Scene & Heard 01.10.19

More movement

The Sarasota Ballet announced Jan. 7 that “Transcending Movement,” the company’s first program of 2019, will include an additional performance due to popular demand. The ballet added a 2 p.m. Monday matinee to the schedule, so the show now runs Jan. 25-28.

The program will feature David Bintley’s “Four Scottish Dances,” a world premiere by Ricardo Graziano, and Sir Frederick Ashton’s “Meditation from Thaïs” and “Varii Capricci.” World-renowned dancer Marcelo Gomes will serve as guest artist. 

Calling all artists

Sarasota’s run of “The Fence,” the touring show doubling as North America’s largest outdoor photography exhibition, comes to an end Jan. 31. 

But have no fear, the photo fun continues with the recently announced Gulf Coast Regional Showcase at Nathan Benderson Park. This exhibition offers photographers from Tampa to Naples the opportunity to submit work in one or more of the following categories: home, streets, people, creatures, nature, play and food. 

Artists of all backgrounds and skill levels are invited to submit work from Jan. 14 through March 4 at fence.photoville.com.

Patriotic philanthropy

Journalists receive releases on a weekly basis detailing the latest grants or other monetary gifts given to local arts groups from private donors and philanthropic foundations. But it’s not every day they hear about an arts group giving back monetarily. 

At the end of 2018, The Pops Orchestra offered a $5,000 donation earmarked for veteran financial aid to the Sarasota Military Officers Scholarship Fund of the Military Officers Association of Sarasota . The check was presented to Clare Power, chairman of the chapter’s scholarship committee, and Air Force Col. Len Friedlander, Florida MOAA chapter president, at the organization’s Annual Military Gala in December. 

The money was raised from the orchestra’s “John Denver’s Coming Home” concerts, from which ticket sales will now help fund the veteran financial aid programs at the State College of Florida, the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee and Manatee Technical College.