Kristian Bush Talks "Troubadour" and More at Florida Studio Theatre

Kristian Bush 

One of the many things I love about living in Sarasota is having the chance to get behind the scenes of theater productions around town. Case in point: Hearing from Kristian Bush, composer and lyricist of "Troubadour," a play with music now on at Florida Studio Theatre. What a treat. 

Bush is the kind of guy who's open to opportunities that unexpectedly come his way. And having been in the room with him a couple of times, I can see how that happens. He's funny and friendly and genuine --  the kind of guy you want to be around. And it doesn't hurt that he's super talented. 

His involvement with "Troubadour" began with an email. "You don't know me, but a friend of mine sat next to you on a plane and shared your contact info with me. I'm working on a play about country music in the 1950s and would like to talk to you about writing a song for it." And with that missive, the collaboration of playwright Janece Shaffer and Bush was launched. 

It was great fun to hear Bush talk about someone totally unfamiliar with theater getting sucked into the process. What was to be one song (which he wrote the same day he met Shaffer for breakfast) became five or six. He was invited to a reading of the play in one of its early iterations and sang his songs. It went well. As he was preparing to excuse himself, Shaffer asked, "How do you feel about writing 16 songs?" "But I don't know anything about musicals," Bush replied. He was told to "just keep doing what you're doing." That he could do, so he agreed on one condition. His brother Brandon would have to be involved as well. And so the Bush brothers were on board. 

Brandon and Kristian Bush

Bush said one of the reasons the project worked was because his collaboration with Shaffer was so similar to how he works with other musicians. She never faltered when he asked for a character's backstory to help him find the right words for a song. Now that's a good playwright. 

Bush was particularly endearing when he talked about writing an "innuendo song" for the show. He said he's always wanted to write lyrics as dirty as those you might find in a song by Prince but that he's too bashful. When was the last time you heard that word???  It turns out that writing for "Troubadour" gave him an opportunity. In the era of the play, singers could only get away with lyrics about sex by using food analogies. Still, Bush said, he wouldn't have sung the song if his mother had been in the audience. It includes the lyrics, "[If you] Wanna taste my ice cream, I get to taste your lollipop." I swear he was blushing as he sang. 

While "Troubadour" was the focus of the evening, Bush also shared some stories and songs from his other bands. His musical partnership with Jennifer Nettles -- performing under the name Sugarland -- is the best known. Nettles had decided to step away from the duo at the time Bush was writing songs for the play. He channeled the resulting emotions into "Troubadour," a song about the lead character wondering if he was going to be forgotten. When Shaffer et al heard it, they renamed the show, which was originally going to be called "Is He Crazy?" (Side note: Sugarland is getting back together.) 

As Bush was talking and singing, I was scribbling down lyrics so I could look up the songs later. I was particularly keen to check out a song written about the moment before you kill the one you love the most. Bush was laughing when he said lots of couples get married to that one. I get it. "Stuck on Glue" has phrases like "Absolutely nobody knows me better" and "There you go making me feel like a kid." But if you watch the music video, you'll see that the couple has broken up and the woman has become a stalker. It's hilarious. You can see it by clicking here. I hope those marriages fare better. 

As you can probably tell, I'm still smiling thinking about how much fun it was to get up close and personal with Kristian Bush. Thanks to FST for creating these opportunities. I'm looking forward to seeing "Troubadour" even more now that I know some of the backstories. The show runs through May 19. For more information, click here. 

Cuba! Experiencing the Performing Arts

Dancers from Rosario Cardenas Dance Company

Visiting different performing arts venues was one of the many highlights of our trip to Havana. And we didn't only get to watch performances. Because we were on a "people to people" tour, we often had the chance to talk with the dancers and actors as well. It was wonderful.

