Southwest Florida’s museums regularly curate traveling art exhibitions as well as artworks from their permanent collections. During December, three exhibitions open, two close and 26 others continue their runs. These are the exhibitions visitors will find on view this month in museums from Sarasota to Naples:
“Art Deco: The Golden Age of Illustration” [Sarasota Art Museum]: This exhibition shines a spotlight on Art Deco as the art form celebrates its centennial anniversary. “Art Deco: The Golden Age of Illustration” showcases 100 rare posters from the Crouse Collection created by some of the world’s earliest, master graphic designers during the 1920s and 1930s. Featured poster designers include Lester Beall, Leonetto Cappiello, Jean Carlu, A. M. Cassandre, Paul Colin, Austin Cooper, Jules Courvoisier, Edward McKnight Kauffer, Charles Loupot, Leo Marfurt, Gert Sellheim, Federico Seneca, and Roger de Valerio. In addition to the iconic posters, the exhibition conjures the era’s design aesthetic with selected sculptural works and cocktail shakers from the Crouse Collection, and Art Deco furniture pieces on loan from the Wolfsonian Museum at Florida International University in Miami. From subjects including automobiles, airlines, and ocean liners to drinks and tobacco, the works represented in “Art Deco: The Golden Age of Illustration” celebrate modernity, dynamism, and luxury—the dreams and desires of the turbulent early 20th century. For more, hear/read, “Sarasota Art Museum celebrates 100th anniversary of Art Deco with exhibition of 100 rare advertisement posters.” Runs through March 29, 2026.
“Selina Roman: Abstract Corpulence” [Sarasota Art Museum]: New works by Selina Román blend photography, abstraction, and self-portraiture to explore themes of beauty and the politics of size. Roman’s photographs feature tightly cropped images of the artist’s own body, boldly occupying the full composition and extending past the boundaries of each frame. Pastel bodysuits and tights transform the artists’ flesh into new, gently rolling landscapes as amorphous shapes converge to create modernist-inspired compositions. At this scale, Roman’s tightly cropped portrayals of stomachs, thighs, and hips become formal studies of line, shape and color, asking viewers to consider the human form from a point of true abstraction. The softly hued palette created by the artist’s bodysuits lends itself to narratives around the aesthetics of femininity. Displayed as a colorful new installation, Roman’s photographs transform the gallery into a space of quiet resistance, subverting traditional ideas of feminine beauty. For more, hear/read, “Selina Roman photo exhibition at Sarasota Art Museum provides new take on femininity and beauty.” Runs through March 29, 2026.
“Molly Hatch: Amalgam” [Sarasota Art Museum]: Commissioned as part of Sarasota Art Museum’s “Inside Out” program, Molly Hatch’s site-specific installation, “Amalgam” (2023-24) spans two floors, visually linking the Jan Schmidt Loggia and Mark & Irene Kauffman Arcade. Consisting of more than 450 earthenware plates hand-painted in white, blue, and gold luster, “Amalgam” is one ensemble framed by the four arched windows. Hatch also incorporated the empty spaces, so that viewers perceive lines and patterns between plates adjacent to each other. The whole composition may also be experienced from multiple points of view, from near and far, inside and outside the museum. Runs through April 26, 2026.
“Jillian Mayer: Slumpies [Sarasota Art Museum]: Jillian Mayer explores our ever-increasing relationship with technological devices, and the impact device usage has on our bodies through her interactive sculpture series, “Slumpies.” Blurring the line between fine art and functional objects, “Slumpies” invites viewers to sit, climb, slump, and curl up, using these sculptures much like furniture. In doing so, visitors explore how Mayer’s objects provide support for the various postures we assume while using technology. Runs through Aug. 19, 2026.
“Janet Echelman: Radical Softness” [Sarasota Art Museum]: Award-winning and internationally recognized artist Janet Echelman is renowned for her soaring installations that merge ancient craft with cutting-edge technology. Using centuries-old fishing net knotting techniques, Echelman transforms humble materials into ethereal sculptures that visualize natural phenomena and the interconnectedness of humanity and the environment. This exhibition offers an intimate look at Echelman’s artistic evolution, tracing her journey from early explorations in drawing, painting, and textiles to the monumental netted sculptures that have redefined public spaces around the world. At its core, the exhibition highlights Echelman’s use of softness as a powerful tool—not only in material but also as a philosophy. Showcasing a selection of works from across all four decades of the artist’s path-breaking career, along with a series of never-before-seen cyanotypes, “Radical Softness” reveals how an artist’s work can bring people together and carve out space for reflection in an ever-changing world. Runs through April 26, 2026.
