Sonia Terry

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When Venice Theatre was founded by Muriel Olds-Dundas and Sonia Terry, it seems that everyone in town got in on the act. In search of space for the enterprise, an abandoned Quonset hut at the former Venice Army Air Base was rented by the Theatre for $1/year and the conversion began. A dozen volunteers got to work building a stage. The local funeral home offered seating for the theatre on the condition that the chairs be returned when needed for a service. The Garden Club planted flowers and pulled weeds, and the Girl Scouts painted the interior. It was a fitting beginning for a community theatre.

The first show at the Venice “Little” Theatre opened a mere 30 days after the lease was signed. “The Torchbearers” by George Kelly was a farce that satirized amateur actors who were a bit overimpressed with their own abilities. It was a big success.

Today Venice Theatre is one of the largest community theatres in the United States. It has become the unofficial home of aactWorldfest, a festival that showcases community theatres from around the world. Old’s-Dundas and Terry would surely be proud to have got the ball rolling.

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Artist

Holland King

Holland King's love for drawing and art began at the age of 12 when he was introduced to comic books. Holland studied illustration at the San Francisco Academy of Art. After an enlistment in the Army, he settled in Tampa, Florida where he finally started painting where his work has appeared in galleries and restaurants throughout the Tampa Bay Area. He began working with chalk at a South Tampa eatery, where his work became a draw for the store and was featured in Restaurant Monthly Magazine and on Charlie Belcher's local news program. His first chalk festival was the Clearwater Chalk Festival of October 2015 and he has been doing this and working as a freelance artist ever since. Chalk, Acrylics, and watercolor/marker are the mediums he uses the most often.

Instagram (portfolio) - HollandMKing

Some of my clients include: Cornerstone Creative Studios,Tampa Bay Lightning, Chalkboard Special Food Truck, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Tampa Murals, Noble Crust Restaurant, "From Mayan Hands" Art Gallery, World of Beer, Red Star Rock Bar & Westshore Plaza Mall

Holland King participated as an artist at the Sarasota Chalk Festival in the years 2016 and 2018.

Other works by Avenue of Art paintings by Holland include:

Other work by Holland
Sonia Terry

Written By

Nanette Crist

Nanette Crist is a retired lawyer who began blogging when she moved to Florida. It was an online diary of sorts, a way to keep track of her new life. It was also a good way to share her discoveries with friends and family outside the area. Over time, Nanette realized her writing makes her experience the world differently. She keeps an eye out for interesting things to write about and then delves more deeply into them as she crafts her words. It's all about telling the story. Nanette's blog can be found at http://nanettesnewlife.blogspot.com.