Our first studio visit was to the Rosario Cardenas Dance Company. The dancers were full of life and joy as they performed for us. (Click here for a snippet of their performance. I didn't miss my calling as a videographer.) After watching them dance, we had the chance to get in on the fun as we were led through a seated movement exercise. It was enjoyable but kind of made me feel old. I can dance standing up, right? Then Suzanne and I were selected to hit the floor with the male dancer in the video. You might notice that I didn't shared a photo of that part of the visit. Suffice it to say I was more adept at the seated movements. 

After the performance, the dancers came and talked with us. I chatted with the exuberant curly-haired woman who's featured in the video clip. Her English was excellent, which was a gift since I have zero Spanish language skills. And what a small world it is. I discovered she has a brother who lives in my hometown of Panama City, Florida. Seriously, what are the odds? I wish we'd had more time so I could have found out how he ended up there. We learned after leaving the studio that the Company had recently performed in Spain and five of its leading dancers defected while there. It's hard to fault them for their choice, but I hope the Company will be able to survive without them.

Dancers from Lizt Alfonso Dance Company 

From there we were off to the Lizt Alfonso Dance Company. The dancers gave us a taste of what they do when they hit the stage. Their work is a fusion of ballet and Spanish styles of dance like flamenco and salsa. Their performance was beautiful and exciting and left me wanting more. You can see a bit of what we experienced during our in-studio visit by clicking here. But of course it doesn't capture what it felt like to be in the same room with these incredible dancers.  

Having now read about Lizt Alfonso and her company, the skill and professionalism of these dancers is no surprise. Since the company was founded in 1991, its dancers have performed in more than 20 countries, introducing more than two million people to their unique style of dance. They have appeared multiple times in the United States, including at the White House during the Obama Administration. Alfonso was recognized in 2018 as one of the BBC's 100 Women of the Year. To read an interview with her in which she speaks eloquently about both dance and politics, click here. As she said, "Artists will always be the best ambassadors of our countries...because art does not need words to have power and because art builds bridges and opens doors." And for more on her company, click here. 

Some of our young actors (in their roles as the Beatles) 

The outing that gave me the most joy was our visit to the La Colmenita Children's Theatre (also known as The Little Beehive). The theater was created in 1990 by Carlos Alberto "Tim" Cremata and some young theater school grads as a place for all types of children -- including those with disabilities -- to express themselves. The original idea was for the troupe to perform in pediatric hospitals and rural areas where the culture isn't as rich as it is in Havana. But over time the talent of the Little Bees -- and the joy they bring to those who see them perform -- led them to the international stage. As Cremata said, "It's a political statement without making a political statement." 

Actor who played a cat 

Our visit included a rehearsal of the bilingual musical "Cinderella according to the Beatles" that the group was about to take on the road to a children's theater festival in Turkey. Oh. My. God. You have never seen anything so adorable. My face literally hurt when we left from smiling so broadly the entire time. The cast featured these four girls as the Beatles, with the littlest one on the right taking on the role of John Lennon. The show uses lyrics from Beatles songs to tell the tell the story of Cinderella. Think, "I wanna hold your hand." Click here to get a sense of how much fun it was. We evenutally all got in on the act, dancing with the young actors after their rehearsal was over. (There was a lot of dancing on this trip!) And in case you're wondering, the group did make it to Tukey for the festival where they performed both "Cinderella" and "La Cucharachita Martina." (The latter title translates into "Martina, the Little Roach." I'm just as glad we saw "Cinderella.") For an article about their international performance, click here. 

Last, but certainly not least, was the mesmerizingly beautiful performance we saw at the Cuban Art Factory. I was of course excited to see more art. (I am nothing if not predictable.) But Pedro said we should check out what was happening in one of the performance spaces first. We didn't leave there until our evening was over. The concert began with the leader of the group playing a hauntingly beautiful and dramatic piece on a grand piano. I would have been satisfied just hearing him play, but there was much more to come. 

Performance at the Cuban Art Factory

The pianist grabbed a guitar and moved to the center of the stage where he was joined by a number of other musicians -- and a flamenco dancer. Sometimes they "just" played their music, which was so beautiful it struck a chord deep within me. Sometimes there were vocals so filled with emotion there was no need to understand the words. And sometimes the dancer joined them on the stage, moving with a nearly impossible amount of beauty and feeling. It was an experience that can never be replicated and that I will never forget. To get a sense of the performance for yourself, click here. 

