For the Week Beginning Monday, March 19th, 2007

To promote creative dialogue, we are introducing Creative Share written by Bob Barancik. Creative Share is a weekly column for and about creatives. Bob is an artist with roots in Maine and Philadelphia who makes his home in St. Petersburg part of the year. He will share his passion and perspective on life as a creative. You are invited to join the conversation by posting comments on the CTB website.

A majority of CTB Buzz readers will probably see a brilliant "Cultural Creative" in the mirror sometime today. But don’t get too impressed with your uniqueness. There are an estimated 50,000,000 of you in the U.S. and another 80,000,000 or so in Europe.

Read the full story and provide us with your feedback, click here >>

The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance is issuing a challenge to mayoral candidates and arts supporters alike to make the arts a priority in the upcoming election. Armed with a 100-page study conducted by the nonprofit research group Rand Corp. and paid for by the William Penn Foundation, the Cultural Alliance said the arts community needs to work together and present a clear vision of where the arts sector is headed. That vision includes re-establishing a strong connection to Philadelphia City Hall. The study was commissioned soon after Mayor John F. Street eliminated the city’s Office of Arts and Culture as a cost-cutting measure on July 1, 2004.
Click here to read the full article >>

A study shows state’s trade and investment lag other economies.
By James Thorner, Times Staff Writer
Published March 15, 2007

Buenos Aires, Toronto and Munich outperform Florida in more areas than tango, hockey and beer drinking. They also hold a hefty advantage in foreign trade and investment. An Enterprise Florida study on global economic competitiveness suggests Florida lags in those two gauges of economic vitality. The study measured Florida against six hemispheric competitors - Canada, Argentina, Mexico, Panama, Chile and Brazil - and eight global "benchmarks" - China, Germany, Great Britain, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, Japan and Spain. While Florida’s per capita income is higher, its trade and investment are a tiny share of the state’s economy.
Click here to read the full article >>

The 2007 Global Citizen & Healthy Heroes Awards Celebration
Friday, March 30, 2007
Tampa Convention Center 7pm - 11pm

On Friday evening, March 30,  CreativeTampaBay joins the Tampa Bay community in  coming together to celebrate a new WELLNESS initiative at the Citizens & Heroes Awards Celebration.  This unique event will honor local Healthy Heroes who’ve made a difference in our lives.  Then,  the 2007 Global Citizen of the Year Award will be presented to internationally-celebrated physician, Dr. Paul Farmer, who has made a difference in the lives of millions worldwide. The gala is topped off with a celebration of healthy eating, healthy living and healthy community interactive exhibitions. Click here for more information >>

Tampa Bay Film Forum
The Tampa Bay Film Forum has been postponed until June. Stay tuned for updates.

• See the rest of Creative Events here >>

Every day before dawn they saddle their horses, coil their lariats and whips, and ride out to work the herds. They are Florida cattlemen—living legacies of the pioneer days and guardians of the landscape that has shaped them. 

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Tampa Orchid Club Auction Comes to USF Botanical Gardens
March 17

Hundreds of orchids will be available for viewing and sale at the Tampa Orchid Club auction, Saturday, March 17 at the USF Botanical Gardens. Admission is free. The auction, slated to begin at 11 a.m., will be held until all of the plants are gone. Tents will open at 10:30 a.m. for pre-viewing of the orchids, which will be priced $5 and up. Proceeds from the auction, a long-running annual event previously held at another location, will benefit the club and the USF Botanical Gardens Orchid Collection. Jim Clarkson, orchid curator for the USF Botanical Gardens, will lead an orchid basic growing workshop from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. The workshop fee is $7 for the general public and $5 for USF Botanical Gardens members. For workshop reservations, please call (813) 974-2329. For more information, visit the USF Botanical Gardens web site, at www.cas.usf.edu/garden.

