Art

Art Center Sarasota. A National Photography Exhibition continues through July 24. Information: 365-2032.

Selby Gallery. Multiple Visions V, focusing on art from Ringling School instructors since 1975, continues through July 30. Coming up: works by painter Melissa Miller and another artist TBA, Aug. 13-Sept. 11; and the annual Ringling faculty exhibition, Sept. 17-Oct. 9, which features works no larger than four inches in any direction. Information: 359-7563.

Museum of Fine Arts. Heavy Metals: Three Centuries of Silver and Goldwork continues through Aug. 8 in the Stenquist Gallery of the St. Pete museum. Opening Sept. 25 to run through Jan. 2: Marvels of Maiolica: Italian Renaissance Ceramics from the Corcoran Gallery. Information: (727) 896-2667.

Salvador Dali Museum. Dali Centennial: The American Collection outlines Dali's career with an exhibition of more than 100 oils, watercolors and drawings, continuing through Sept. 19 in St. Pete. Information: (727) 823-3767.

Longboat Key Center for the Arts. An exhibition from Women Contemporary Artists continues through Oct. 1 in the Durante Gallery, while a Volunteer Exhibition is on view through Oct. 30 in the Glen Gallery. Information: 383-2345.

Palm Avenue First Friday Walks. Enjoy the avenue and its attractions from 6 to 9 p.m. July 2, Aug. 6 and Sept. 3. Information: 373-9660.

Palm Avenue Gallery. Works by gallery artists related to special themes will be featured throughout the summer. Information: 953-5757.

Ringling Museum of Art. GraphicStudio at the Ringling, in the West Galleries July 3-Oct. 3, features works by artists including Kiki Smith, Nancy Graves, Leslie Dill, James Dine, Robert Mapplethorpe, Robert Rauschenberg and James Rosenquist, who have partnered with USF's Tampa-based studio over the years and who've ended up in the Ringling's collection. Primarily works on paper; some sculpture. Information: 359-5700.

Venice Art Center. A Cartooning Exhibition opens with a party July 9 and continues through Aug. 28. Information: 485-7136.

Towles Court Third Friday Gallery Walk. Stroll the artists' colony from 6 to 10 p.m. July 16, Aug. 20 and Sept. 17. Information: 362-0690.

Tampa Museum of Art. UnderCURRENT/overVIEW7, featuring works from regional artists, is on view July 25-Sept. 26. Information: (813) 274-8130.

Comedy

McCurdy's Comedy Theater. Providing the laughs this summer: Leo Dufore, July 7-11; Tony Rock, July 15-18; Wendy Liebman, July 23-25; Flip Schultz, July 28-Aug. 1; Allyn Ball, Aug. 4-8; Jimmie "JJ" Walker, Aug. 13-15; Bobcat Goldthwaite, Aug. 20-22; and Scott Novotny, Aug. 25-29. Information: 925-3869.

Miscellaneous

St. Armands Boat Show. Sneak a peek at some big boats from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 3 and 4 at St. Armands Circle Park. Information: 388-1554.

Fourth of July Fireworks. Get your glimpse of the pyrotechnics along downtown's bayfront, with music, food and more scheduled all day long at Bayfront Park. The skies light up, of course, at dusk-bring your lawn chair.

Interior Design Society Showhouse 2004. To benefit the Mayor's Feed the Hungry campaign, this showcase features a Tuscan villa at Stillwater on the Bay, July 24-Aug. 8. For ticket info call (941) 228-1521.

Music

Friday Fest on the Bay. The Van Wezel hosts the following musicians along its bayfront from 5 to 9 p.m.: Jennifer and the Venturas, July 16; Allon Sams and Friends, Aug. 20; and Rick the Trickster, Sept. 17. Information: 953-3368.

Sarasota Folk Club. The club's Sarasota Sailing Squadron concert presents Glen Road (Mike Duggar, Turlach Boylan and Greg Brown) with guest Joe Root, performing traditional music and new songs from Ireland and Newfoundland. At 8:30 p.m. July 26. Also this summer: Bailey Jester, at 8:30 p.m. Aug. 30, and acoustic duo Breckenridge, 8:30 p.m. Sept. 27, both at the Squadron. Information: 377-9256.

Gary Lewis and the Playboys. Who Wants To Buy. tickets to this performance by those '60s rockers, at 3 and 8 p.m. July 31 at Venice Little Theatre. How about if we tell you their warm-up act is Bandana, featuring Tony "Butch" Gerace, formerly of Sam The Sham and The Pharaohs? Information: 488-1115.

Salon Afternoon Fall Fest. Members of the Florida West Coast Symphony's four resident ensembles get together to present music from Beethoven, Turina, Martinu, Simpson and Ibert, at 4 p.m. Sept. 26 at Holley Hall. Information: 953-3434.