I am grateful for having had each of these experiences. Collectively, they were a reminder of the power of the arts to reach across our differences and connect us as humans who laugh and cry and experience beauty and wonder. And while there's more I could share about our trip, this seems like the appropriate place to end my musings. Thanks for coming along with me on my journey. 

Cuba! Sculpture and More at Havana's National Museum of Fine Arts

"Ocio" by Gabriel Cisneros Baez (2022) 

No visit to Havana would be complete without a stop at the National Museum of Fine Arts. The Museum's collection is so large that it spans two buildings, one dedicated to Cuban Art and the other to International Art. Given our limited time, we only had an opportunity to tour the Cuban Art collection that's housed in restored colonial barracks that date back to 1764. Trust me when I say these are not the type of barracks that come to mind when you hear the word. As the website says, the building has an "Old World elegance" complete with courtyards and soaring decorative ceilings.  

We had some time before our docent tour to wander the courtyard, which was chock-full of sculpture. I immediately gravitated to "Ocio" by Gabriel Cisneros Baez. I didn't know it at the time, but "ocio" translates into "idleness" in English. Obviously, Cisneros has never done a side plank or he would know there's a lot of work involved in maintaining this pose. Somehow I suspect there's more going on, but I'm not going to hazard a guess here. A second sculpture by Cisneros laid nearby titled "La embestida" or "The Onslaught." You can see that work by clicking here. Cisneros is only in his early 30s, so he's an artist to watch. For a short interview with him, click here. 

"El descanso de la Republica"
by Guillermo Ramirez Malberti (2022-2023)

I am in love with this sculpture by Guillermo Ramirez Malberti entitled "El danscanso de la Republica" or "The Rest of the Republic." Maybe it's just me, but there are certainly times when I'd like to take to my bed in distress over the politics of the day. You might think I'm projecting a bit, but the image behind the overwhelmed woman is of a sculpture outside the Capitol called "The Virtue Tutelary of Town People" by Angelo Zanelli. It's worth noting that the word "tutelary" means guardian. The location of this sculpture implies that it's the government's role to guard the virtue of its people -- as the powers that be interpret the word "virtue." Is it just me, or does that sound a lot like the political situation in Florida these days? 

Malberti is known for creating works that bear witness to Cuban life. One of his best known works is a 1990 series of clay sculptures entitled "How Do I Tell You My Story?" (Click here for an image.)  It's personal, obviously, but filled with political references. The first work is a depiction of his parents dressed in military attire; the fourth is an image of the artist himself as a young man holding a membership card of the Communist Youth. That individual sculpture is named "Will I Be Like Che?" Interestingly, the artist recreated the series in bronze, a decision that changes the sculptures' feeling entirely. Clay is warm while bronze is cold and hard. Looking at "The Rest of the Republic" with this choice of medium in mind gives additional weight to the work and the distress the woman feels. For more on Malberti, click here. 

"Una tribuna para la paz democratica" by Antonia Eiriz (1968)

"Una tribuna para la paz democratica" by Antonia Eiriz was one of my favorite works inside the Museum. The title translates into "A Platform for Democratic Peace." If you click on the image, you will be able to more readily see the lectern in front of a faceless crowd. It turns out that, so far as I can tell, this is the name of the painting, with the Museum making the decision to turn the work into an installation by adding the chairs. This expansion leaves viewers with a sense of being at a press conference rather than a rally. 

Our docent talked about Cubans finally having the power of free speech. But that was a long time coming -- and who knows how it actually works in practice. In 1948, Cuba adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which includes language embracing freedom of expression and opinion. Still, there was pressure for artists to create pro-Revolution work. Shortly after the creation of "A Platform for Democratic Peace," Eiriz quit painting for 20 years. The official reason was grief over the death of her mother. Many people, however, believe her withdrawal was the result of government criticism of her work and the work of other creative types. I wouldn't be surprised. I've included some info about the current state of artists' freedom of expression in the last paragraph of this post. 

