Tubes on The Runway

                    

When you think of paper tubes, typically, you think of mailing, shipping, protection tubes, etc.  But rarely would you ever think that you would find paper tubes used on the runaway as a part of a dress design!

Art Center Sarasota (formerly known as the Sarasota Art Association) began in 1926 by Marcia Rader, Art Supervisor for the Sarasota County Schools.  According to the ACS, “the original mission was not only to promote the visual arts in the Sarasota area but to encourage young people in particular to pursue their interest in the arts.”

Today, the Art Center Sarasota is a flourishing establishment for hundreds of many local artists.  The center isn’t just for adults.   It also has a rapidly growing youth program for kids ages 6-16, where they are offered camps and classes to explore their creative expressions and skills.  With the center continuously growing, there is a need for more space which created events to help offset the cost.

In April 2019, Yazoo became a corporate sponsor of Art Center Sarasota’s Beaux Arts Ball and Iconcept Runway Show.  This extravagant and heavily attended show featured selected artists and designers that are challenged each year to use their imagination and creativity to create “fabric” from unconventional materials that are not commonly used with clothing design.  Eric Cross, GM of Home Resource, was the genius designer behind the fabulous look of Charmian Noel, wife of Yazoo’s Chairman, Earl Noel, Jr.  Cross’ design featured an array of Yazoo’s orange paper tubes, placed strategically onto a white dress for stand-out, visual effects.

All proceeds raised during the event will be used to help enlarge and renovate the current building to accommodate more class space, allowing adult and youth programs to operate simultaneously, add more galleries, and install a gift shop and café.