BESTBets
Alton Brown at
Ruth Eckerd Hall
Art Festival Beth-El
This vibrant geometric art glass piece by California artist
Fay Miller is an example of the caliber of work that will
be on display and for sale at Art Festival Beth-El.
Now celebrating its 42nd year, Temple Beth-
El’s annual fine art exhibition and sale will be
held from January 31st through February 2nd.
The juried show, featuring original paintings,
wood, sculpture, ceramics, glass, photography
and jewelry is known as one of the premier
shows in the Southeast and showcases the work
of over 170 national and international awardwinning
artists.
An elegant preview cocktail reception will
kick off the Festival on Saturday, January 31st.
On Sunday, February 1st and Monday, February
2nd, admission is free and open to the public.
Temple Beth-El is located at 400 Pasadena
Avenue South in St. Petersburg. Call (727) 347-6136
for information about the preview reception.
Alton Brown, the author of seven
books, including the James Beard
award-winning I’m Just Here for the
Food, and the New York Times bestselling
sequence Good Eats, will
bring his Edible Inevitable Tour
to Ruth Eckerd Hall on Tuesday,
February 3rd at 7 PM. Brown will
include an interactive component
in the show, where he will invite
audience members to join him on
stage. His show Good Eats, that ran
for 13 years on the Food Network
and is now on the Cooking Channel,
combines food, science, pop culture,
skit humor, innovative cooking and
the occasional belching puppet.
It is fun for the whole family. For
tickets, call (727) 791-7400, or visit
www.rutheckerdhall.com.
Miniature Art Society Show
For its 40th anniversary, the Miniature Art Society of Florida is exhibiting a
spectacular display of miniature paintings, scrimshaw, fired porcelain and sculpture
from January 18th through February 15th at the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art in
Tarpon Springs. All of the 700 pieces of art are for sale and include entries from 33
states and 10 countries. An Awards Brunch will be held on January 18th. Since 1976,
the Miniature Art Society of Florida has been raising funds for scholarships
to young artists. You can watch demonstrators as they work; and to aid you in
seeing the art, magnifying glasses are available throughout the exhibit. For more
information, call (727) 712-5762.
Tosca at the
Sarasota Opera
Don’t miss the opportunity to hear
Puccini’s powerful melodies, as they give life
to the story of Tosca, the famous diva whose
love leads to tragedy. All performances
feature supertitles, which are real-time
English translations visible on a screen
above the stage. Performances are scheduled
for February 7, 10, 15, 18 and 26; and March
3, 8, 14, 17, 22, 25 and 28 at the beautiful
Sarasota Opera House, under the direction
of Conductor Vincent DeRenzi. Tickets start
at only $19, (941) 328-1300.
Soprano Kara Shay Thomson will sing Tosca
in Puccini’s famous melodrama by the same
name at the Sarasota Opera House.
The miniatures on display have been carefully selected from all of
those that have been submitted.
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE 39