As a bit of an aside, in 1968 Heberto Padilla wrote "Out of the Game," a book of poetry that included a poem about Eiriz. The book and its counter-revolutionary themes were lauded by the Cuban writers' union. But things didn't go well for Padilla after the publication of his book. In 1971, he publicly retracted the counter-revolutionary attitudes in his poetry. Nobody believed his change in attitude was sincere, and Padilla later acknowledged he made his public statements after being tortured. Wow. Maybe I wasn't paying close enough attention, but I don't remember our docent at the state-owned museum sharing this with us. For more on Eiriz and her work (and Padilla's poem about her), click here. 

"Suvivor" by Roberto Fabelo

I'll leave you with a work I feel kind of obligated to share -- one of the very creepy (and crawly) cockroaches with human heads by Cuban artist Roberto Fabelo. To make it even more, well, icky, the original work was comprised of 10 or 12 of the creatures. Most were crawling the Museum's walls, although some had fallen to the ground with their legs sticking up. The series was one of Cuba's submissions to its Biennial in 2009. 

So what's going on here? Although I liked one commentator's note that he and a colleague enjoyed imagining the heads of their bosses on the cockroaches, I don't think that's what Fabelo intended. If you've read Kafka's Metamorphosis  (I haven't), you'd likely think of that novella's references to a salesman turned insect and his subsequent struggle to survive and to support his family. Our docent mentioned this reference and its commentary on the difficulty of humans to survive as a species. It's hard not to think of how challenging life is in Cuba these days when considering that perspective. For more on Fabelo and his art, click here. 

I would be extremely remiss if I didn't mention that the Government of Cuba continues today to repress artistic freedom. (Note: This wasn't something we were told. Instead, I stumbled upon this inconvenient fact while doing some research for this post.) The 1976 Cuban Constitution includes a provision that reads, "artistic creativity is free as long as its content is not contrary to the Revolution." And then there's Decree 349, adopted in 2018. Under the Decree, all artists are prohibited from operating in private or public spaces without prior approval by the Ministry of Culture. In addition, use of patriotic symbols that contravene current legislation" and art that contains "sexist, vulgar or obscene" language or "any other content that violates the legal provisions that regulate the normal development of our society in cultural matters" are specified as artistic content that's banned. I'm shocked, but I guess I shouldn't be. Not surprisingly, this law is not enforced in a uniform manner. To read more about this issue, click here for an article published by Amnesty International and here for a letter published by Tania Bruguera, an artist who has been arrested and jailed multiple times for her violation of the law. 

Next up: Sampling the performing arts in Havana

Cuba! Exploring Old Havana

Rafa in the Plaza de San Francisco

Christopher Columbus was busy back in 1492. That was the year he "discovered" both America and Cuba. Plaza de San Francisco is one of the places in Havana where the resulting Spanish colonialism is very evident. With Rafa as our guide, we learned about the area's history and architecture. It's worth noting that while Rafa works at the wonderful Hotel Casavana where we stayed, his degree is in architecture. Another seriously under-employed Cuban. 

Once the Spanish took control of Havana, they built as many religious structures as possible, including the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi that looms large in Plaza de San Francisco. What better way to remind the "natives" they were no longer in control? 

New social classes emerged that replicated European traditions, complete with titles. Mansions were built around the square that still stand as a reminder of Havana's colonialist past. 

And here's a tidbit that caught my attention. Rafa noted that Spain had control of Havana from the time of Columbus' arrival until 1898. Except, that is, for an eleven month period in 1762-63 when the Brits assumed control after the Seven Years War. The Brits would have stayed longer, but Cuba offered up Florida in exchange for Havana and the English jumped at the offer. An interesting slice of Florida history. Now back to the Plaza de San Francisco. 

