Gulf Coast Journal with Jack Perkins; 110

The following is a special presentation of w. we do YOU Tampa St. Petersburg Sarasota. One of the nation's great photographers does much of his work right here on the Gulf Coast. Lung cancer some fascinating new research encouraging findings. And the man who is awfully glad about that. And a man who gives selflessly to his community. We find all in this volume of a Gulf Coast Journal. This w edu production is exclusively brought to you through a generous grant from the Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice envisioning a region known for in doubtful a vital nonprofit community and the ability to address emerging issues. Dear Journal. Reflecting on how easy it is to be inspired by the

beauties along this Gulf Coast but to me the most inspiring aspect of this area is always its people. And we met some wonderful examples recently beginning with a man who in a way is a double inspiration. He is inspired by the landscape. We by his stunning interpretations of it. It isn't New England but even here on the Gulf Coast autumn brims with color. But none of these scholars tamps photographer Clyde butcher when faced with Mother Nature's vibrant palette he turns a color blind eye color very distracting. It is an art form I like I say I feel that the colors a duplication of nature and black why is interpretation

just footsteps from civilisation Clyde discovers treasures most of us time strapped humans missed. OK. Perfectly composed scenes that are untamed unspoiled untouched. One of problems with photographers is they have a preconceived idea of what they want to photograph. If you just go out and let the world come to you you'll find it whatever it is. His cameras are oversized look antiquated and so does his art. Each scene seems to have been taken before amusement parks and malls and condos took over Florida. One of the crucial things about my work. Is that people realize things are still there. I've had people think that it was all gone. All this what you couldn't see this anymore.

It's hard to find. That used to be. But there's an awful lot of native pristine places in Florida. To me. I mean it's it's own half. The purpose of his vast landscape of art is twofold to excite us about our natural surroundings and touch conservation all nerve some of the areas of Florida of improving the environment and of the sun. They prove it every time you put in Sam Missouri held you close to more acres gone. His panoramic change back and viewers. I really feel that they're my word. Describes a feeling.

Not a picture. When you. Buy larger images you feel like you walk into and that's what I want. 62 year old butcher has been called the MTL Adams of the Everglades a title he wears respectfully but he quickly points out distinct differences between their work. But we do need the light to need the light. As land is mostly photographed things where ideas spaces. It was he has long lenses I use short lenses but the quality of the printing the light that's what people see. It's the quality of their not the compositions in college. Clyde studied architecture ironic one might think for a man now so

passionate about stifling urban development but not so says he. If you look at my work they're very architectural. They're spatial. I try to create spaces so you can feel like you're there. Space is sacred in and out of his photographs. People deliberately absent. There's a lot of times I love to have people to give scale. But when you put a person and you've taken the viewer out of the picture. And that person is in that space that's his space. It has no people and then you can be I can be his space or your space. People are scarce around Clyde's living space too. He and his wife Mickie live in the heart of the Everglades in a place called. Sanctuary. Dora goes you have to have a louche who live there. Most of our neighbors walk by. Four feet. I would. Have never guessed

in a million years that in abundance while. In the Belly of the glades Clyde uncovers beauty not found on a mountain order in a canyon. The Everglades is a living creeping crawling organism. It's full a life but it's strange though. You can't always see it but you can feel it. My eyes are all tricks. When asked if he considers himself an artist or an environmentalist first he answers yes. I rather be called an educator almost than a photographer or an artist. If you want to call my work art that's fine. But I I really do it to get people inspired about the environment because it's so precious and so easy to destroy it. I said let me tell you. OK. Judging by the book signing line at a recent gallery exhibit his inspiration appears to

be contagious. The majority of people move to a city to get away from nature to protect themselves from the bears and. Has cute toes and all that stuff. But in their heart they really miss this because this is where you carry nourish your life is where you came from. He often visits the Gulf Coast to sail and greener issues own soul. Even here Clyde exposes familiar landmarks in a new light. Everybody is just too fast today everybody. Everything's going too fast and and then the whole play my work slow steeple down to the beaches are beautiful my acca state park is really great. There's all kinds of little intimate spots here and the Gulf Coast that people can visit and enjoy photographing just canoeing beaching. But sometimes you have to go a little slow. Tragedy in his life to slow down his once hectic pace

in 1086 his teenage son Ted was killed in a car crash. Clyde turned to the Everglades for comfort and discovered that it too could be lost just as easily. When you have a tragedy in your life you go positive or negative. It's come like photography and then you go positive you make something worthwhile in his life. And I thought that was really important to. Make something good out of something that was bad. It brought the family closer. Today his daughter Jackie owns the gallery in Venice which is devoted to her father's work housed in the back is Clyde's pride and joy a sixteen hundred square foot dark room. This is like playing the score of the music. This is where this is what you do in the field translate a piece a tune to miss a piece of paper. Several enlarges helped produce the prints ranging in size from 8 by 10 inches to

