In the wake of recent civil unrest in the U.S., "a lot of people are relying on Gen Z and Millennials to do something different. What has been done hasn’t and didn’t work, so we need some fresh perspectives and the energy of youth. But, if you’re alive and any age, you have a job to do now, too.''
French wine, some art, meeting new friends and reuniting with old friends? Oui, s'il vous plaît!The annual Fete du Beaujolais Nouveau will be held at the Dali Museum on Saturday, Nov. 20, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Organized by the French American Business Council of West Florida (FRAMCO), along with the Tampa Le-Havre Sister Cities International, Fete du Beaujolais Nouveau is in its 12th year in Tampa Bay. In France, the third week of November is when the Beaujolais wine is released and is a popular "vin de primeur," a young wine."Most wines you just let them age and they get better as they age," says Jean-Charles Faust, president of FRAMCO. "As soon as the Beaujolais wine is released, it can be consumed. It is not a wine you should keep and let age. This is a wine you have to drink when its young."FRAMCO was founded by Rose Marie Magriby in 1998, and is part of a network of 19 French American chambers in the United States. Tampa has an official relationship with sister city, Le Havre, France, which is the second largest European port. Fete du Beaujolais Nouveau is used to gather together the local community and French American community members. This year's event will benefit the new Dali Museum, which is scheduled to open January 11, 2011, and Fete du Beaujolais Nouveau will be the last event prior to the Dali's move to their new home. Guided tours of the Dali artwork will be provided during the event and special guests include the Honorable Gael de Maisonneuve, Consul General of France; Hank Hine, museum director and Yann Weymouth, French American HOK architect.Tickets are $45 in advance for museum and FRAMCO members, $55 for non-members and $60 after November 16. To RSVP, email: president.FRAMCO@gmail.com or call Beth Curts at 813-391-4407.Writer: Nancy VaughnSource: Jean-Charles Faust, FRAMCO
When a region emerges onto the cultural scene, people take notice and the creatives come out to share their talent and get in on the awakening. This is what happened to Michael Faiella and the members of the newly formed jazz orchestra known as the St. Petersburg Jazz Orchestra.It's been a dream of Faiella's, owner of renowned Ami Jewelers and president of the St. Petersburg Jazz Orchestra, to start an orchestra. When he decided to open his shop at the Vinoy in 2009, he decided he would simultaneously launch the band. By September 2010, the orchestra was formerly organized and has been rehearsing ever since. There are 16 orchestra members, ranging in age from 21-50+ and one vocalist. "All of the members are top-notch musicians in the Tampa and St. Petersburg areas," says Faiella, who plays the saxophone and woodwind instruments. "They're all extremely qualified and professional."Why St. Petersburg? Faiella says he noticed the cultural development in St. Petersburg and its rapid growth. Noting the arrival of Chihuly and places like the Dali, Faiella says he feels that St. Petersburg likes music and will be the perfect place for a jazz orchestra, fitting right into the community and what happens in St. Pete. Tom Sexauer, owner of Florida Fresh Marketing Inc. seconds that notion. Sexauer, president of the St. Petersburg Downtown Business Association, and met Faiella when he became a member of the association with his jewelry store. Faiella invited Sexauer to a rehearsal at the Vinoy, where the orchestra practices on Sundays.Sexauer says, "It just blew me away. If you closed your eyes, you would've sworn you were in New York in the 1940s and Ella Fitzgerald was there. It was unbelievable." Sexauer was so impressed by the group, he is now serving as executive vice president.The St. Petersburg Jazz Orchestra will have its first public performance at New Year's in November, a benefit for Creative Clay on Friday, Nov. 12, at 6 p.m. The event will be held at the Historic Coliseum in downtown St. Petersburg and is free. In coming weeks, the St. Petersburg Jazz Orchestra will solidify status as a 501(c)3 and create a 22-member board. For more information, call Faiella at Ami Jewelers at 727-824-8007 or click here. Writer: Nancy VaughnSources: Michael Faiella, Tom Sexauer
Most of us with a sweet tooth have imagined a place like Candyland or Willy Wonka's. A place where one is surrounded by sweet treats to be indulged upon endlessly. Thanks to the MOSI, chocoholics will have an opportunity to experience something close to being swallowed up by sweetness. The Museum of Science and Industry will host Tampa's first Festival of Chocolate, January 15-17, 2011. The all-chocolate tasting experience will begin on Saturday, Jan. 15, from 9am-6pm, continue on Sunday, Jan. 16, from 9am-6pm and conclude on Monday, Jan. 17, from 9am-5pm. An entire weekend filled with chocolate cakes, cookies, brownies, ice cream, truffles and more!Produced by Aileen Mand of Indigo Creative Productions in partnership with Edgar Schaked, a third-generation chocolatier, The Festival of Chocolate, the only traveling chocolate-themed museum, launched in Orlando in 2009 with an estimated 9,500 people in attendance. "The thing about chocolate is that everyone loves it, but people don't really know about it," says Mand. "We're trying to educate people about chocolate because it's a really interesting food and good for you in moderation." Mand says the event itself is educational, interactive and involves eating, of course. Chocolate