Street artist in Havana

The Plaza served as the central marketplace of the city. It's not hard to imagine vendors peddling their wares in the wide open space of the square. In fact, there's a bit of that still going on today. 

I spied an artist across the square and stepped away from Rafa's history lesson. How could I resist? The artist was working on this small watercolor with one of the old cars for which Havana is known parked in front of the Capitol. He finished the Cuban flag as I stood there, so I walked away happily waving my acquisition with $10 less in my wallet. For a better image of the painting, just click on the photo. It was the first of several works of art I brought home. 

Suzanne and Orlando

The various plazas are a natural place for entrepreneurs of all kinds to make a little money. We were serenaded at one stop by this musician. Suzanne being Suzanne engaged with the guy and found out that his name was Orlando. Given another five minutes, she would have had his life story. 

Orlando was the first street performer we encountered on our trip. We'd been told by previous travelers to bring lots of dollar bills to give out, but we couldn't quite figure out the mechanics. Do you just randomly walk up to someone and give them a dollar? With average incomes the equivalent of $15-$20/month, the need is there, and tourists are the best source of additional funds. Still, it sounded awkward, not to mention paternalistic and condescending and whatever other uncomfortable adjective you can think of. So it made sense when Pedro said it was appropriate to put some money in the hands of street performers but not someone just walking down the street - or the beggars we encountered. We were happy to do that. And yes, dollars are the preferred currency rather than the Cuban peso. 

Jerry chats with Eusebia Leal 

As I mentioned in my previous post, Havana is filled with public art that ties in with the history of Cuba. This sculpture of Eusebio Leal provided an engaging photo opp for our group, with Jerry having a particularly lively interaction with the man credited with saving Old Havana from decay. 

Leal was a self-educated man. He dropped out of school after sixth grade to get a job and help support his mother. But he was someone who loved to learn, and he eventually got into university based on the knowledge he learned on his own. What a self-starter. And how appropriate that this sculpture shows him carrying some of his beloved books. 

Leal became Havana's city historian and directed the restoration project of old Havana. Over the course of 20+ years approximately 300 buildings -- from cathedrals to restaurants to hotels -- were brought back to their former glory. Renovating these structures didn't just make Old Havana a more beautiful place. It also helped promote the tourism on which Cuba relies so heavily. The area was deservedly declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1982. For a great article about Leal compliments of Smithsonian Magazine, click here. 

And with that, Old Havana was in our rearview window. We had people to see and places to go. 

Next up: Sculpture from Havana's Museum of Fine Arts 

Cuba! Exploring the Plaza de la Revolution

Jose Marti Memorial at Revolution Plaza

I recently returned from a wonderful week in Havana. It was exhilarating and humbling, educational and fun. While I know I can't truly convey what it was like to be there, I'm going to give it the old college try. And that seems apt, since one of the good things Fidel Castro implemented was free education for all. If only there were jobs that paid a living wage for the bright and articulate students upon graduation. But I'm going to try and stay on point for this post, which is sharing a bit of information about Havana's Plaza de la Revolucion. 

Revolution Plaza was quite appropriately the first stop on our panoramic tour of the city. The Cuba of today is the result of Castro's victory over Batista in the Revolution. This Plaza was one of the places Castro gave hours long speeches on occasions such as the anniversary of the Revolution and International Workers Day. The crowd could number as many as a million people. I have practical questions, like how did Castro hydrate and when did he pee. Not to mention how he came up with all those words. But I'm already digressing. 

Sculptural mural of Camila Cienfuegos

The person memorialized in the sculpture and building pictured above is not Castro but Jose Marti. Marti was a 19th century poet, journalist, diplomat and activist who worked for the liberation of Cuba from Spain. When he was just 16 years old, Marti was arrested for denouncing a pro-Spanish classmate and sentenced to six years of hard labor. He was released after a few months but spent most of the remainder of his life in exile. Even if you haven't heard Marti's name before, I'll wager that you're familiar with his work. The lyrics of the song "Guantanamerro" came from one of Marti's poems.

