UUSRQ Lexow Wing Gallery
Coming Soon
"focus on flowers"
Paintings by Cathy Cyrus
On Exhibit March 28th through May 16th
Opening Reception Sunday, April 6th
Learn More About the
UUSRQ Arts Council
Chair, Linda Cordisco - [email protected]
Our congregation and its members have a rich history of support and involvement in the arts. The mission of the Arts Council is to provide Members and Friends of Unitarian Universalists of Sarasota avenues for artistic expression and appreciation. The Lexow Wing of our facilities was designed as a gallery to help fulfill this mission. We are proud of the artistic endeavors of our members and others in the community who exhibit their work in the Gallery.
Membership in the UUCS Arts Council is open to all Unitarian Universalist Members and Friends with an interest in the arts and a desire to share that interest with others. We meet the first Saturday of every month at 1:00 pm in the Lexow Gallery. Come share cultural information, help research artists, set up and promote exhibits, help preserve our aesthetic heritage, and have some fun in the process.
Above all, enjoy the wonderful art exhibits in the Lexow Wing Gallery brought to us through the efforts of the Arts Council!
Current Arts Council members include: Joan Boyce, Mary Brand, Carol Buck, Laura Campbell, Sally Coler, Kathy Cook, Gail Coppock, Linda Cordisco (Chair), Judy Croce, Bet Cummings, Cathy Cyrus, Susan Davy, Donald Diddams, Marvin Fields, Laura Glady, Peg Green, Judi Hennard, Marjorie Henry, Monica Jardot, Sue Kennedy, Pamela LaRocque, Arlene Leven, Kathleen Konicek-Moran, Holly Wynne O'Brien, Rick Randall, Enid Romanek, Cyndy Rosso, Rhoda Taylor, Penny Soldatos, and Betsy Wilford. See some of us in the picture below.
Membership in the UUCS Arts Council is open to all Unitarian Universalist Members and Friends with an interest in the arts and a desire to share that interest with others. We meet the first Saturday of every month at 1:00 pm in the Lexow Gallery. Come share cultural information, help research artists, set up and promote exhibits, help preserve our aesthetic heritage, and have some fun in the process.
Above all, enjoy the wonderful art exhibits in the Lexow Wing Gallery brought to us through the efforts of the Arts Council!
Current Arts Council members include: Joan Boyce, Mary Brand, Carol Buck, Laura Campbell, Sally Coler, Kathy Cook, Gail Coppock, Linda Cordisco (Chair), Judy Croce, Bet Cummings, Cathy Cyrus, Susan Davy, Donald Diddams, Marvin Fields, Laura Glady, Peg Green, Judi Hennard, Marjorie Henry, Monica Jardot, Sue Kennedy, Pamela LaRocque, Arlene Leven, Kathleen Konicek-Moran, Holly Wynne O'Brien, Rick Randall, Enid Romanek, Cyndy Rosso, Rhoda Taylor, Penny Soldatos, and Betsy Wilford. See some of us in the picture below.
Click on the artwork below to view members' online displays of art:
Carol Buck
Catherine Cyrus
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Donald Diddams
Laura Campbell
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Peg Green
Kathleen Konicek-Moran
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Bet Cummings
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Recent Exhibits
"MAX and ME"
"Finding the father I never knew through art"
by Jana Millstone
Exhibit will be up through March 13th
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“Max and Me” is a group of works that incorporates the artwork of my biological father to create a visual dialog between us. My intension has been to apply my mature vantage point to his art (art works that I have lived with my entire life) by creating collaborative imagery that integrates our artwork. Most important is my objective to form a link between me, and the artist who gave me life, but who did not live to share mine. Many of the works include my poetry and text. The project has also generated a number of essays that chronicled my thoughts during the process, as I imagined the context of art-making in his world, just a generation ago. -- Jana Millstone
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THE STORY
A gifted young artist. Red hair, stocky build, shy, and sensitive. He is newly home after years away from the freckled, curly-haired bride who has pined for him. He has been part of the Army Engineering Map Corps serving in India and the South Pacific during World War II.
