Community Calendar

Arts Advocates Luncheon: The Sarasota Orchestra with Joseph McKenna
April 16, 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. (Registration closes April 10)
Sarasota Yacht Club, 1100 John Ringling Blvd, Sarasota, FL 34236
Join Sarasota Orchestra CEO Joe McKenna for exclusive updates on the new music center. As the Gulf Coast’s first and only purpose-built acoustic music hall, the new music center is designed to support education, spark creativity, and provide meaningful gathering spaces for people of all ages. He will share detailed architectural schematic renderings that reflect both the artistry and functionality that will define the orchestra’s new home.

CEO and President Joe McKenna is responsible for executing the strategic direction of the board and ensuring the organizations financial security. During his tenure, the endowment corpus increased by more than $10 million, the youth orchestra had its debut performance at Carnegie Hall, and the orchestra re-launched its brand including the name change to Sarasota Orchestra. Joe holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in trombone performance and music education from the New England Conservatory.

There is social time that begins at 11 a.m. before lunch to meet and mingle. Come early to meet Arts Advocates members and friends who also love the arts. $45 for Arts Advocates members, $50 for non-members (includes lunch). Register at ArtsAdvocates.org. Luncheons are sponsored by Observer Media Group.

Southeastern Premiere. Ernestine Ashworth spends her 17th birthday agonizing over her insignificance in the universe. Soon enough, it’s her 18th birthday. Even sooner, her 41st. Her 70th. Her 101st. Five generations, an infinity of dreams, and one cake baked over a century.

Cherry Docs by David Gow
Presented by Sarasota Jewish Theatre at The Sarasota Players, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34239
Preview: April 8, 7:30 p.m.
Performances: April 10, 12, 15, 17, 19 at 1:30 p.m.; April 9, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 18 at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets ($34-46): ThePlayers.org or 941-365-2494
“Cherry Docs” by David Gow
Directed by Diane Cepeda
When Mike Downey (Jim Floyd), a small-time white supremacist, is charged with the brutal murder of an immigrant, the case appears open-and-shut. The crime is savage, the motive hateful, and public outrage immediate. Assigned to defend him is Danny Dunkelman (Michael Raver), a young Jewish lawyer and the son of a Holocaust survivor. For Danny, the appointment is more than professionally challenging. It is morally explosive. How does a man whose family history is scarred by genocide stand beside someone who glorifies it? Single tickets are $34-$46. For more information about Sarasota Jewish Theatre, visit SarasotaJewishTheatre.org.

Go nose to nose with Big John, the World’s Largest Triceratops, in an immersive and playful dinosaur exhibit at the Glazer Children’s Museum in Downtown Tampa. Whether you have a child at home or not, all are welcome to visit this colossal exhibit, 66 million years in the making.

Imagine Museum proudly participates in Museums for All — simply present your SNAP Benefit card and photo ID to one of our associates upon arrival and enjoy $3.00 admission to the museum. Children ages 6 and under are free.

Award-winning and internationally recognized artist Janet Echelman (American) is renowned for her soaring installations that merge ancient craft with cutting-edge technology. Using centuries-old fishing net knotting techniques, Echelman transforms humble materials into ethereal sculptures that visualize natural phenomena and the interconnectedness of humanity and the environment.
Radical Softness offers a rare, intimate look at Echelman’s artistic evolution, tracing her journey from early explorations in drawing, painting, and textiles to the monumental, netted sculptures that have redefined public spaces around the world. This exhibition contextualizes the artist’s practice, revealing the narratives, influences, and processes that drive her work. At its core, the exhibition highlights Echelman’s use of softness as a powerful tool—not only in material but as a philosophy. Showcasing a selection of works from across all four decades of the artist’s path-breaking career, along with a series of never-before-seen cyanotypes, Radical Softness reveals how an artist’s work can bring people together and carve out space for reflection in an ever-changing world.
Founded in New York City and based in Boston, Studio Echelman’s impact is global. A recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship, Harvard Loeb Fellowship, Smithsonian American Ingenuity Award, Aspen Institute Henry Crown Fellowship, and Fulbright Lectureship, her monumental sculptures span five continents. Recent commissions include Remembering the Future at the MIT Museum (2025), Butterfly Rest Stop in Frisco, Texas (2024), Current in Columbus, Ohio (2023), Bending Arc at the St. Pete Pier in Florida (2020), Earthtime Korea (2020), Impatient Optimist at The Gates Foundation in Seattle (2015), and 1.8 Renwick at the Smithsonian American Art Museum (2015), among others.
Janet Echelman: Radical Softness is organized by Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College of Art and Design and curated by Lacie Barbour, associate curator of exhibitions at Sarasota Art Museum.

Image: Janet Echelman (American). Study (Butterfly Rest Stop 1/9 scale), Rome, Italy, 2022. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Giovanni DeAngelis.

Join us for an artistic journey geared toward young artventurers every Saturday! Led by our friendly associates, children ages 4-11 will be guided through our world-class glass art galleries. They will then have the opportunity to unleash their imagination and express themselves with a fun and engaging craft activity.