While doing a bit of internet surfing, I learned you can also find a sculpture of Marti on horseback in Central Park. Artist Anna Hyatt Huntington created the work and then gifted it to the Cuban government to be given to the City of New York. It seems a bit circuitous, but I guess that ensured the sculpture would be displayed. Still, although New York received the sculpture in 1959, the pedestal where it was to be displayed sat empty until 1965. Given the political issues raging between the US and Cuba at the time, commemorating one of Cuba's heroes didn't seem appropriate. For a picture of that sculpture, click here.  And for a bit more about Marti, click here. 

Two other revolutionaries are also recognized in Revolution Plaza -- Camila Cienfuegos and Che Guevara. Cienfuegos was Fidel's second in command throughout the Revolution and continued to be actively involved in the new government after Fidel's victory. The sculpture of Cienfuegos contains the words "Vas bien, Fidel" or "You're doing fine, Fidel." These words were Cienfuegos' response to Fidel when he turned to Cienguegos during one of his speeches at Revolutionary Square and asked how he was doing. Really, though, what could Cinefuegos have said? "Since you asked, you're going on a little bit long, my friend"? Cienguegos died in a mysterious plane crash a few months after the success of the Revolution. His body was never recovered, and some believe Fidel or Raul Castro had a hand in his demise due to his popularity with the people. For more on Cienfuegos, click here. 

Sculptural mural of Che Guevara

And then there is Ernesto "Che" Guevara. Che is a romantic figure of the Revolution, in part because he died at just 39 years old. Of course he was also pretty darn handsome, and many a tourist -- including some of the women in our group -- come home from Cuba with a tshirt with Che's face emblazoned on the front. 

Che was a fierce warrior and, like Cienfuegos, played an important role in Cuba both during and following the Revolution. One of the jobs Che was tasked with following Fidel's victory was reviewing the appeals of people convicted as war criminals who were to be executed by firing squad. He is known as well for advocating agrarian reform to break up large farms and redistribute land to the people. His resume also includes training militia forces who fought in the Bay of Pigs Invasion. (In another post, I'll share pictures of a bunker located on the grounds of the Hotel Nacional de Cuba that was used by Cuba during the Invasion.)  The sculpture includes the words  “Hasta la Victoria Siempre” or “Toward victory forever.” For more on Guevara, click here.  

Visiting Revolution Square was only the first of many educational and thought-provoking experiences during our trip. I quickly realized how little I know about Cuba and the United States' relationship with the country. It was also immediately clear how significant a role public art plays in telling the story of Cuba's history. For me, having these visuals as an entry point helped enormously. Our trip was off to a terrific start. 

Next up: Exploring Old Havana 

Embracing Our Differences 2024 Exhibit

"Friendsheeps" by Ruth Schmidt (Hungary) 

The annual Embracing Our Differences art exhibit in Bayfront Park is always fun to explore. The exhibit features artwork from around the world with accompanying quotes. (Note: The quotes are submitted separately from the images, with the EOD curatorial team creating the pairings.) This year 16,603 submissions were received from 125 countries, 44 states and 584 schools. Selecting the artwork and quotes to include could not have been an easy task. But the committee once again did a great job putting together an engaging exhibit that can be enjoyed on multiple levels.

When I visited the exhibit for my second viewing, I happened upon a little boy laughing with joy and his equally happy mother. They were looking at Ruth Schmidt's "Friendsheeps." "Which one do you like the best?" I asked the little boy. Without any hesitation, he said, "The one in the middle." We both giggled over the sheep's funny hairstyle. (Note: If you enlarge the image by clicking on it you'll see that the sheep also has a triple piercing on one ear.) The mother's favorite was the second sheep from the right which is sticking out its tongue. More giggles all around. The mother later saw me and said, "Did you notice that there's a wolf in sheep's clothing in that painting?" I hadn't! Nice touch, Ruth. The encounter totally made my day. The accompanying quote for this work reads, "Similarities make us comfortable; differences make us fascinating." The words were submitted by Adyasha Giri, a 12th grade student from India. I assume creating quotes for this exhibit was a class project since Adyasha likely wouldn't have otherwise come upon the call for submissions. I love it. 