We will start the story here. It’s as good a place as any, as there are so many pieces missing. He has arrived home with sheaths of watercolor studies. In them are costumed dancers, minarets, gardens with palm trees, floating saris, a woman with a cluster of terra-cotta jugs on her head. Some are quick, others more detailed. All are deftly done, exuding the confidence of a much older artist. Soon he illustrates books; he illustrates greeting cards. He makes clever cards for his beloved, freckled wife. He plans an advertising agency with his friend, also named Max. There is a baby girl with curly red hair. There is a snowstorm. The doctor can’t come. Then he is dead. He was 31 and I had not had my first birthday.
I have had a lifetime (more than twice his now) to collect details and still the story of my father is so thin. But the art - the art has been there to talk to me. I have been aching to find a way to reply.
Thus began the journey of this last year. (Click here to see more of Jana Millstone's work.)
A gifted young artist. Red hair, stocky build, shy, and sensitive. He is newly home after years away from the freckled, curly-haired bride who has pined for him. He has been part of the Army Engineering Map Corps serving in India and the South Pacific during World War II.
We will start the story here. It’s as good a place as any, as there are so many pieces missing. He has arrived home with sheaths of watercolor studies. In them are costumed dancers, minarets, gardens with palm trees, floating saris, a woman with a cluster of terra-cotta jugs on her head. Some are quick, others more detailed. All are deftly done, exuding the confidence of a much older artist. Soon he illustrates books; he illustrates greeting cards. He makes clever cards for his beloved, freckled wife. He plans an advertising agency with his friend, also named Max. There is a baby girl with curly red hair. There is a snowstorm. The doctor can’t come. Then he is dead. He was 31 and I had not had my first birthday.
I have had a lifetime (more than twice his now) to collect details and still the story of my father is so thin. But the art - the art has been there to talk to me. I have been aching to find a way to reply.
Thus began the journey of this last year. (Click here to see more of Jana Millstone's work.)
Nanda Devi
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Floating Toward Joy
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All purchases are made between the artist and the buyer. The Unitarian Universalists office is not involved at all. Simply get in touch with the artist using the contact information shown along with their artwork. The artists then donate a percentage of every sale back to our UU community.
Gallery Hours:
Sunday 10 AM to 1 PM
Tuesday through Friday 10 AM to 1 PM
Gallery is free to all
Gallery Hours:
Sunday 10 AM to 1 PM
Tuesday through Friday 10 AM to 1 PM
Gallery is free to all
"Culture. People. Places."
by Clifford McDonald
Paintings that reflect the connections between people, culture, and the spaces we inhabit.
Clifford McDonald presents Culture. People. Places., an art exhibition featuring bold and dynamic paintings that reflect the connections between people, culture, and the spaces we inhabit. Many of the pieces draw from his Sarasota roots, offering a window into the Sarasota that McDonald knows and loves, with its vibrant arts and theater scene and strong sense of community. The collection blends local inspiration with broader themes that capture universal experiences and connections. Culture. People. Places. examines how our environments and relationships shape the way we live. McDonald’s work highlights the energy and diversity of humanity, celebrating the shared experiences and connections that bring people together.
Inspired by his students at Visible Men Academy in Bradenton and the transformative power of creativity, McDonald embraced art as a means to make a meaningful impact on the world. He founded Art 4 Change, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating positive social change through art, advocacy, education, and service. McDonald’s work is deeply rooted in storytelling, celebrating culture while addressing social issues and spreading messages of love and hope. His paintings often serve as visual narratives that foster dialogue and connection, challenging viewers to think and inspiring action.
For more information about Clifford McDonald and his work, visit his official website: cliffordmcdonald.com
Inspired by his students at Visible Men Academy in Bradenton and the transformative power of creativity, McDonald embraced art as a means to make a meaningful impact on the world. He founded Art 4 Change, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating positive social change through art, advocacy, education, and service. McDonald’s work is deeply rooted in storytelling, celebrating culture while addressing social issues and spreading messages of love and hope. His paintings often serve as visual narratives that foster dialogue and connection, challenging viewers to think and inspiring action.
