DECEMBER 2017 | SARASOTA SCENE 121
on the town
Michael Shelton
was recognized for
his and his team’s
work for Embracing
Our Differences. As
a founding member,
Michael oversees
the creation and
implementation of
all programming
has grown to impact over
200,000 adults and 40,000
students annually. This year,
the Embracing Our Differences
art exhibit received
10,761 submissions representing
115 countries, 48
states and 204 schools from
India, Iran, Israel, Vietnam
and South Korea.
Back in 2015, Selby
Gardens brought in Jennifer
Rominiecki as President and
CEO. She has truly given the
Gardens some serious roots
to grow upon. She re-positioned
the institution as a
“Living Museum,” producing
substantial increases in
visitors, new memberships
Rep, Ringling College, the
John and Mable Ringling
Museum of Art, American
Symphony Orchestra League,
Symphony Association, Selby
Gardens, Players Theatre and
Florida Studio Theatre. She
served as chairman of the
Florida Board of Regents,
Florida House (state embassy
in Washington, DC); she was
founding board member of
the League of Women Voters,
Sarasota/Manatee; she was
co-founder of the Women’s
Resource Center; a co-founder
of Sarasota Memorial
Healthcare Foundation; and
she helped United Way, Mote
Marine Laboratories, University
of South Florida, Sarasota/
Manatee, and Saint Stephen’s
Episcopal School.
The award-winning pianist,
conductor, arranger and arts
administrator, Dr. Joseph Holt,
won the Artistic Achievement
award. He is the current Artistic
Director for the Choral
Artists of Sarasota (formerly
Gloria Musicae) and the Artist
Series Concerts of Sarasota;
he is the Director of Music at
Faith Lutheran Church, and
of the SILL Music Mondays
program with Edward Alley.
Prior to relocating to Sarasota,
he was the Associate Music
Director for the Choral Arts
Society of Washington and
served twenty years as principal
pianist with The United
States Army Chorus.
The last of the awards
this year went to the Cultural
Champion Richard
Storm, who spent 30 years
in the Middle East teaching
American literature, worked
in public relations, produced
television documentaries for
CBS and NBC, and published
English language magazines
in Cairo and Rome. His
involvement in Sarasota since
short two years. She and her
team have also introduced
the community to their new
their 10-year master site
plan. Let’s watch the Gardens
grow under her direction
as she continues to build,
cultivate and bring in various
science, education, arts, civic
and business groups to our
area through her work.
The philanthropy leader
award went to Elizabeth
Lindsay who, for more than
55 years, volunteered her
assisted many organizations
in need. They include the
Woman’s Exchange, the
Sarasota Arts Council, Asolo
1989 includes supporting the
Executive Director and the
artist-in-residency program
as co-chair. He was Director
of Marketing for the Sarasota
County Arts Council, a
board member of La Musica
Director of Key Chorale, and
he assisted in creating the
Cirque des Voix® performance
collaboration with
the Circus Arts Conservatory.
Richard also served as Honorary
Vice-Consul of Italy
for southwestern Florida for
several years, during which
he worked to coordinate the
Sister Cities relationship between
Sarasota and Treviso,
Italy. He is also the music
critic for the
Master of Ceremonies,
Executive Director of the
Arts and Cultural Alliance of
Sarasota County Jim Shirley,
was eager to share the eco-
arts and cultural organizations
and its audiences in
Sarasota County. The Arts &
Economic Prosperity study
was conducted to provide
the overwhelmingly compelling
economic impact
the arts has on our area. In
total, $295,000,000 is how
much the arts organizations
spend in our community per
year. Those attending arts
and cultural events tally 2.4
million and it is estimated
that they spend $93.5 million
on dining, hotels and parking.
Jim told us,“This study
clearly demonstrates that the
arts are a large and powerful
economic force in Sarasota
County. They provide an
unusually rich quality of life
that positions our community
to compete in the 21st century
creative economy.”
Jim Shirley
(Right)
presenting
the Cultural
Champion
award to
Richard Storm