Lectures
The Many Origins of Sarasota
Meg Lepak
Ringling College Museum Campus
Tuesday, Oct. 13 • 10-11 am
Emerald: $17
Sapphire: $17
Gold Member: $18
Silver Member and General Admission: $20
How old is Sarasota? That depends on what you’re asking. Sarasota is a city, a county, and a bay—each with its own origin story. Join Meg Lepak of the Sarasota County History Center for a closer look at the history of Sarasota in all its forms, a story that stretches back to the Spanish colonial era and ties in with some of the most exciting developments of Florida’s fascinating past. The program will feature maps, photographs, and archival records from the History Center’s collections.
Meg Lepak is the Program and Outreach Specialist at the Sarasota County History Center. Holding degrees in Art History and Public History, Meg researches, develops, and presents programs on Sarasota County and Florida history. Her work focuses on public education, community outreach, and increasing access to the History Center’s archival collections.
The Haunted History of Florida
Christopher Daley
Ringling College Museum Campus
Thursday, Oct. 15 • 10-11 am
Emerald: $17
Sapphire: $17
Gold Member: $18
Silver Member and General Admission: $20
Experience the darker side of the Sunshine State with this immersive, story-driven journey into Florida’s most historic and unsettling hauntings. This multimedia presentation explores ghostly legends rooted in real events, blending folklore, eyewitness accounts, and verifiable history to reveal a Florida that tourists rarely see.
We begin in St. Augustine at the venerable Castillo de San Marcos, where the tragic tale of Dolores and Manuel still whispers through the ancient coquina corridors. Travel southwest to the solemn pine flats of Bushnell, where the spirits of the fallen are said to roam the Dade Battlefield, the opening strike of the Second Seminole War.
The lecture then ventures into the heart of Marion County to the Ma Barker House in Ocklawaha, frozen in time since the infamous 1935 FBI shootout, and long rumored to host lingering shadows from its violent past.
Next, descend into the glamorous yet ghost-laden halls of the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, where 1920s opulence meets decades of chilling stories, from phantom soldiers to the restless spirit of Fatty Walsh.
Finally, visit the Cuban Club in Ybor City, a 1917 mutual aid society where the echoes of a fatal 1934 boardroom shooting still linger, alongside reports of a tragic actor in the theater and the spirit of a young boy who drowned in the basement pool.
From colonial intrigue to gangster-era violence and wartime tragedy, “The Haunted History of Florida” uncovers the eerie echoes of the state’s past, offering audiences a compelling blend of true history and supernatural lore.
Christopher Daley holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Political Science and History from Bridgewater State University (MA). He previously served as President of the Pembroke Historical Society and Chairman of the Pembroke Historical Commission. He was also a docent at the John Alden House Historic Site and the Coordinator of Educational Outreach. In 2023, Chris retired from the Silver Lake Regional School System in Kingston, Mass., after teaching history for 25 years. Chris has written his first book titled “Murder & Mayhem in Boston: Historic Crimes in the Hub.” Chris also appeared in two episodes of the Travel Channel’s ‟Kindred Spirits“ as a historian on shows about the Lizzie Borden case.
Discovering New Plant Species: Selby Gardens Expeditions in the Tropical Andes
John L. Clark, Ph.D.
Ringling College Museum Campus
Thursday, Oct. 15 • 1-2:20 pm
Emerald: $17
Sapphire: $17
Gold Member: $18
Silver Member and General Admission: $20
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is internationally recognized for its research on tropical plants and its mission to explore, understand, and conserve biodiversity. Despite centuries of botanical exploration, scientists continue to discover plant species new to science every year, many of them in the northern Andes—one of Earth’s greatest biodiversity hotspots.
Join Selby Gardens Research Botanist Dr. John L. Clark for an inside look at modern botanical exploration, from remote cloud forests in Ecuador and Colombia to the laboratory, where DNA sequencing complements traditional taxonomy to reveal evolutionary relationships and identify previously unknown species.
Through striking photographs, stories from the field, and examples from Selby’s research program, Dr. Clark will explain how new species are discovered, documented, named, and conserved, and why these discoveries are essential for protecting Earth’s botanical diversity. The presentation concludes with time for audience questions and discussion.
John L. Clark, Ph.D., is a Research Botanist at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota, where he studies the diversity, evolution, and conservation of tropical plants. His research has taken him throughout Latin America, with extensive fieldwork in Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Haiti, and Panama.
Dr. Clark has discovered and described more than 100 plant species new to science and has authored more than 150 scientific publications. Passionate about sharing the excitement of scientific discovery, he enjoys engaging audiences through lectures, photography, and firsthand accounts from botanical expeditions. His presentations combine cutting-edge research with vivid images and field experiences from some of the world’s most biologically diverse and threatened tropical forests.
How to Become a Nomad and Travel the World
Jeff and Patti Spaulding
Ringling College Museum Campus
Thursday, Nov. 12 • 1-2:30 pm
Emerald: $17
Sapphire: $17
Gold Member: $18
Silver Member and General Admission: $20
Could you give up your house, most of your possessions, and embrace a life with no permanent address? In 2017, Jeff and Patti Spaulding got rid of 90 percent of what they owned, sold their house in Cincinnati, and placed a few treasured possessions into a storage unit in Sarasota. For nearly 10 years, they have lived as nomads, with no permanent address anywhere. During that time, they have traveled to more than 31 foreign countries by plane, train, bus, boat, camel, and horse cart. They usually stay in neighborhood Airbnb’s where they can experience everyday local life.
Join Jeff and Patti as they share why they chose this lifestyle, how they made the transition, the rewards and challenges of life on the road, and the practical lessons they’ve learned along the way.
Jeff Spaulding’s third (and current) avocation is learning world history by traveling. Jeff’s passion is slow travel, which includes learning interesting things about a place by staying there for some period of time and reading, listening, seeing, and absorbing local history and culture. Jeff also enjoys experiencing the differences between living in various foreign countries and living in the U.S.
Patti Spaulding served as a corporate communication professional for over 30 years at financial institutions (banks and insurance companies) located in Cincinnati, OH. She developed and oversaw the Investor Relations and Corporate Communication functions at publicly-traded companies and provided administrative support and guidance to executive management teams and board members. Later in her career, Patti served in long-term contract roles as a Technical Writer for Fortune 500 companies.