vendors and confection companies from around the Tampa Bay region will be in attendance showcasing, selling and sharing items. Pastry chefs and chocolatiers will be on hand for interactive demonstrations, there will be chocolate and wine pairings, and a live chocolate showpiece competition where guests will vote on the best cake creation in Tampa.As if the kids won't be engaged by the chocolate, MOSI has found a way to incorporate its interactive learning experiences by allowing the kids to create edible masterpieces and take a journey through the life of a cacao bean. Plus a Chocolate University taught by Chocolate Masters, cookie stacking contests and brownie bingo. Admission to The Festival of Chocolate is free with purchase of admission to MOSI, and each adult advance purchase ticket will receive $3 in chocolate coins to spend in The Festival of Chocolate. A discounted entry price of $10 a ticket is available for MOSI members and member children are free. Also, the MOSI is currently selecting chocolate judges! For more information, visit www.festivalofchocolate.com or call 813-438-4066. Writer: Nancy Vaughn Source: Aileen Mand, Indigo Creative Productions
Pour, pour, shake, shake, shake and you'll have an instant adult beverage that can compete with a drink from your favorite bartender.Hendrik Bisanz and Bridget Bohannon are the founders of BHB Import LLC, a wine and spirits company. Established in 2008, BHB Import has spent the past two years solidifying approvals and is now the exclusive importer of Conelly Cocktails. Conelly Cocktails was founded in Austria and thanks to BHB Import, its U.S. headquarters will be in Tampa.Conelly Cocktails entered the market officially in October 2010. "The product, which is patent pending in the U.S. is the first of its kind to co-package spirits and natural juices," says Bisanz.Why a patent? The two components of the product, liquor and natural juices, have never been packaged together as one single item. When liquor is mixed with natural juices, it is usually consumed shortly afterward. Bisanz explains that the spirits attack the pectin structure of juices, so the two couldn't be packaged into one single container. So your favorite mixed beverage, perhaps a Cosmopolitan or another popular martini, could never be picked up from the liquor store as one item. Until now.Conelly Cocktails offers mixed drinks, such as Sex on the Beach, Mai Tais and Ladykillers, in one packaged product. Depending on how you want to put your cans (the spirit or the juice) together, you will have the spirit on top and the juice on the bottom, held together by a ring that doubles as a can opener. The entire packing is completely recyclable as well."It's a new category. People always ask us who our competitors are, but it's hard to make our competitors out because the category that we've defined ourselves, is 'ready to shake.' There is nothing like that," says Bisanz.Conelly Cocktails is available only in select markets, which includes Tampa Bay, and was recently approved for sale at Total Wine and More. Next steps will be to secure authorized vendor suppliers and hire key market managers across the country.Writer: Nancy VaughnSource: Hendrik Bisanz, BHB Import LLC
Spooky, gory and gross are in season during October and Tampa will get in on the fun with an indie, zombie film called Dead Season. An exclusive pre-release screening of the film will be held at the Muvico Centro Ybor on Thursday, Oct. 28, at 7:30 p.m. Some Floridians played key roles in the horror film which is one of the reasons that Tampa Bay will get a sneak peek. Cinematographer Jeff Peters attended Full Sail University in Orlando; Corsica Wilson, an actress who plays the character Rachel, attended Florida State University; and John Jassy, the film's executive producer, lives in Tampa. "We chose Tampa as the location for several reasons," says Loren Semmens, producer and writer for Dead Season. "Tampa has one of the country's largest zombie-genre communities, it is a great test market due to its diverse demographics and lastly because many of the key filmmakers of Dead Season have connections to the area." The film follows two post-zombie outbreak survivors, Elvis and Tweeter, who escape to a tropical island only to find that they will have to deal with treacherous, post-zombie escape situations. The film is said to deal with "what if" situations and how it relates to survival. The film's crew has already gained some acclaim because they are the first to shoot the entire feature film with a Canon 7D camera. Dead Season is also the first feature film to shoot on location at Vieques, Puerto Rico, since the original Lord of the Flies movie shot at the previous site, which was home to naval test bombings. After the screening, the filmmakers, including Director Adam Deyoe and Semmons, will be in town for a Q&A session. To get spooked, view the trailer here, follow them on Facebook or @deadseasonmovie on Twitter, or register here to attend the pre-screening release. Seats are limited. Writer: Nancy Vaughn Source: Loren Semmons, Dead Season