For more information about Clifford McDonald and his work, visit his official website: cliffordmcdonald.com
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Also on exhibit beginning January 19th
“Beaded Dreams — Magic, Memory and Ritual”
Jewelry by Judith Levine
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Judy says, "I have always loved to study, visit, and photograph diverse cultures. During a lifetime of travels worldwide, I have collected beads and amulets. I love to combine these elements into a unique art necklace that tells a story. That is my passion!"
Judy Levine is President of the Association of Florida Teaching Artists and has coordinated The Artists in Schools program for the Arts and Cultural Alliance in Sarasota, Florida training artists to integrate their art into the curriculum. She teaches arts courses at OLLI at Ringling College, Sarasota and owns Phoenix Art Workshops, a business providing art talks and workshops. She runs The Studios on McIntosh, a teaching and working art studio.
Judy was the recipient of several grants to travel, study, and photograph the art of Tibet, West Africa, Egypt and Indonesia. She designs and creates limited edition jewelry.
Judy Levine is President of the Association of Florida Teaching Artists and has coordinated The Artists in Schools program for the Arts and Cultural Alliance in Sarasota, Florida training artists to integrate their art into the curriculum. She teaches arts courses at OLLI at Ringling College, Sarasota and owns Phoenix Art Workshops, a business providing art talks and workshops. She runs The Studios on McIntosh, a teaching and working art studio.
Judy was the recipient of several grants to travel, study, and photograph the art of Tibet, West Africa, Egypt and Indonesia. She designs and creates limited edition jewelry.
"Unveiled Strength"
Portraits of Intimacy and Vulnerability
by Gary LaParl
Dinbratten
Gary LaParl is known for his ability to delve deep into the emotional landscape of his subjects, capturing the essence of human connections often overlooked in contemporary discussions about masculinity. This exhibit showcases a series of paintings that illuminate the nuances of friendship, love, and support among men, highlighting their capacity for vulnerability in a society that often expects them to be stoic. It has a lot to teach us all!
Gary LaParl has been in the Sarasota-Manatee area since 2014 and spent his early adulthood in Chicago and Philadelphia. There, he enjoyed serving as a theater artist semi-professionally while also working in finance, marketing and training and development. LaParl became interested in visual art during his 18 years living in Salem, MA, and apprenticed as a flat glass craftsperson for 10 of those years with Kai Colombo in neighboring Peabody. He began painting just prior to the pandemic and has been studying with Raleigh, NC-based artist Chelsea Lang for the past four years, and most recently, Sarasota artist Jenny Berry.
LaParl is an Art Coordinator at Creative Liberties in Sarasota and also works as a Flat-Glass craftsperson at Glass Crafters in Fruitville Farms.
Gary LaParl has been in the Sarasota-Manatee area since 2014 and spent his early adulthood in Chicago and Philadelphia. There, he enjoyed serving as a theater artist semi-professionally while also working in finance, marketing and training and development. LaParl became interested in visual art during his 18 years living in Salem, MA, and apprenticed as a flat glass craftsperson for 10 of those years with Kai Colombo in neighboring Peabody. He began painting just prior to the pandemic and has been studying with Raleigh, NC-based artist Chelsea Lang for the past four years, and most recently, Sarasota artist Jenny Berry.
LaParl is an Art Coordinator at Creative Liberties in Sarasota and also works as a Flat-Glass craftsperson at Glass Crafters in Fruitville Farms.
Southwest Harbor
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Winter Garden
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Also on Exhibit Beginning December 15th
"Reimagined"
by Gail Coppock
"I have enjoyed making jewelry for many years, along with glass fusing, floral watercolor painting, calligraphy, Celtic-style knotwork design, and mosaics. For the past few months, I have been absorbed with the aesthetic challenge of giving new life to throw-aways. My aim has not been to disguise would-be junk as something else but to present it - still recognizable - but in a different context: jewelry."
