Arts Bonita

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.

“It's always fun to see stage magic happening in front of you,” Arts Bonita Producing Artistic Director Joseph Brauer declared. In a musical such as “Frozen,” tech plays an important role in creating a fantastical realm of ice, snow, bitter cold and foggy white-out conditions.

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

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

Arts Bonita Actors Theatre has cast Shennan Nelson and Landon Maas in the roles of Princess Anna and Prince Hans of the Southern Isles in its upcoming production of Disney’s “Frozen: The Broadway Musical.” In their duet “Love is An Open Door,” Hans and Anna meet and instantly fall in love. But, says Maas, if you read between the lines, he’s actually telling her he intends to supplant her and her sister, Elsa, on throne.

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.

The cast of Arts Bonita’s upcoming production of Disney’s “Frozen” is led by three local actors on summer break from college and another who begins her pursuit of a Bachelor of Arts in Acting in the fall.

“Geometry of Emotion” is on view in the Hinman Auditorium Gallery-in-the-Round. It’s a bold exploration into the invisible architecture of human feeling.

In the aftermath of Matthew Shepard’s murder in 1998, people in Laramie, Wyoming rallied together to deal with the tragedy. That, says Director Kody C. Jones, raises a crucial question: “Why does it take tragedy to bring a community together?”

This week, one show opens, two close, eight continue their runs and limited engagements include 'Monsters Inc. JR' and "The Laramie Project," at Southwest Florida equity and community theaters.