What do fashionable tops, luggage tags and stuffed animals have in common? Jennifer Berges Meyer, founder of Central Park Designs based in Sarasota. Sewing since she was a child, Meyer would make pillows and clothes for her dolls when she was growing up. Meyer currently works full-time at WUSF Public Broadcasting as an associate development director. She says she loves her job and being active in the community, and she loves sewing, too!Upon graduating with her master's degree in business administration a few years ago from the University of South Florida-Sarasota Campus, she found herself with some extra time on her hands. Not being one to sit around in front of the television after work, Meyer would sew. She sewed stuffed animals, handbags and even trendy tunic tops."For me, sewing is a real sense of accomplishment. Every time you finish a project you have something to show for yourself," says Meyer. "Whenever I have a bad day, I lock myself in the sewing room and it cheers me up." After making 90 luggage tags for loved ones and friends who attended her wedding, encouraging fans who loved her products pushed her into entrepreneurship.Incorporating the name of the street she lives on in Sarasota and the inspiration from the stylish streets of NYC, Central Park Designs launched in September."I think it's part of the culture now. The DIY (do-it-yourself) culture," says Meyer when explaining her passion to make things for herself and others. Having someone like Meyer who loves to create, make and has the DIY mentality, Central Park Designs will be a great stop for those who will skip "DIY" and opt for shopping her creations instead!Writer: Nancy VaughnSource: Jennifer Berges Meyer, Central Park Designs
Ever wish you could experience a place before actually going there? Like maybe checking out a restaurant or bar in town? Maybe seeing a city's downtown neighborhoods before stepping foot downtown?Check out the Tour Wrist, a new iPhone app developed by Tampa's own SPARK LABS, an affiliate of branding agency, SPARK. The Tour Wrist app will allow users to tour places across the globe from their iPhone or iPad. Not just tour the place, but look at the area from side to side, top to bottom, up and down. You can see everything from pavement to street lights.Tour Wrist has been in development for about two years and version 2.0 officially launched September 1. Charles Armstrong, founder and chief executive officer at SPARK LABS, is the brains behind the Tour Wrist app who helped to bring the augmented reality concept into reality.The iPhone app itself says "Teleportation is here." While you aren't physically teleported, it almost seems as if you are because you can move through rooms in a fashion that is different than a simple virtual tour. Peek around corners and see what's there or look down a mountain. The app was designed to highlight everything from scenic locations to retail shops. Using real-time accelerometer and magnetometer data, Tour Wrist's 3D technology can track a person's movement of his or her mobile device and display the imagery in a location based upon that movement. The application pushes the technical functions of iPhone and iPad to their limits, allowing a real-life experience for its users. Armstrong says he and his team are continuously pursuing additional technology advancements, which includes allowing users to generate their own content.Within the next two months, Tour Wrist Capture will be launched, which Armstrong describes as a "very simple, easy-to-use application that allows you to waive your devices around to capture your surroundings and post them just as easily as you would post a tweet." Only instead of sharing 140 characters, you share a 360-degree view of your surroundings with anyone who wants to view the area.Anyone with an iPhone or iPad can check out the Bavarian Alps or travel through Singapore's business district. Searches are available by geography, keyword or popularity of an area.An added perk to exploring the world via your phone or pad: the Tour Wrist app is free.Writer: Nancy VaughnSource: Charles Armstrong, SPARK LABS
Ringling College of Art & Design in Sarasota will be hosting a "Green & Gold" reception on Thursday, Oct. 14, at 5:30 pm to highlight a film screening and celebrate an achievement.Sponsored by Whole Foods, Ringling's Digital Filmmaking Studio Lab will screen 'FRESH' a documentary that celebrates those who create a new green model for agriculture and environmental issues. "The FRESH documentary film deals with agriculture and new ways to preserve our environment and produce healthy, local food supplies," says Richard Schineller, communications director for Ringling College. Steve Michelson, executive producer of the film, will be in attendance and participating in a Q&A session following the film. The "gold" part of the evening, will be the LEED Gold certification presentation ceremony for Ringling College's Academic Center and North Residence Hall. These are Ringling's first LEED Gold certified buildings.The Academic Center, a 82,000-square-feet, five-story building, and the North Residence Hall, a 75,000-square-feet, five-story building, have received the certification due to attainment of high sustainability metrics. This includes water efficiency, optimized energy performance, CO2 emissions reduction, and more. "We find that it's important for students to be educated on all aspects of efficient, environmentally sound design and we feel that these two buildings are very, good examples of excellence in design and excellence in environmental stewardship," says Schineller. Assessments are in process to get other Ringling buildings up to certification standards as well.Architect Donald Lawson of The Lawson Group and Willis A. Smith Construction, Inc. respectively, designed and built both buildings. Lawson will present the certification during the "Green & Gold" reception."Both parts of the event speak to environmental stewardship," says Schineller. "The timing was such that it seemed to work well together and it's also of subjects of interest to both constituents." To RSVP to the event, click here.Writer: Nancy VaughnSource: Richard Schineller, Ringling College of Art & Design
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