"Materials headed for Waste Management such as worn out audio cables and charging cords, dead computers, already read magazines, and pull tabs are recycled, repurposed - and yes, reimagined - into one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry that are intended to be fun to wear and also perhaps conversation starters -- conversations about our environment, hopefully."
Gail Coppock
"Materials headed for Waste Management such as worn out audio cables and charging cords, dead computers, already read magazines, and pull tabs are recycled, repurposed - and yes, reimagined - into one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry that are intended to be fun to wear and also perhaps conversation starters -- conversations about our environment, hopefully."
Gail Coppock
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Art Exhibit Featuring Art by UUSRQ Members
On Exhibit through December 12th
Please stop in the Lexow Gallery to see how some of our fellow congregation members view our world and what they have shared with us. Their great variety of mediums and styles will amaze you. The Arts Council thanks each of the participating artists for their contribution, and we hope their work inspires you! The exhibit will be up through December 12th.
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“Seven Days in Paris” by photographer Brian V. Jones
and
Handmade Jewelry by Janice Appel
On Exhibit through November 14th
Bookstore with Umbrella
"Seven Days in Paris", is an exhibit of photographs Brian V. Jones made while exploring Paris, France. Brian says, "Paris has been the destination of my dreams since childhood. I marveled at the experiences of authors, musicians and visual artists who found freedom and enchantment on Parisian streets. This experience was enchanting and invigorating. Viewed from Sarasota and the backdrop of all things American, Paris seemed worlds away. However, once there I found it to be all I had hoped for and more. There is a palpable energy that fills the senses with wonder. I trust these images will amply share my experience of walking the streets of Paris, cameras in hand, realizing a dream deferred."
Brian V. Jones is a documentary style, fine art photographer. Residing in Sarasota, Florida he is an adjunct professor in the Liberal Arts Program at the Ringling College of Art and Design, works in public radio and maintains a photography practice. Jones has exhibited extensively. His work is collected by the Smithsonian American Art Museum, The New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center for Research In Black Culture, University of Maryland/Baltimore County and Colgate University. His work is included in a number of private collections. Jones is now exhibiting in Sarasota, FL .
Brian V. Jones is a documentary style, fine art photographer. Residing in Sarasota, Florida he is an adjunct professor in the Liberal Arts Program at the Ringling College of Art and Design, works in public radio and maintains a photography practice. Jones has exhibited extensively. His work is collected by the Smithsonian American Art Museum, The New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center for Research In Black Culture, University of Maryland/Baltimore County and Colgate University. His work is included in a number of private collections. Jones is now exhibiting in Sarasota, FL .
Dancing on the Seine
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Kids
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Handmade Jewelry by Janice Appel
Artist Janice Appel says that "for as far back that I can remember, I have loved the arts! I always gravitated to artistic endeavors where I can use my hands and body to explore and create...All of creations are handmade, unique and one-of-a-kind. I use sterling silver, argentium, and various alloys of gold. To embellish my designs, I use semi precious stones, old coins and organic found pieces. I also use small diamonds on some of my designs. My metals are formed by different techniques of texturing, that I have learned throughout the years. I love taking my designs from conception to completion; it is a most rewarding experience! ... Learning never stops!!"
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Vibrant Florals
by Jill Krasner
On Exhibit through October 17th
Artist Jill Krasner’s most exciting collection of water-media florals – brilliant colors and unique still life arrangements make this show a must see! These beautiful paintings are available as originals, or as museum quality Giclees on archival watercolor paper or canvas and in a variety of popular sizes.
Jill Krasner is a well-known local artist. Learn more about her work on her website, the Jill Krasner Gallery.
Jill Krasner is a well-known local artist. Learn more about her work on her website, the Jill Krasner Gallery.
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Arts Council Members Exhibit
On Exhibit through September 12th
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An exhibit of art works by members of the UUSRQ Arts Council is now open for viewing in the Lexow Wing Gallery. Please stop in to learn about our members and their talents, and see the variety of mediums and styles they use in creating and communicating through their art.
The exhibit will be up through September 12th. Don’t miss it!
The exhibit will be up through September 12th. Don’t miss it!
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