"Friends Untangle Life's Knots" by 5th Grade Class
at Emma Book Elementary School (Teacher Melissa Shaw)

Speaking of class projects, "Friends Untangle Life's Knots" was created by Mrs. Rodriguez' Fifth Grade class at Emma Booker Elementary School here in Sarasota. Art teacher Melissa Shaw was at the helm for the project. 

Each artist (in this case the class) submits a statement to provide some context for the work. Here's what these students had to say. "When the stress of life makes us feel like we are tied up in knots, it is easy to feel isolated. In this collaborative artwork, we wanted to show how important it is to reach out to others, especially when they are struggling. Our hope is that more people in the world will be a friend to those who need it most." These kids seem wise beyond their years. Canadian Jenniffer Twu provided the accompanying quote, which reads, "Watch children make friends. You'll learn so much from them." 

"Remembering John Sims" by Anita Wexler (Sarasota)

I came upon an unexpected tie-in between the EOD exhibit and the "Impact: Contemporary Artists at the Hermitage Artist Retreat" exhibit now on at Sarasota Art Museum. Both celebrate the art and life of John Sims. 

Sims moved to Sarasota from Detroit when he was a young man and spent the rest of his too short life here. (He passed away from a heart attack two years ago at the age of 54.) He is best known for his multi-media work known broadly as the "Recoloration Proclamation." When he moved to Sarasota, Sims was struck by the number of Confederate flags proudly displayed. One of his artistic responses was the recoloration of that flag in black, red and green, the colors of the Black Liberation Movement. Another involved a reimagining of the Confederacy's favorite song -- "Dixie." In case you can't summon the song to mind, it starts, "I wish I was in the land of cotton, Old times there are not forgotten..." Sims re-recorded the song in 13 different genres of Black music, including Blues, Gospel, R&B and Hip Hop. Both components of Sims' Recoloration Proclamation are included in the exhibit at the Museum, with a listening station to hear the music. For excerpts of the revised versions of the song, click here. 

The words of Willa Abraham, a 10th grader from Houston, were paired with Wexler's remembrance of Sims. They read, "Our time is limited, but our impact remain infinite." The use of the word "infinite" is particularly apt because Sims was a mathematician as well as an artist. It's a clever pairing by the folks at EOD. 

"Ramadan Meals Among Syrian Ruins" by Mouneb Taim

I'll leave you with a striking photograph by Dutch photographer Mouneb Taim. It's entitled "Ramadan Meals Among Syrian Ruins." As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Still, the words of Sandy Chase of Bradenton were well worth including. Chase wrote, "Arms can destroy lives or embrace others. Decide which to use." 

Kudos once again to the team at Embracing Our Differences both for putting together this wonderful exhibit and for all the other hard work you do to make our community a more accepting place. The exhibit runs at Bayfront Park through April 14th. Don't miss it. 

Great Artists Steal at Art Center Sarasota

"Bill in Sarasota" by Craig Carl 

"Good artists copy; great artists steal." So declared none other than Pablo Picasso. Fun fact: Steve Jobs used this quote when talking about some of Apple's innovations. I can just imagine the corporate panic that ensued the moment the words left his mouth. Bud Tribble, Apple's VP of software technology at the time, tried to put Jobs' statement in context. "I think people focus on the Picasso statement and focus on the word 'steal," Tribble said. "If you take that word, which is kind of pejorative, and replace it with 'make it your own,' ... that's the dividing line between copying and stealing." I suspect this wasn't the final word on the topic. But I've veered a bit off my point, which is that Art Center Sarasota is hosting an exhibit in which local artists used the work of famous artists as their jumping off point. They did a good job of making those artists' work their own. It's a fun show. 

