Color Your World: Cool Summer Experiences

By Julie Milton | August 2023

Whether it’s our lush gardens and calming greenspace, the bonny blue of the Gulf, or the many other happy colors of the summer we love, there’s plenty of experiences to enjoy even during our hottest days. Here are just a few cool things you may want to explore during our dog days of summer*.

(*Did you know the ancient Greeks and Romans believed extreme heat and humidity caused men and dogs to be driven mad? Since the sweltering weather coincided with the rising of Sirius, the Dog Star, they believed that this star, the brightest of all stars, contributed to the extreme heat and they called this hottest time of year the Dog Days. The name Sirius stems from the Ancient Greek seirios, meaning scorching.)

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

Intro to Painting in Nature – A Plein Air Watercolor Class

In the style of the French Impressionists, this open-air course will focus on the techniques of watercolor painting in nature. You will learn how to capture environmental perspectives in art, ranging from landscapes to botanical portrait painting.  You will also learn a special approach to rendering acrylics as watercolors: how to mix, build layers of colors, and various stroke techniques. Open to all ages/skill levels and all supplies are included in class fee.  

Selby.org

Seeing the Invisible — An Immersive Exhibition

There’s so much to see at Selby Garden’s Historic Spanish Point campus, but something that’s really cool to experience is Seeing the Invisible, HSP’s most ambitious and expansive exhibition to date. It features contemporary artworks by dozens of international artists created by augmented reality (AR) technology which you view on your tablet or smartphone as you walk among the beautiful greenspaces of HSP. 

Initiated by the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens and Outset Contemporary Art Fund, the exhibition is the first of its kind to be developed as a collaboration among botanical gardens around the world. 

You engage with this exhibition via an app designed for Seeing the Invisible which is downloadable on smartphones and tablets. Download the app in advance of going and be sure to arrive with a fully charged device and compatible headphones (several works in the exhibition include sound). 

And if you can’t figure out how to do these things, bring your children or grandchildren along. They’ll have you all set in a flash, and they will love you even more for it. Selby.org

Dive Into the Unknown

Many of us love to be outside in nature, but have you ever explored the nature of our underwater beauty? Divers describe their experiences as almost flying underwater, yet so calming they are almost in a meditative state.  Others say they are truly living in the moment and have a sense of freedom like no other. Whatever your reason for wanting to dive, jumping into our deep blue Gulf waters is another great way to color your world.

If you’re a newbie or have had some experience, connecting with Florida Underwater Sports in Sarasota (FloridaUnderwaterSports.com) is a good choice. They are a Scubapro Platinum and PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Dive Center and can fill all your training, equipment, and travel needs. Want a guided dive?  They can do that too.

Hoist the Sails

So, you can’t bring yourself to explore underwater marvels, but you love being on top of our blue water with the breeze blowing your hair.  Maybe it’s time to get out of the passenger seat, learn to sail, and take some dolphins along for the ride! 

Since Sarasota is a boater’s paradise, sailing lessons are easily found. There are adult lessons at Sarasota Sailing Squadron (sarasotasailingsquadron.org) and at Sara-Bay Sailing School (sarabaysailing.com), an affiliate of the American Sailing Association.  They have classes for those with no previous experience as well as classes for experienced sailors.

Out of Water Experience

What better place than Mote Aquarium (mote.org) to explore our underwater treasures without being under it or on top of it? Mote has lifelong learning classes you may want to investigate.  

Endless Oceans: Marine Science 101 

Explore the world of marine science through an engaging series of in-person lessons and hands-on experiences hosted by Mote education professionals. Mote experts discuss research related to the day’s topic and there are active learning excursions around the Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium campus.  The full semester fun begins Mondays, September 11 through November 6 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. 

Marine Science 101 Classes:

• Introduction to Marine Science 9/11/23
• Florida Coastal Habitats 9/18/23
• Florida Marine Invertebrates 9/25/23
• Florida Sharks & Rays 10/2/23
• Florida Fish Ecology & Aquaculture 10/9/23 (@ Mote Aquaculture Research Park)
• Sea Turtle Ecology 10/16/23
• Florida Marine Mammals 10/23/23
• Red Tide and Environmental Health 10/30/23
• Coral Reefs and Ocean Acidification 11/6/23

For course fee and other information, visit mote.org.

If you don’t know what wheel throwing is, don’t fret.  Non-artists are not very familiar with the term. It is the process of forming clay into shapes on a potter’s wheel, which is a common technique for making ceramic mugs, bowls, and plates. Just maybe this will be the fun thing you learn this summer.  You can make these works of art your own – any color, any pattern, any design you envision and make your home table a colorful array of your talent!

Get Your Hands Dirty

Sarasota Clay Company offers a variety of classes and workshops for beginners as well as for those who have worked with clay for years. that foster creativity. The studio includes 12 Brent wheels, a Brent SR20 Slab Roller, a North Star extruder, and a glaze palette for student use. Sarasota Clay Company has an interactive calendar on its website (sarasotaclaycompany.com) and there you will also find class info and pricing.

Sarasota Art Museum

On Wednesday evenings from August 9 – 30 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Sarasota Art Museum has a Beginner Wheel Throwing Class. You are guided through the process of throwing, shaping, and trimming pots on wheel and basic surface decoration and glazing techniques are also demonstrated.  All supplies are included.  Other summer classes include figure drawing and ceramics.

For more information on the beginner wheel throwing class and other adult art classes, visit sarasotaartmuseum.org.