BRADENTON -- Get an early start on Friday and tour selected galleries and studios in the Village of the Arts and get a front row seat to creative local residents demonstrating artistic techniques for jewelry making, pottery molding, quilting, painting and stained glass at the 4th Annual Studio Tour from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Please note: The Farmers' Market for tomorrow has been canceled due to the cold and the possibility of rain.)
Friday
Linda Bronkema is a quilter who has lived in the Village for eight years. She will be one of many artists showing off their talent today at her studio ”Bits and Pieces.“
”I’ll be doing silk scarf dying and paper piecing,“ she said.
People may be familiar with beautiful silk scarves dyed in all the colors of the rainbow, but paper piecing is a technique some may not be aware of. Bronkema is excited to share the art with her audience.
”It’s a wonderful time,“ she said of today's event. ”It brings in a lot of visitors from out of state and pumps up the economy in the community.“
And if you choose to visit the studio tour later in the day, stay, grab a bite to eat and join in the celebration of the new – and long-awaited – Welcome Center grand opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. at 926 12th St. W.
”This is something we have needed for a long time,“ said Kevin Webb, an artist and owner of ”Tenth Avenue West Studios“ in the Village of the Arts.
The public is invited to the free opening reception and will find two rooms to explore: one with art for sale from the studios of the Village and another with information on gallery and studio hours and upcoming events.
The new Welcome Center in the Village will be staffed by Village artists on a volunteer basis. ”Everybody’s making a sacrifice for the Center to be open," Webb said. "It’s going to be the first place to stop and find out about the Village.“
Hours for the Center will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Afterwards, or if you missed any of the above Village activities, you can still squeeze in a nature photography exhibit at Island Gallery West, 5368 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Joe Fletcher is a professional nature photographer and the featured artist for January. His reception from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. will showcase his photography art on canvas. The gallery will be serving refreshments.
But you may still be hungry for some of Holmes Beach's tasty dining options.
For that neighborhood, all American-style, pub flavor stop in at Hurricane Hanks at 5346 Gulf Drive.
There’s also A Moveable Feast at 5406 Marina Drive. It features all things Hemingway and all things delicious from vegetarian options to meat and seafood entrees.
Island Gourmet and Pizza at 5604 Marina Drive will quench your olive oil and basil taste buds, serving delectable Italian-styled dishes and pizza that melts in your mouth and buon appetite.
Saturday
On Saturday morning, why don’t you head to the Bradenton Farmers' Market to pick up your veggies for some hot, homemade vegetable soup?
(Please note: The Farmers' Market for tomorrow has been canceled due to the cold and the possibility of rain.)
The market is open every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. off Old Main Street, and it features fresh food, produce, plants and flowers, and arts and crafts, while smooth jazz and Latin jazz swing in the background performed by ”Jazzology.“
Here’s a scrumptious vegetable soup recipe to try from Food Network.com:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup carrots, peeled and chopped
1 Idaho potato, peeled and diced
1 cup chopped zucchini
1 cup chopped tomatoes
6 cups roasted vegetable stock
1/2 cup tiny pasta
1 cup peas
Then heat the oil in a large heavy pot and add onion and celery, and cook until tender. Stir in the carrots and potatoes and toss to coat. Next, stir in zucchini and add chopped tomatoes and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat so that soup simmers until the potatoes and carrots are tender about 15 to 20 minutes. Finally, stir in pasta and peas and simmer for five minutes, then serve hot.
On Saturday evening, trade in a glass of wine or a brewski for a hot cup of coffee or tea at Alpha Omega CafŽ at 6151 26th St. W. in Bradenton.
The cafŽ will have live original music from 6 to 9 p.m., and there is no cover and no alcohol.
This is a great place to hang out and enjoy your favorite hot drink – mainly because we’ve been a bit chilly lately – and they claim to have the cheapest food in town in a very cozy and quaint environment.
Sunday
On Sunday the Bradenton Community Fine Arts Music Series will be held at First Methodist Church at 4 p.m.
”The Marlin Brothers“ are performing for free and playing a variety of tunes from Big Band to classical melodies, and ragtime to bluegrass. The four brothers play more than 20 instruments with harmony and humor and it sounds like the perfect way to end the weekend in musical style.
If not, don’t miss seeing this movie and pay the extra bucks to see it in 3-D.
Throw out technology and any modern-day scientific advancements and find yourself absorbed in a world where creatures rely on their profound connection to nature, spirituality and physical endurance – welcome to Pandora.
Paraplegic war veteran Jake Sully (Sam Worthington, in an incredible performance) is sent to Pandora, a moon about 4.3 light-years from Earth.
Its natives, the Na'vi humanoid race, have their own language and culture, but they inhabit an area of this surreal forest land, where nature grows in mid-air in hyper-color and dragon-like creatures swarm through the trees and clouds, that a corporation wants to excavate for a precious material that could solve the energy crisis on Earth.
In exchange for the spinal surgery that will fix his legs, Sully gathers intelligence for the cooperating military by infiltrating the Na'vi people with the use of an "avatar" identity.
Here's where the love story begins. Sully begins to bond with the his Na'vi mentors and the native tribe, and falls in love with Neytiri, played by Zoe Saldana, and ends up changing his mission to help the natives protect their people and their land from the corporation's greedy tactics.
The official ”Avatar“ Web site says that director James Cameron, whose past credits include ”Titanic,“ ”The Terminator“ and ”Aliens,“ first conceived of this film 15 years ago, ”when the means to realize his vision did not exist.“
If a movie concept of this magnitude had been realized for 15 years, isn’t it worth a visit for three hours on a Sunday?
Erica Newport is a daily reporter for The Bradenton Times. She covers art, culture and community. If you have a story that might interest Erica, please e-mail her using erica.newport@thebradentontimes.com address. She also takes your questions related to our weekly theme days and provides advice and opinions for our readers. Please use this e-mail address for Ask Erica: ask.erica@thebradentontimes.com.
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