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Sarasota Florida
By Norm Goldman
Artist: Lily Azerad-Goldman
 There
are several theories as to how Sarasota derived its name.
One
legend tells us that Sarasota was named after the daughter of
Hernando De Soto,
Sara. De
Soto along with Ponce de Leon and Panfilo Narvez were the first explorers to
land on the Gulf Coast in search of gold and silver.
Another
explanation is that the term may be derived from the Spanish
“sarao
sota” translated as “a place of dancing.”
The
latter seems to be the most appropriate, when you consider the abundance of
sunshine, and the fantastic cultural scene.
The
first inhabitants of the area were the Native Americans, who 3000 years ago
lived in the area, when Sarasota Bay was ripe with fish and thick palmetto
brush. Most of the land had been covered with cedar forests.
 Following the end of the Seminole Indian wars in the mid 1800s, Sarasota
began to modernize.
Initially, it was a cattle-ranching area attracting many politically
disgruntled Scotsmen.
Seduced
by the Florida Mortgage and Investment Company’s promotional campaign
in Scotland boasting about the abundance of fertile land, splendid citrus
groves, cheap land and affordable housing, these newcomers packed up their
belongings and boarded steamers to the promised -land.
Unfortunately, what these adventurers found did not exactly mirror what was
promised.
Most
returned, however, one very brave individual, who stayed, was John Hamilton
Gillespie.
It was
he who built the first hotel in Sarasota, the De Soto, became the first
mayor in 1902 and built Florida’s first nine-hole golf course in 1885.
To
appreciate the difficulties the original pioneers faced, a visit to the
Crowley Museum and Nature Center located in Eastern Sarasota
is a must.
Sarasota’s
sophisticated image as a cultural community was due in large part to a Mrs.
Berthe Potter Palmer, a patron of the arts and socialite from Chicago.
Palmer was very well connected with British and Parisian royalty, as well as
Chicago’s high society.
Upon
first setting foot in
Sarasota in 1910, she
fell in love with the area and purchased several tracts of land, eventually
building her home and a cattle ranch in Osprey south of Sarasota.
It was
probably due to Palmer that that the Ringling Brothers were attracted to
Sarasota.
Not to
be outdone, the brothers began purchasing large tracts of land and became
very active in civic affairs.
They
also made Sarasota the winter home for the famous Ringling Circus.
John
Ringling and his wife Mabel had a profound influence on Sarasota’s cultural
image from an unknown entity to a new worldliness, and in so doing
transformed the town into an arts capital in the 1920s.
A
testament to this influence can be appreciated with a visit to the
John and Mabel Ringling Museum of Art, affiliated with Florida State
University. It is the largest museum/university complex in the USA.
For a
town of its relatively small size, it is amazing how daring and dynamic is
the Sarasota’s cultural scene!
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall brings you a world of culture-Broadway
musicals, theatre and a wide variety of other happenings.
The
Asolo Theatre Company (recently renamed as the FSU/Ringling Center for
the Cultural Arts) is the only theatre in North America with a winter
repertory season. Three, four or even five plays may be performed during the
same time frame providing a diverse assortment of programs for the visitor
to the area.
Other
theatres are the
Florida Studio Theatre,
Golden Apple Dinner Theatre, and the
Venice Little Theatre.
Celebrating its 55th season in 2003, the
Florida West Coast Symphony offers a wide array of symphonic and chamber
music. It is also host to the internationally recognized Sarasota Music
Festival held each June.
If you
are into ballet, you would want to enjoy a performance of the world class
Sarasota Ballet of Florida.
Are you
an opera enthusiast? The
Sarasota Opera performs in the 1926 Edwards Theatre during the months of
February and March. This should satisfy your appetite, and English
translations are projected above the stage.
It is no
wonder this elegant town is known as “Florida’s Cultural Coast.”
The
dynamism of Sarasota’s dedication to the arts is not all that beckons the
visitor.
Recently, the first
Florida eco-heritage tourism trail linking more than 150 environmental,
educational, cultural and historical sites was opened.
The
primary objective is to educate tourists and residents alike of the need to
protect and conserve the area’s local waterways and historic sites.
Historic Spanish Point, sprawling over 30 acres on Little Sarasota Bay
in Osprey, is where you will find archaeological exhibits, nature trails,
formal gardens and pioneer homestead.
Mote Aquarium houses touchable stingrays, sea turtles, and Florida’s
only interactive multimedia “Shark Attack.”
The
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens advertises itself as “a tropical oasis in
downtown Sarasota,” and that it is-extending over 16 acres overlooking
Sarasota Bay.
The
beaches of the Sarasota area spread over 35 miles and comprise some of the
finest white sandy beaches of the world.
Its
reputation as a swimmer’s paradise is well deserved. The beauty of the
sparkling waters of the Gulf of Mexico is breathtaking.
In fact,
you may never want to leave Sarasota, once you have had a taste of its
culture and beauty.
More Information on
Sarasota:
Convention
and Visitors Bureau
655 Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, Fl 34236
Tel: 941-955-0991:
Fax: 941-951-2956
Web Site
Norm and Lily Goldman are a unique husband and wife team,
writer and water colorist, who write and paint about romantic destinations.
Basically, they meld art and words in order to create an unusual travel
story, which generates interest, particularly because of the fact that each
painting appears to have been ‘custom-made’ for the story-original story and
original art.
They can be contacted at: l.goldman@sympatico.ca
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