 "Pure & Shameless" Technology Social
March 22, 5:30 – 8 PM

Now in its 8th year!! Usually 250-450 attend the Tech Social no boring booths, presentations or PowerPoint’s. Network with local tech & business community. This social is usually attended by all levels of IT - Developers, QA, managers, CIOs, etc.  Find out who is launching new products, who is using WinPE, starting local IT projects, hiring or maybe find a peer to network with. Please register to make sure you receive future invites. For info mailto:fritz@hotspaces.net or register at Tech Socialwww.hotspaces.net, March 22 @ Blue Martini. Dress is casual, bring cards, ideas, business plans, resumes and be ready to mingle. Fritz Eichelberger, Cell - 813-765-6060
Founder, HotSpaces.Net

Appearing on Tampa Bay’s Media Talk
 March 22, 2007

Celebrating St. Petersburg! Tampa Bay’s Media Talk hosts Janet Sherer and Rob Tiisler welcome Tim Ramsberger of the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, which starts roaring March 30, 2007, as well as race event sponsors Budweiser, Kessler and Danka. Also appearing is Peter Tush, the curator of education at Salvador Dali Museum, where DaliFest takes place on March 24, 2007. Media Talk is a live, weekly webcast at www.tampabaysmediatalk.com between 6PM and 7PM each Thursday. Segments are available at Google, YouTube, AOL, Yahoo, iTunes and gcast; search word: Media Talk Tampa.

DIVA-Preneurship Hosts Launch Party
March 22, 6 – 9 PM

Women’s group mixes business tips and social networking in an effort to be the turn-key setting for growing and supporting women-owned businesses. The mission of DIVA-Preneurship is to create an alliance of DIVAs-Dedicated, Intelligent, Victorious, Achieving women who encourage other business networks and support female entrepreneurship on every level. DIVA-Preneurship, a membership program, was created by Tracy Thomas, president of T-Squared Marketing, to provide a marketing platform and support system to encourage business women throughout the country. DIVA-Preneurship will host a launch party on March 22 at Culture Lounge in Ybor City from 6p-9p.  This event is free and open to the public. For more information please visit www.diva-preneurship.com, call (813) 989-9202 or email tracy@diva-preneurship.com

31st Annual USF Student Art Exhibition
March 23 - April 6

The 31st Annual Juried USF Student Art Exhibition and the 9th Annual ArtHouse are sponsored by the USF Institute for Research in Art, USF School of Art & Art History, College of Visual & Performing Arts, and numerous private patrons and friends. Events include Awards Ceremony & Opening Reception Friday, March 23, 7-9 pm at USFCAM, the 9th Annual ArtHouse Friday, March 23, 8-11:30 pm at FAH & FAS. Includes open studios with student artworks, videos, performances, music, food, and beverages. For more info visit http://ira.usf.edu

Jennifer Lachtara:  One More for the Road
March 23rd, 7-9 PM

Jennifer Lachtara takes inspiration from the Frank Sinatra song “One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)” when she presents a collection of handmade, colorful ceramic barware during a gallery show at The Tim Salen Gallery at The St. Petersburg Clay Company.  The show will remain in the gallery through April 7th.  Visit www.stpeteclay.com for more information on this show and any upcoming gallery shows.

Business Plans Seminar
March 26, 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Learn how to write your business plan at the Business Plans Seminar on Monday March 26 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Business Assistance Specialist, Sue Thomas will be presenting this free seminar at the Tarpon Springs Public Library. Please call (727) 943-4922 to register and for more information.

Ten Steps to Small Business Success
March 28, 7:00 PM -  9:00 PM

On Wednesday, March 28 at 7 pm, the Pinellas County Chapter of SCORE (The Service Corps of Retired Executives) will host a free seminar on the Ten Steps to Small Business Success at the Tarpon Springs Library on 138 Lemon St.. Registration is requested. Materials and handouts are provided. Please stop by or call the library to sign up. SCORE offers no-fee counseling to any small business owner who wants to grow his or her enterprise. SCORE is a cadre of successful retired executives dedicated to giving something back to the community. Some have worked for Fortune 500 companies but many are self motivated entrepreneurs. Their experience covers management, marketing, sales, manufacturing, purchasing, human resources and finance. Call (727) 943-4922 to register and for more info.

The 21ST Century is the American Women’s Century
March 27, 7 PM - 9 PM

Join speaker Keith Long on Tuesday, March 27 at 7 pm at the Tarpon Springs Public Library. Mr. Long will present a lecture on the global influence and reach of the American woman.  Free CDs will be available of Keith Long’s regional radio talk show series titled What Women Know and Don’t Tell Men. For more information, please contact the Friends of the Library at 727-944-3042 or call the library at 727-943-4922. Refreshments will be served.

