An Evening in Provence at Beau Monde Showroom

The Event: As part of Wine, Women, and Shoes, an annual fundraiser to benefit Forty Carrots Family Center, four local businesses are teaming up to create “An Evening in Provence.” The evening is set to be a feast for the senses with food and art by James Warren and the feeling of Provence created by Victoria Blooms and SRQtees, all in the beautiful and flexible Beau Monde Showroom.

The Inspiration: The group has all spent time in southern France and looks forward to sharing their memories of the sights, tastes and scents with Sarasota. Victoria Warren, owner of Victoria Blooms, explains that the look and colors of Provence are as important to the evening as the scents, and she plans to help highlight "the scent of fresh lavender ... rosemary, the little things that you’ll remember and take away with you from the evening. Also infusing a few bright colors. Red, terra cotta, that’s really prevalent as well. It’s going to be stunning.”

The Art and the Food: Artist James Warren describes his art as oil on canvas in an impasto style. His landscapes are influenced by the emotion-evoking capabilities of color: 

“The Impressionists were all about light and dark, creating an impression, and the Fauvists were all about the juxtaposition of bright, pure colors. To take bold colors, say for example an azure blue and a lemon yellow, and make them sit comfortable side-by-side is a real art," Warren says. "Add into the mix a splash of magenta or a deep, vibrant lavender to create a stunning silhouette or shadow, and you have Fauvism. This is definitely where I am at my most comfortable. Colors evoke emotions in us; a landscape painting full of color makes me want to be there. If I feel that way then hopefully people who view my art will feel the same way!”

For “An Evening In Provence,” Warren will use traditional French ingredients as his culinary palette to create a feeling of the south of France in a five-course meal.

“The French theme gives you a little bit of artistic license to maybe go outside of that seasonality that everyone’s talking about, and maybe do a little something different. South of France seasons are slightly different and their food properties are slightly different than here. We’re using fennel and Provence herbs and peppers, tomatoes, all those things you associate with the south of France. It’s going to be fresh, beautiful, vibrant; it’s going to look beautiful on the plates and of course be absolutely delicious.”

The Setting: The Beau Monde showroom is the new extension of KMB Group. KMB assists developing businesses by assessing their actual needs and provides services focused on accomplishing a company's desired goals and objectives. The Beau Monde showroom is an extension of the KMB Group's aim to serve the community by giving emerging and established businesses a platform and location to blossom and grow their concepts and showcase their talents. Beau Monde owners Timothy and Kristen Beury are excited about the flexibility of their new space and the way in which it lends itself as a blank canvas for events such as "An Evening in Provence." The mixture of the Beau Monde space and the creativity of SRQtees, Victoria Blooms and James Warren should prove to be a night as comfortable and enjoyable as an evening in the south of France.

For information on a "Meet the Artist" cocktail reception and event preview on Oct. 5 at the Beau Monde Showroom, visit the Facebook Event Page.

For tickets to "An Evening in Provence," visit the Wine, Women, and Shoes website.