Scene & Heard

+ Abstract attraction
The Alfstad& Productions Gallery space, owned and operated by Sam Alfstad, is a bright light in the evolving Rosemary District. Recently opened as the gallery and home of the Sarasota Sculpture Center, Alfstad’s gallery space is still used to highlight visiting artists.

The gallery’s most recent acquisition is an exhibit of Florida State University alumni Michael Wyshock’s, above, “Devil’s Swamp.” It’s a mixed-media show that uses canvas, rope, wooden boards, screen prints and animation and explores shape, line and color.

+ Model citizens
Season means an influx of people — tourists and snowbirds — who are essential in supporting the artistic community. Two snowbirds from Knoxville, Tenn., who have had a great impact on Sarasota’s cultural heritage are Howard and Janice Tibbals.

Through their support, the Ringling’s Circus Museum, Tibbals Learning Center and archives house one of the world’s most extensive collection of circus artifacts reaching back to the 16th and 17th centuries. Besides an archive with Howard Tibbals’ various artifacts and posters he’s collected, the crown jewel of the collection is Tibbals’ ¾-inch scale model of circus performers and tents of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

“I like to come back every year to check on the archive and add or change the circus model,” Tibbals said.

This time he’s replacing a few of the horse performer models with new ones.

+ ONLINE: Stage Series
Last week’s Arts + Culture cover story profiled the Asolo Repertory Theatre’s rotating repertory format of theater production. Our five-part video series dives further into each aspect of how this theater works. This week we profile the theater’s costume shop and wig/makeup departments.