Alliance for the Arts

In September, there are 26 shows at area art centers.

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of 9/11, the Alliance for the Arts will screen an interactive film that explores how we consume, interpret, and respond to information in an increasingly complex media landscape. “Sprinkles: Decoded” is an award-winning interactive film and media literacy program that explores alternative media, conspiracy theories and the rise of extremist violence.

Roland Ruocco is a studio artist, but he’s best known for the dozens of murals he’s painted across Southwest Florida. Wendy White is an abstract impressionist painter, but she’s renowned for her award-winning short film “Roses Are Blind” and one-woman play, “The Jewish Nun,” performed Off-Broadway and internationally. Their September show, “Counterparts,” at DAAS CO-OP features their studio work.

The Alliance for the Arts 10-acre campus is home to a number of permanent outdoor sculpture installations, including Michael Singer’s “Caloosahatchee Water Wall” and James DiGiorgio’s “You Are Here.” Hurricane Ian severely damaged “You Are Here,” but local artist and fabricator Jason “Sandman” Sanders has repainted, welded and returned the sculpture to its original angle.

Among the 28 art exhibits on view in August at area art centers is “Shaping Sarasota: A Century of Art” at Art Center Sarasota – which showcases the artists, volunteers and visionaries who have helped establish Sarasota as one of the leading arts communities in Florida. Also on view is “The Art of Healing: Prescriptions for the Soul” – which will turn the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center’s Grand Atrium into an immersive wellness emporium on August 7 – and “Currents” at BIG ARTS – which will convert the Dunham Family Gallery into a 125-foot-long underwater mural over the next eight weeks.

DAAS CO-OP at the Alliance for the Arts is exhibiting new work from top area creatives in August in a variety of mediums and sizes. “Fresh Offerings” will feature additions to Ocasiocasa’s Flower Power collection, ‘Midnight Voyeur’ by Danielle Branchaud and pieces by Nick Masiello, David Acevedo, Xavier Brignoni more than a dozen other career artists.

The Alliance for the Arts will break ground on Aug. 7 on a unique community space dedicated to honoring the lives, love and memories of cherished pets. The Alliance is calling it the Rainbow Bridge Pet Memorial, and it will be part of the Alliance’s planned ArtsPark.

When Melody Lane Theatre selected “Chicago” for its summer stock show, Sami Doherty knew the theater couldn’t afford the rights to Bob Fosse’s original choreography. So, she and Assistant Choreographer Athena Rose Belis did the next best thing. They created original choreography that would make Bob Fosse proud. The result is a splendiferous show guaranteed to razzle dazzle Southwest Florida audiences.

This week, three shows open, five continue their runs and there are four limited engagements at Southwest Florida equity and community theaters.

From Sarasota to Marco Island and Venice and Sanibel to Arcadia and LaBelle, Southwest Florida is home to more than a dozen art centers. Most host visual art exhibitions showcasing member, regional and nationally renowned artists that change every month. In July, there are 28 shows at these venues.