Sports

Suncoast Offshore Grand Prix. A host of boating-related events in the annual fest, running all during the Fourth of July weekend. Call 371-2827 or go to www.suncoastoffshore.org.

Sarasota Red Sox. For a complete schedule of the minor leaguers' games all this summer at Ed Smith Stadium, call 365-4460 or head to www.sarasox.com.

Sarasota Offshore Showdown. The other of the summer's big racing events, set for Aug. 26-29. For more info call 316-8085 or go to www.sarasotaoffshoreshowdown.info.

Healthcare Foundation's Physicians' Golf Tournament. The third annual event, originally planned for last May, now takes place Sept. 24 at Laurel Oak Country Club, with a 9 a.m. shotgun start and a 1:30 p.m. awards luncheon. For more info, call 917-1286.

Talks

Forum 2004. Bill Press, author of Bush Must Go! Top Ten Reasons Why George Bush Does Not Deserve a Second Term, speaks at 7 p.m. July 9 at a location TBA. Then outspoken columnist-author Molly Ivins shoots from the hip in a benefit for the Florida American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Florida, set for 8 p.m. Sept. 11 at the Van Wezel. Information: 922-3080 or www.forum2004america.org.

Theater

Uncle Vanya. Chekhov's classic continues through July 11 in a Banyan Theater Company production at the Jane B. Cook Theatre in the FSU Center for the Performing Arts. Information: 358-5330.

Romance in D. A romantic comedy by James Sherman involving two related couples, onstage through July 11 at the Lemon Bay Playhouse in Englewood. Information: 475-6756.

The Sound of Music. The nuns, the Nazis and those singing tots return, through Aug. 29 at the Golden Apple Dinner Theatre. Information: 366-5454.

Born Yesterday. Garson Kanin's perennial about the education of Miss Billie Dawn appears July 1-3 at the Players. Information: 365-2494.

The Play's the Thing. The Players again sponsor a series of new works, with rehearsed readings of at least six plays taking place July 5-10. Information: 365-2494.

Bee-Luther-Hatchee. Thomas Gibbons' play tells the story of an African-American literary editor on a personal and professional journey. Onstage at Florida Studio Theatre July 6-24. Information: 366-9000.

My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra. Doobie, doobie, doo.here's to Old Blue Eyes, July 9-25 in this revue onstage at Venice Little Theatre. Information: 488-1115.

Manatee Players New Play Series. Looking for something new and different? The Manatee Players Riverfront Theatre offers debuts by area playwrights, including The Split, by Jack Gilhooley and Jo Morello (July 9-11); First House of Neptune, by C. Kreimendahl (July 16-18); Alligators, by Sylvia Reed (July 23-25); and Grace, by David Smith (July 30-Aug. 1). For more information on the works, call 748-5875.

Otherwise Engaged. Simon Gray's comedy-drama about a variety of characters dealing with dysfunction runs July 15-Aug. 1 in another Banyan Theater offering at the Cook Theatre. Information: 358-5330.

Leona and the Lady Luck. Local playwright Jeffrey Kin, winner of last summer's Players reading festival, scores with this full production of his piece about two unlikely runaways meeting on a bus. Onstage July 16-18 at the Players of Sarasota; call 365-2494.

My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra. Kind of like déjà vu, isn't it? Only this production of the Sinatra salute is onstage in St. Pete, at the American Stage theater July 16-Aug. 15. For more info call (727) 823-PLAY.

The Merry Wives of Windsor. This summer's "Shakespeare on the Island" offering from the Island Players of Anna Maria is the follow-up to King Henry IV.written in response to Queen Elizabeth I's request to show "Falstaff in love." The fat man's follies are onstage July 13-17. Information: 778-5755.

Ten Unknowns. A play by Jon Robin Baitz focusing on a refugee from the New York art world, onstage Aug. 3-21 at Florida Studio Theatre. Information: 366-9000.

Vincent in Brixton. Nicholas Wright's intriguing look at artist Vincent van Gogh, in London and in love, takes to the Cook Theatre stage Aug. 5-23 in a Banyan Theater production. Information: 358-5330.

Funky Planet. The Players of Sarasota present this comedy which offers alien Martians, past U.S. Presidents and '70s disco tunes in the mix. Onstage Sept. 2-4 and 9-11. Information: 365-2494.

Mamma Mia! An encore production of the Abba-inspired hit, at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center Sept. 7-12. Information: (800) 955-1045.

West Side Story. The Players of Sarasota open their 75th season with a production of the Romeo and Juliet musical that brought us those dancing gang members and lovely Stephen Sondheim-Leonard Bernstein songs, Sept. 30-Oct. 10. Information: 365-2494.