five by eight feet. Really Clyde secret weapon is his darkroom assistants who combine chemistry with artistry to help achieve his vision. The negative that. Clyde will capture out in the field is only part of the whole journey. So here in the darkroom we need to bring to fruition the rest of the story by printing out a particular photograph in his. Taste to style what he's trying to accomplish so it's very simple. You might say it's primitive. And the most important tool that we have in here is our imagination. When I came to Florida. I didn't see it in the photograph. There was just nothing of color. Now there's so much here and the time to do it. Colorful character colorful life but butcher's powerful message is as simple as black and white.

Next inspiration a revisit to a man we introduced you to a few months ago a fantasy artist who found he could not escape reality when he was diagnosed with metastasized lung cancer. Tom Krause had never ever smoked and that he realizes now may have made the difference. It was just last New Year's Eve Eve that Tom Krause learned he had late stage lung cancer as severe back it was his only clue. About others were ringing in the New Year. Tom was longing for the old one. The initial prognosis for a grim when you went to one doctor who not only didn't write you a prescription he wrote you off. He practically handed me than a house for a coffin.

Yet Tom never lost hope. I never viewed his disease as a death sentence but rather as an adventure. Most people realize up to 30 to 40 percent of lung cancer cases are people who never smoked or are nonsmokers. A scientist himself did his homework gathering second and third opinions researching traveling One man's name kept popping up Dr. Vincent Miller from Memorial Sloan-Kettering in New York. Dr. Miller was conducting a drug study on lung cancer patients like Tom. Cancer patients who had never smoked. He was just very forward and saying you're a never smoker. I've got good news for you. Get up here and see me. And his studies showed him that people who never smoked were responding to this recipe pill. Well the drug in chemotherapy killed the cancer cells nourished

his brain cells with more and more knowledge. One of the big things that became apparent in this adventure is that there isn't much data specific to never smokers. Recently there's been a study that is very telling indeed. A study just was released in June from Moffett Cancer Center here in Tampa. They found that the patients who never smoked respond better to treatment tolerate treatment better and survive longer. I mean they're using survival statistics based on five years now. That's something I hadn't heard. You know it was Oh you might be around after a year. And so just a few months ago you went and you had a PET scan whose results told you and I quote the words of the radiologist. There is no act of a malignant. Metabolic activity in your body. So for all of us and you were there Jack we were

in basic They said you've got nothing going on right now. No longer on chemo and supporting newly sprouted hair. Tom is embarking on a new adventure. He's launching a Web site called Never smokers dot com to gather information about patients like him. We're just trying to find what we have in common. The hope is that something will pop out. And they can look for preventive care better treatment and more research. And two others who face their own adventures. He offers this. Think you can. Learn about it. Take as much control as. For yourself. Thank you feel better but feel like you're doing something you're not at the whim of somebody else. And you learn a lot. You learn a lot. And if you're a guy like Tom Krause then turn around and. You. All are. Hearing. What you have learned with others.

Time now to let er rip up tempo high velocity and meet a group of people who inspire in yet another way. This show has long been considered one of Broadway's. Best Musical. Performance of. This cash. Arsenal. This is not Broadway.

Now this spicy rendition of the show Ain't Misbehavin is on stage in Venice. The company performing. The west coast black theater. For. The west coast black theatre troupe travels to many venues along the Gulf Coast energizing audiences with dynamic performances. The group calls Sarasota home. Their music is contagious. Their dance energetic their performance seemingly effortless but their journey to the stage was anything but easy. The fact that this talented cast to hear it all is a testament to the founder and artistic director Nate Jacob.

We have eight theatres in town and the shows that are produced leave very little room for African-American actors so there has to be a platform so that actors who deserve a platform can show their stuff. And grow and develop become the great artists that they. Desire. Nate is an accomplished actor producer director and playwright with 20 years of stage experience. He has performed with several theaters far and near including for the show it is awful but every time he tried to convince artistic directors to stage an all black show he was met with resistance. I kept getting answers like well it's a big risk. We don't know if blacks will come to see a black show we don't know if the whites would accept. And I was like you know have a Broadway has black shows I mean people want to see a good show. It wouldn't matter what color it is.