Inkwood Books: Randy Wayne White’s Next, Hunters Moon
March 29, 7 PM

Inkwood Books brings back perennial favorite Randy Wayne White with Hunter’s Moon, another installment in Doc Ford’s suspenseful adventures, on Thursday, March 29 at 7, at TheTampa Tribune auditorium, 202 S. Parker St. With a short time left to live, a former U.S. president convinces Ford to spring him from his Secret Service detail to take care of “unfinished business" related to his beloved wife’s recent death in a mysterious plane crash. Call 813-253-2638 or visit www.inkwoodbooks.com to reserve your first editions of Hunter’s Moon, and Randy’s Gulf Coast Cookbook!

The Ides of March at Blue Acier
March 30 - May 12

Bleu Acier is proud to present The Ides of March, a solo exhibition of new works on paper and sculpture by Dominique Labauvie. In ancient times, the Ides was defined as the time of the full moon and represented the commencement of a new cycle. The artist chose this apt title to describe his decision to work full-time in his studio in the United States. Opening reception, Friday March 30, 2007, 6-9 PM. At Blue Acier 109 W Columbus Dr Tampa Call for more info: 813 272 9746 Gallery Hours: Saturdays 1 – 5 PM and by appointment.

Film Screening and Discussion of “West 47th Street”
March 29, 7:00 - 9:00 PM

This Community Awareness Event will feature a viewing of Lichtenstein’s documentary, “West 47th Street,” an award-winning film which follows four people with serious mental illness as their lives naturally unfold over three years. The featured individuals are all members of Fountain House, an internationally renowned psychiatric rehabilitation program located in a part of New York City once known as Hell’s Kitchen. The screening will provide an excellent springboard for discussions about accommodation, acceptance, allocation of resources, and ultimately, about how our view of people with mental illness shapes their quality of life. Special art will be on display and available for sale by Tampa Bay area artists with mental and physical disabilities. Location: The Dr. Blaise F. Alfano Conference and Banquet Center for more details Download flyer.

Vital Spark Performance Art Group
March 23 & 24, 2007, 7:30 PM

Vital Spark Performance Art Group will perform at Polk Museum of Art Friday, March 23, and Saturday, March 24. Three pieces will be presented, one of which has never before been performed in the United States.“Vital Spark’s performances are an experience,” said Rebecca Sexton Larson, Curator of Education at Polk Museum of Art. “They create multi-media pieces that really draw the audience in.” The featured piece of the performances is Resolutio, a collaborative piece created by Ann Hutchins, Cathy Salmons, Erika Schmidt, and Patino Vazquez. Resolutio is described as “part ritual theater, part moving meditation…an experience somewhere between shamanic ritual and surrealist game.” Polk Museum of Art $20 General Public, $15 Members and Students.

Sacred Sounds and Vibrational Healing with Richard Hite
and Tibetan Gongs
March 25, 2:30 - 4:30 PM

Florida - Institute of Noetic Sciences & Suncoast Community IONS invite you to experience a journey into spiritual opening and healing. Hear music used in hospitals for pain management, insomnia, PTSD, stress reduction and immune system enhancement. Sample it at http://www.acallingofangels.com. Bring comfortable padding such as an air mattress to have an even more profound experience. Richard’s sound healing seminars and mind/body therapies have been featured at international conferences on integrative medicine and alternative healing, including Harvard Medical School. The Hospice of the Florida Suncoast Auditorium, 5771 Roosevelt Boulevard, Clearwater. Contact Sharon Joy Kleitsch at 727-550-9660 or Kleitsch@verizon.net.

TheatreUSF presents Rashomon
April 5-7 & 12-14,  8 PM, & April 15, 3 PM

TheatreUSF presents Rashomon, a fascinating study into the human psyche-where the same event is retold from four different perspectives, leaving the audience to come to their own conclusion about the truth. The play was written by Fay and Michael Kanin in 1959 and was inspired by the 1950 film by Akira Kurosawa. Kurosawa adapted the story from and old Japanese short entitled “In a Grove.” The play tells the story of a bandit brought to court on these facts: A samurai and his wife were beset by the bandit on a road. The bandit ties the samurai to a tree and has his way with the wife. Can this scene be something more than it seems on first telling? Is the wife a victim or is she culpable? Does the bandit have truer intentions, a sense of honor? USF Tampa Campus Theatre 1. For more info visit Arts.usf.edu — Click here for USF Arts calendar of events.

