Already a creative incubator for musicians and filmmakers, Sarasota is finally taking a crack at becoming a city recognized for another artistic empire: fashion design. With new clothing boutiques popping up in the downtown core and the addition of SRQ Fashion Week, city merchants have a unique opportunity to support local talent by purchasing ready-to-wear lines created within the city limits. Presently, however, little to no support is available. Local designers have limited choices regarding where to sell their creations, leading many to move their studios to prominent cities where [...]

HYP-na-GOG-ia (noun) 1. A state of consciousness occurring between waking and sleeping. 2. The cerebral playground where ideas take visual form. 3. Works by Evan Lovejoy. Friday, May 11th. 2012. 5-9pm. (Closing Reception) Clothesline Gallery 529 S. Pineapple Avenue. Sarasota, FL Open from April – May 11th Clothesline Gallery Presents Hypnagogia: Works by Evan Lovejoy. “Hypnagogia is a mental space in which abstract ideas can take visual form freely,” says Lovejoy, “It is the cerebral playground where all of my paintings begin. ” Evan Lovejoy (born 1990 in UK) is a painter, [...]

Kirsten’s in the know on where to go for great music, awesome food (ribs and cheese, mm-mmm!) and incredible entertainment. Check back next week for the fabulous photo recap! For more details on Kirsten’s mentionables, visit the links below: – Sailor Circus – La Fete du Fromage at The Polo Grill, https://www.facebook.com/events/264700316895787/ www.gwiz.org – The Rusty Hook – 9th Annual Firefighters Rib Cook-off  – Clothesline Grand Opening, https://www.facebook.com/events/237950869628174/ – Duct Tape Prom at Shamrock – Colossus Apparel, http://www.compoundboardshop.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/VTownSurfandSkate2

Last weekend I was delighted to discover that artist and curator John Sims, who I’ve known from community projects and shows here and there, has a studio in my neighborhood, Gillespie Park. What’s more, I also learned that he was hosting a show as part of his MathArt Project series for talented artist Aaron Blackall, whom I know primarily as the pleasant young man behind the curtain at BlueLine who has never failed to help me many times to meet a color printing deadline. Months back, Aaron gave me his [...]

Our own Kirsten-about-town went all over last weekend, from the depths of downtown to the heights of Lakewood Ranch. Lucky for us, our illustrious cameraman Stephen McFadden stayed hot on her trail! Check them out: Here you get a tantalizing glimpse of quite a few happenings, including the opening of Sishir Bommakanti‘s Friends + Monsters solo exhibit. For a full photographic spread from the event, take a look at this gallery of Scott Braun‘s snapshots.    

Sishir Bommakanti is a true artist taking from the world around him. Not confining himself to one particular medium, Sishir creates carefully thought-out pieces of art and wows everyone that is lucky enough to have eyes. I swung by the gallery opening this past Saturday (1/21) to take it all in and to snap a few shots. The event was hosted by Austin Kowal at Clothesline and sponsored by Sarasota Vineyard and Jessica’s Framing Studio.