Eventually the players Theater here in Sarasota invited me in. We tested out a project. It was James Baldwin Zaman corner I directed the show. It sold out. Well received the community was raving white and black community. And so I was invited back to direct several more we did Dreamgirls A Raisin in the sun loving brown sugar Pearly and they all were just as successful. Buoyed by this success mate knew what had become. I was riding my car and I say you know it's not going to happen to you do it. There needs to be a permanent platform for diversity in this city and it's not going to happen. You're going to have it. In 1994 the West Coast black theatre troupe was born. It debuted with the

Cotton Club cabaret. You know. What I did artistically as I pick shows that I knew a community like Sarasota would be familiar with. We have a lot of New Yorkers here that are retired. And I knew they'd know about James Baldwin. I know they know about Bunny Brown Sugar and dream girl so I pick. Popular. Shows that were black show. Musicals like misbehavin received rave reviews while dramas like Raisin In The Sun showcased the troop's soulful diversity. For actors like Solomon Burke and it's a chance to talk to the audience through expression dance and song. A lifelong dream for me really to be able to get up on stage and just have people just see me see Heiss do what we do you know on stage just cry with sore

laugh with us or dance with us to hear what some of those people say as they leave my shop was just incredible and does something for me really just really fills the void that I ruin the longing to for a long time. Some while rather than all the catalyst stuff. After 10 years the nonprofit troupe still operates on a shoestring. It has no physical theater to call its own but it has energy enthusiasm and talent. We are still growing late but now we're on our journey to inspire and encourage and expose theater to under-served people in the community. I want this to be a perpetual organization where there's always a door. That has a welcome mat. And fun having the say You too can have an opportunity. And after the curtain falls the bows are taken the applause fades.

It's nice to know there's a little bit of Broadway tucked away in our own backyard. In the end there is nothing more inspiring than a person who works hard not to better himself his own lot in life. But who works selflessly and tirelessly to better the lives of others. There is such a man on the Gulf Coast who has been doing just that for almost two decades. Load was this man this father is a devoted worker for his community. The father tell us do you know. GUTIERREZ give or support or encourage or in the shadows of

downtown Sarasota at St. Martha's parish Father sell us to you know devote his life to reaching out to Sarasota county's growing Hispanic community. The next the they need assistance part of the English language they need that's a step forward. And thin like a fourth all by the hands on it. They said they've eons this story has its beginnings in Segovia Spain where Selous Dino was ordained a priest in 1964. He served in Guatemala for 17 years involved in supporting the people there by developing an Agricultural Association improving children's education creating a medical clinic. Nineteen years ago he was asked to serve the growing Hispanic community in the Diocese of Venice Florida. Today over 21000 Sarasota County residents are Hispanic.

Tonight that's kind of been his motive though on the 25 people. Now every Sunday we have he had out all the stops. You're. Magdalena Esky Bell and her husband live near St. Michael's Church and a regime for children her neighborhood is filled with immigrants who attend father's Dino's Spanish masses. These people come from everywhere from Colombia from Honduras Mexicans Puerto Ricans and that brings a lot of happiness to the Father. When my dilemma and her family first immigrated to Sarasota eight years ago they had many challenges. When I was doing well economically he has helped me with one of my daughters. She was close to death and I was not working at the time. And we you know the rent the lights the water. He was helping us economically for all those things. She now gives back to the church every Sunday she teaches catechism to the boys and

girls at St. Martha's. Then we'll only have kids who have had problems at home. The mothers have separated the mother is with the boyfriend and that affects the kids and I try to help them feel prayer through the commandments. Sometimes mothers have to say you know I'm very thankful to you because you have helped me with my child. Don't worry I would like to see what I am doing and still be there but it's beautiful and the people are why I still donate something and the people are horny and my museum is my vocation and my kind he's my. Father's self esteem no has many friends in service of the seedling there gathered for I'm not sure to sum up I feel. The goal to raise money for the new Hispanic Center. Ever since we met Tyler so much you know. We saw that. Social

worker type of person that we mean. You know to put together. A Hispanic community in Sarasota. Translation we any arrivals into the American. Melting pot. So to speak. One of the best qualities of the American people is that you know. I'm with us Bonnie sound lending fund that will be generous with you know this is something fantastic in America with his persistent dedication rather self esteem know has shown all of us there is no greater endeavor. Than to serve others. Talking about people who inspire us I imagine Father self-esteem would tell us that the ultimate inspiration does not come from people but from

the God who made them made people and made the animals as we say our farewell enjoy some of these scenes of the wild life of my park. A. Let me.

You can order this or any other volume of a Gulf Coast journal with Jack Perkins on a high quality DVD format for just 999 plus shipping and handling. Call 1 800 3 5 4 9 3 3 8. Or visit our website at W edu dot org. For. This w edu production has been exclusively brought to you through a generous grant from the Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice envisioning a region known for endowed philanthropy a vital nonprofit community. And the ability to address emerging issues.