Behind the Masterpiece on Florida’s Cultural Coast

Bringing Art to Life: Danaé Brissonnet at the Sarasota International Chalk Festival

This week, we’re joined by Danaé Brissonnet, a talented Canadian puppeteer, muralist, and artist, locally known for her work with the Sarasota International Chalk Festival. Danaé shares her artistic journey, from her early beginnings to her mural work and her involvement with the Chalk Festival. She highlights the strong sense of community and family that drew her back to the festival. We also dive into her latest project—designing the stunning Flora and Fauna parade puppets, including a massive, six-person puppet. Plus, Danaé is leading community workshops where participants can craft their own masks and join the vibrant parade.
Timestamps:
(00:00) Introducing Danaé Brissonnet, puppeteer and muralist
(03:00) Murals all over the world and Danae’s inspiration
(06:40) Danaé’s beginnings in puppetry and becoming a muralist
(11:00) Parental influence
(13:50) Getting recognized by her hometown
(15:15) Getting introduced to the Sarasota International Chalk Festival
(18:15) Danaé’s role in the Flora and Fauna Parade, creating big puppets
(20:30) What makes the Sarasota International Chalk Festival unique?
(24:35) Where Danaé gets her inspiration
For more information and to listen to all the episodes, go to visitsarasota.com

Let’s Celebrate Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe’s 25th Year with Founder Nate Jacobs

This week we hear from Nate Jacobs, Founder & Artistic Director of Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe. Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe is entering its 25th year and is celebrating with a theme of “25 Years of Black Heritage.” The 25th season includes Soul Crooners Solid Gold Edition, Fences, Five Guys Named Moe, Syncopated Avenue, and Motown Christmas.
We talk with Nate about his beginnings in the theater world, the challenges of starting the first Black theater company on Florida’s west coast, and how Nate has grown as a leader. 
Although it has been a tough road, Nate does not regret it, saying “everyday you have to recommit yourself to your dream.”
Timestamps:
(00:00) Introducing Nate Jacobs, Founder & Artistic Director of Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe
(03:30) Was there a time when you doubted yourself?
(05:40) Was there ever another dream career?
(08:40) You do a lot, how do you maintain balance?
(11:30) The inspiration behind this 25th season
(19:20) What do you want people to remember about you?
 
For more information and to listen to all the episodes, go to visitsarasota.com

Supporting Our Community's Arts and Cultural Organizations with Jeffery Kin & Brian Hersh

Welcome to Behind the Masterpiece on Florida’s Cultural Coast, a podcast by Visit Sarasota County. In this episode, co-hosts Brian Hersh and Jeffery Kin introduce themselves and their respective organizations, discuss the importance of supporting our local arts and cultural organizations, and talk about their ascent into leadership positions. 
Timestamps:
00:00 Introducing co-hosts Brian Hersh and Jeffery Kin
03:45 How Sarasota County differs from other arts and cultural communities
05:05 How Sarasota Rising is highlighting our community
08:05 Brian’s time being CEO of Arts & Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County
09:30 Sarasota Rising Living Arts Festival
12:35 Dealing with adversity
16:40 How to support the arts community
Join us weekly as we discover another local art and culture organization. Go to Visitsarasota.com for more information.

De-mystifying the opera with General Director of Sarasota Opera, Richard Russell

In this episode, we talk with Richard Russell, General Director of Sarasota Opera. Together, Brian and Richard discuss Richard’s introduction to opera and the Sarasota Opera, the upcoming Sarasota Opera season, and the business investment that will have you seeing a piece of Sarasota Opera all over the world. Plus, as Chair of Visit Sarasota County, Richard shares how arts and culture drive tourism in Sarasota County.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introducing Richard Russell, General Director of Sarasota Opera
02:50 Richard’s introduction to opera and de-mystifying opera
06:45 Sarasota Opera’s aesthetic
09:45 Sarasota Opera’s upcoming season
14:10 Seeing a piece of Sarasota Opera around the world
17:05 The role of arts and culture in driving tourism
20:20 What do you do to relax outside of arts and culture?
Join us weekly as we discover another local art and culture organization. Go to Visitsarasota.com for more information.

Introducing Behind the Masterpiece on Florida's Cultural Coast

Welcome to Behind the Masterpiece on Florida’s Cultural Coast. In this podcast, we will be interviewing arts and culture professionals from across Sarasota County to learn more about their organizations and art forms. Our hosts are Jeffery Kin, Executive Director of Sarasota Rising, and Brian Hersh, CEO of Arts & Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County. 
Episodes will be released weekly and will be 20-25 minutes in length. You can find episodes at visitsarasota.com, Spotify, Apple Music, iHeartRadio, and video versions of every episode on YouTube.
Go to visitsarasota.com for more information.