent eyes and filed one formal and two informal complaints. (more…)
Published October 20, 2010
Industry w/designs from E Marie by Eliza Torres and music by DJ RusDeep
8 p.m.-midnight Sat., Oct. 23, The HuB, 1421 Boulevard of the Arts, Sarasota, 586-0681 or matthewholler.com,matthewholler.blogspot.com, $5.
The coveted label of “arts destination†is something that Sarasota has boasted for quite some time. But there are a few artistic avenues our fair coastal city has yet to venture down — at least far enough to merit a reputation. One creative arena that has long lagged behind the more popular visual and performing arts, yet could provide a huge economic boost to the area, is the fashion world, with it’s clique of affluent, young, uber-chic entrepreneurs.
Thankfully, there are still a few students in this kinda-quasi-college town that are passionate about seeing the Suncoast truly live up to its “art-infused community†claim, and become a fully developed beacon of creativity. One such student is senior Ringlingphotography major Matthew Holler.
To complete his senior year requirements, Holler had the choice of doing an internship or creating a “professional project,†an event where students work with members of the community in an effort to forward the city’s artistic vision. Holler chose the latter, making the fashion industry his primary focus. “There’s not much of an industry here yet,†says Holler, “but I think that there’s a possibility for it. We pride ourselves on being an art community, but how many beach photos and paintings of birds can we have? I think it really needs that other element in order to grow into a larger industry.†(more…)
