"Storytelling: A Visual Narrative" at Art Center Sarasota

"Oblivious" by Mike Knapp (2022) 

Art Center Sarasota might get overlooked when you're checking out the Sarasota museum and gallery scene. And that would be a mistake. The Art Center puts up terrific exhibits sure to have something to catch your eye -- and perhaps even your imagination. Case in point: "Storytelling: A Visual Narrative," on display through November 11th.  

I am woefully bad at conjuring up backstories for works of art. While I had a somewhat creative mind when dealing with legal issues, I'm just too literal in the everyday world. But even I get what Mike Knapp is going for in "Oblivious." I'm ashamed to say that my general approach to the mess the world is in today is quite similar to that of the man pictured here (although I'm not as well dressed). Yes, the world is burning down around us. The question is, what can we do about it. For more of Knapp's work, click here. 

"Riley in Her Garden" by Donna M. Richardson (2023)

Donna Richardson's "Riley in Her Garden" filled me with a very different emotion. How can you not smile when you see this young girl embracing life? She is full of joy as she basks in her environment -- be it real or imagined. Could it be her positivity that's calling all these butterflies to her world? The work is even more vibrant in the gallery as the lighting is perfectly positioned so the rays of sunshine around her head create a halo effect. 

I happened to meet Richardson when I was taking in the exhibit and learned that this is a painting of her niece Riley. Richardson said this image truly reflects her niece's outlook on life. She is a force of nature -- literally in this depiction. I hope she retains that quality as she gets older. To see more of Richardson's work, click here. I was saddened when I realized it was Richardson's "Women of the Bluest Eye" that was vandalized in last year's Embracing Our Differences exhibit. For more on that incident, click here. 

"Mackerel Embroiled" by Nancy Hielscher (2023)

Then there's "Mackerel Embroiled" by Nancy Hielscher. While I'm neither a fisherwoman nor a seafood aficionado, I kept coming back to this multi-media work. I love the newspaper that Hielscher has used as her backdrop. There's a portion of the cooking section from the NYT with the word "Delicious" peeking out from behind a mackerel. There's an advertisement for a book about cocktails, presumably with a tasty concoction or two that would pair well with fresh fish. There are also letters to the editor of the Times about books that readers recommend. From what I could make out, the books didn't seem to be on point. But the image at the top of the article appears to be a guy in a boat. It works for me.

The stars of the show, though, are the colorful mackerel just waiting to be wrapped up in that newspaper and taken home to be broiled and eaten. At least that's one way of interpreting Hielscher's "Mackerel Embroiled" title. The name could, however, be a nod to the fact that these aquatic animals are embroiled in the fight against climate change that threatens their world. For more on Hielscher and her work, click here. 

"Where Have You Gone Joe D" by Mayer Kersun (2023)

I'll leave you with a work that I unsurprisingly gravitated to given my obsession with baseball. (Is "obsession" too strong a word? I'll let my friends be the judge.)  Mayer Kersun has truly captured the movement and excitement of a sport that many people consider, well, boring. Clearly they haven't been watching the MLB playoffs. 

Here we have another multi-media work that includes a newspaper article, albeit minituarized. The article heralds Joe DiMaggio's feat of getting hits in 56 consecutive games. That is insane! More than 60 years later, it's a record that still stands, with Pete Rose coming in second a full 12 games short. DiMaggio played in the World Series ten times, all with the NY Yankees. The Yankees won nine of those series. Again, crazy. I just wish my Rays would win once! 

Kersun doesn't appear to have an active website, but I did find more of his work on his Instagram page. You can check it out by clicking here. 

For more on Art Center Sarasota, click here. Better yet, stop in and see for yourself what artists in our community are creating. Feel free to make up some stories of your own while you're there.