I listened in on juror Alecia Harper's comments on the exhibit. Harper shared that 284 works inspired by 140 different artists were submitted for consideration. Picasso and Braque were the artists most frequently stolen from, with 14 submissions inspired by each of these greats. Nipping at their heels were Klimt, van Gogh and Monet at 13 reimaginings. 

I was able to identify the inspiration for some of the works from across the room. Take, for instance, Craig Carl's "Bill in Sarasota." It's a terrific homage to the work of David Hockney. I particularly liked the no socks look. I imagined that Bill is looking out the window at one of Hockney's trademark pools. It's a successful work on all points in my book, but it wasn't given an award.

"Lunch with Andy and Jean-Michel" by Raegan Little

Nor did Raegan Little's "Lunch with Andy and Jean-Michel" garner a prize. As the title says, the sculpture was inspired by the art of Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat. You might expect that drawing on the influence of multiple artists would make the task more difficult, but the inclusion of Basquiat's figures and graffiti seems a logical addition to this 3D version of a Warhol soup can. Warhol and Basquiat were not only friends in real life; they collaborated artistically as well. To see some of that work, click here. 

The conversion of one of Warhol's trademark soup can paintings into a sculpture was a clever idea. (Another artist recreated one of Keith Haring's dogs as a sculpture.) Having a 3D version allowed Little to include -- and modify -- the directions on how to prepare the soup and its ingredients. The instructions contain the suggestion to "Eat for lunch." This addition is a sly reference to Warhol's statement that he ate Campbell's soup for lunch every day for 20 years. "I used to drink it," he said. I like it, although I do wonder why the can is misshapen. If you have any thoughts, let me know. 

"Intrusive Thoughts (L'appel du vide) by Gene Shurakov  

Now let's get to a couple of works that did win awards. "Intrusive Thoughts (L'appel du vide)" by Gene Shurakov was given an Honorable Mention. It definitely wins the prize for most mysterious work in the show. Even in this image, you can see the movement in the work and its three dimensional feeling. It's a painting that's gotten under my skin, which is quite apt given its name. 

"Intrusive Thoughts" was inspired by the work of three Russian artists: Kazimir Malevich, Vasily Kandinsky and Ivan Aivazovsky. I have to admit to only being familiar with Kandinsky (and that I can't summon even one of his works to mind). Hello, Google. 

I learned that Malevich was an abstract artist who founded the Suprematism movement, a style of art that relies on the supremacy of feeling when you look at a painting. He was particularly known for his geometric paintings, including his "Black Circle." So I get that reference now. Aivazovsky was known for his turbulent seascapes such as "The Wave." Check. Remind me to never go boating with this guy. The influence of Kandinsky is less readily apparent to me, but I trust that Shurakov knows his Russian artists. 

"Self Portrait circa 1989" by Michael Parkinson

I'll leave you with a Merit Award winner -- "Self Portrait circa 1989" by Michael Parkinson. I had to get close to this painting before realizing the artist being stolen from is Chuck Close. You can see in this image that Parkinson mimicked Close's technique of painstakingly painting his large-scale works small square by small square. 

For Close, this approach was the only way he could create the portraits for which he is known. Close suffered from prosopagnosia, or face blindness. (Being "face blind" means you are unable to differentiate one face from another.) You might expect this disability to be a hindrance to becoming a portrait artist, but Close said he made this choice specifically because of his condition. 

It turns out that recreating an image of his subject helped him remember that person's face. Before he started a new portrait, Close would take a color photograph of the individual. He would then pencil in small squares across the entire canvas. Using the photograph as his guide, he would work from the top left hand portion of the canvas to the lower right hand, filling in each square with the appropriate color. What a task he set for himself each time he picked up a paintbrush. 

Unfortunately, Parkinson was not on hand at the Art Center to talk about his choice of Close as his inspiration and how difficult the process of creating this 60x45 self portrait was. I'd be curious to know what his take aways from the project were. No matter, Parkinson deserves kudos for taking the opportunity to, as they say, walk a mile in someone else's shoes. 

"Great Artists Steal" continues at Art Center Sarasota through April 20th. For more info, click here.