City of Sarasota recognizes Alfred Goldstein

They call him Al.

He’s been a generous character in the Sarasota philanthropic community since he moved here in 1986. Since then, Alfred Goldstein has made his mark on Sarasota — literally.

At times his name seems larger than life. It appears in large block letters on the side of the Alfred R. Goldstein Library at Ringling College of Art and Design and in the programs for the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens Jean and Alfred Goldstein Exhibition Series.

And on Tuesday, his name drew another honor. The city of Sarasota recognized June 6 as Alfred R. Goldstein Day.  

Although his name carries with it a commanding presence, the organizations he has partnered with during his three decades of residence know him simply as Al.

The monosyllabic monicker offers an ironic contradiction to his imposing legacy. Yet it’s indicative of what has endeared him to the Sarasota community — a humble spirit, a gruff New York sense of humor and a consistent generosity.

“He’s just Al,” Ida Zito said. “He is very smart, very intelligent, and he’s got this wonderful humor to him. He’s the total package of a good person.”

It’s his character that led Zito, board chairwoman of Designing Women Boutique and longtime friend of Goldstein, to pursue a way showcase his legacy to the community.

It started with a request. She asked the Designing Women Boutique board if his name could be added to its building.

“It was just something that snowballed,” Zito said.

She called the city to request a proclamation to accompany the addition of his name to the Designing Women Boutique and thus, June 6 was declared Alfred R. Goldstein Day.

For those familiar with his generosity, they can’t imagine a more worthy recipient.

“Al Goldstein has made such a difference to this community,” Selby Gardens CEO Jennifer Rominiecki said.

Rominiecki said Goldstein is calculated with his gifts. He looks for innovation — projects and programs that will resonate in the history of the organization.

For Selby, that meant investing in its interdisciplinary art series, which allowed the garden to adopt a museum model of operation and expand admissions. For Ringling, it meant investing in a new, state of the art library to anchor the campus and equip the college with the technology to keep up with the artistic needs of its students.

“When Al invests in a project, he lights the match and wants the organization to light the fire and that really applies across the board,” Rominiecki said.

For those who know him, it wasn’t the buildings or the programs they were grateful for June 6, it was the the man behind the name. It was Al.

“Al is a very generous philanthropist, but he truly has a generous spirit,” Zito said. “He is truly a leader for this community.”