Tampa Bay WorkForce Alliance Professional Career Expo
April 10, 8 AM – 2 PM

If you’re a professional looking for exciting career opportunities, Tampa Bay WorkForce Alliance is your source for opportunity!  Meet with top Tampa employers and take advantage of career action workshops presented by industry experts including David Stillman, co-author and generation expert, will share tips on how to compete for the best job in the multi-generational workforce.  For more information, visit www.workforcetampa.com/expo. Renaissance Tampa Hotel International Plaza.

 TB BONGOS’ Mixer: A Club for the Fun & Professional
April 13, 8 PM

Friday, April 13 8 pm TB BONGOS’ Mixer : A Club for the Fun & Professional Come celebrate with TB Bongos, and other social clubs, for our "every 2nd Friday"  Mixer.  TB Bongos invites fun & motivated professionals to join our Happy Hour and other favorite activities such as scavenger hunts, horseback riding, game nights, adventure trails, wine tastings, ghost tours and more! TB Bongos was created with the work-from-home fun professional in mind. Cost of event: Your tab. Bongo membership: ONLY $6/yr! Sponsored by friendly volunteers. For more information and to see who is attending:  www.TBBongos.com. Have a Bongo Day!

Project Bandaloop at Bok
March 16 & 17, 8 PM

Bok Tower becomes a vertical stage as aerial dancers perform high above the crowd. The beauty of a spectacular outdoor setting, carillon music and the grace of choreographed aerial dance combine to mesmerize the audience. Enjoy a not-to-be missed California-based Project Bandaloop’s first public performance in Florida. Seating is limited to 2,100 per show. Tickets: $20-50, based on row seating.  For more information contact Historic Bok Sanctuary, 1151 Tower Boulevard, Lake Wales, Fla. 33853; 863.676.1408 or visit www.boksanctuary.org.

Women in the Arts: The Other Side of the Story
March 19, 2-4 PM

In recognition of Women’s History Month, the Humanities Lecture Series will feature three prominent women who are leaders in the arts in the Tampa Bay area. Their topic is the important role of women in the visual arts, from recognition of their artwork through exhibitions and awards, to key arts management positions at museums, in higher education and government, and at major galleries.  Speakers include Leslie Neumann, Melinda Chavez and Judith B. Powers. Gulf Coast Museum of Art Auditorium, 12211 Walsingham Rd., Largo, FL 33778. COST: $15 Museum Members, $20 Non-Members - Includes gallery admission & docent-led tour. Call (727) 518-6833 ext. 203 or email kbarth@gulfcoastmuseum.org to register.  Visit website at www.gulfcoastmuseum.org.

Marketing Workshop Focuses on Technology Company Needs
March 21, 1-7 PM 82 Degrees Tech is delivering a marketing workshop tailored specifically to the needs of technology companies. ‘Marketing for Techies – a complete business growth tool box’ will be delivered on Wednesday, March 21st at the Cay Club in Sarasota from 1 until 7 PM. The six speakers on the agenda include Michelle Bauer, partner with Sextant Marketing Group; Pete Blews, owner of Confluent Creative; Ravi K. Ghai, president of Competitive-Strategies, Inc.; Bob Leonard, owner of Bolen Communications; Joan Lowery, president of Lowery Communications, and Anand Pallegar, founder of atLarge, Inc. Workshop fees are $30 for 82 Degrees Tech members and $50 for non members. For more information please visit www.82degreestech.com or call (941) 870-0078.

You may subscribe/unsubscribe to this newsletter by clicking here. If you have a story idea, information on an upcoming event or wish to submit a by-lined article, please email Donna Manion .  Please submit events in paragraph form like the formatting in this newsletter. You may include graphics which will be used at the editor’s discretion. If you are having problems receiving this newsletter, contact the CTB webmaster.

Special thanks to this week’s BUZZ volunteers:
Donna Manion, Editor
Deanne Roberts, Creative Contributor
Bob Barancik, Columnist
Sean Kelly, Design and Distribution