‘Magical Week’ for Artist in Residence

By Polly Curran and Wilma Davidson, Sarasota Branch

Barbara Jendrysik’s one-week tenure as “Artist in Residence” at the Art Ovation Hotel in downtown Sarasota, Florida, embraced a sense of lightheartedness and a nod to the abstract. An art member for 20 years, Jendrysik has served in just about every position, including president, treasurer, and chair for our Launching Leaders Program.

Having taken a new direction with her art, Jendrysik used this exhibition, “Soft Geometry,” to express her feelings of freedom and transparency, applying the paint by pouring, dripping, even painting a piece of canvas on the floor.

Jendrysik finds herself enjoying the world of abstracts, a freer style to focus on color and shape, which contrasts with her former work in whimsical, “fun art” and her collaboration as illustrator for many authors of children’s books.

The Art Ovation Hotel itself, built in 2018 as part of the Marriott Autograph Collection, is a special spot for several of our branch members like Barbara. It was uniquely built to establish a presence for local artists to exhibit and work at their art for all to observe. This “residency” allows the public to interact with artists while they continue to create, providing many opportunities for the community to closely connect to active visual artists in the Sarasota area.

“Sarasota has been magical in all that it has to offer me in the field of art,” Jendrysik says. “It was an incredible experience from the first day to the last. A dream come true! I met so many people during the week — hotel guests and staff, local residents, and great friends who supported me by being there. I was thrilled that it all came together after much planning and preparation. The demos of the ‘poured paintings’ were a hit. And I am happy to report that I had sales. One gentleman from New York bought two paintings ‘off the wall’ as birthday gifts for his mother. What a magical week!”