“Inside Out” [Sarasota Art Museum]: The Sarasota Art Museum also invites guests to explore its campus, which is home to sculpture and installations on Klein Plaza and the Great Lawn, as well as in unexpected spaces like Bistro, McGuire Hall, Schmidt Loggia, McCague Arcade and the Surkis/Elona Lobby. For details about the museum's latest addition to the outdoor collection, hear/read, "Sarasota Art Museum puts 'Shazam' in its courtyard."
“As Earth is to Sky” [John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art]: This exhibition presents the second installment from an ongoing celebration of a transformative gift of 22 works of abstract and minimalist art donated by Murray Bring and Kathleen (Kay) Delaney Bring. The Brings’ generous philanthropy and visionary commitment to the arts have left a lasting impact on The Ringling’s holdings of modern and contemporary art. This new iteration highlights abstract sculptures in wood, steel, copper, and bronze by acclaimed artists Mark di Suvero (b. 1933), Bryan Hunt (b. 1947), John Van Alstine (b. 1952), and Yuriko Yamaguchi (b. 1948). It also features works on paper and panel by notable artists Robin Rose (b. 1946) and Robert Stackhouse (b. 1942) who hold a connection to Florida. Together, these artists explore abstraction through diverse materials and forms, creating dynamic sculptures and works that engage with space, texture, and movement. Runs through Aug. 29, 2027.
“Ancient Art from Cyprus and the Mediterranean” [John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art]: This exhibition is the latest phase of The Ringling’s multi-year project to reinstall all 21 permanent collection galleries of the Museum of Art. This new installation in Gallery 12 highlights art from the island of Cyprus with a selection of 201 works from The Ringling’s permanent collection of ancient Mediterranean art—nearly all of which was purchased by John Ringling at auctions in 1928—including sculptures in limestone and terracotta as well as ceramic vessels, glass, and gold and silver jewelry. Now open.
“Nuestro Vaiven (Our Sway)” [John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art]: “Nuestro Vaivén (Our Sway)” is one of The Ringling's largest exhibitions of contemporary Latin art. This unique exhibition pairs Latin artists from 11 Florida counties (from Osceola south, including Sarasota) with 11 Latin Sarasotans who are leaders in other fields: Diana Gonzalez, a Mexican radio personality; Dr. Manuel Gordillo, a Peruvian doctor; Gloria Noemy Lopez Herrera, a Nicaraguan organizer of immigrant entrepreneurs; and Ada Toledo, a Dominican salon owner. For a fuller description of this exhibition, visit https://www.ringling.org/event/nuestro-vaiven/. Runs through March 22, 2026.
“Yoshida Hiroshi: Journeys through Light” [John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art]: Renowned for his evocative renderings of light, mist, and glowing color, visionary artist Yoshida Hiroshi (Japanese, 1876–1950) gathered his subject matter from his travels across the Americas, Europe, north Africa, and Asia. Back in his studio, he translated his sketches into the medium of polychrome woodblock printing — an art form perfected over 200 years of Japanese history. Drawing from The Ringling’s extensive holdings and local private collections, this exhibition focuses on Hiroshi’s betsu-zuri or “separate printings,” referring to multiple color versions of single designs. Closes Jan. 11, 2026.
“Ancestral Edge: Abstraction and Symbolism in the Works of Nine Native American Women Artists” [John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art]: This exhibition highlights contemporary Native design, craftwork, and art that employ the formal and aesthetic elements of abstraction as meaningful motifs and coded tools of Indigenous expression to communicate tribal cultures and histories, ancestral knowledge, and the lived experiences of the artists and their communities. On view in the exhibition are two- and three-dimensional works by some of the most exciting Native American artists working today. Explored in a variety of media, including basket weaving, beadwork, collage, clay, textiles, photography, metalwork, and printmaking rooted in ancestral technologies, their work shares similar stylistic and social concerns, such as vibrant color, hard-edged geometries, curvilinear patterns, and bold mark-making, all infused with personal stories and those of their kin. Runs through April 12, 2026.
“Juana Romani: Forgotten No More” [John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art]: This small exhibition, drawn entirely from The Ringling’s permanent collections, highlights the newly acquired painting by Juana Romani, “Woman on a Red Background,” and situates it within a group of closely related works from the museum’s collection of late 19th-century French art. Romani (1867–1924) was one of the most fascinating and successful painters in late 19th-century Paris. Tragically, at the height of her fame, Romani experienced challenges with her mental health, causing her to spend her final 20 years confined to institutions. As a result, she was mostly forgotten, only to be rediscovered and reassessed in more recent times. Runs through May 31, 2026.
“Seventeenth-Century Dutch Paintings from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston” [John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art]: This long-term installation in Gallery 10 of the Museum of Art showcases five outstanding examples of 17th-century Dutch painting on loan from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Featuring a dramatic seascape, an expansive landscape, and captivating portraits set in detailed interiors, this exhibition offers a window into the vibrant artistic production of the Netherlands as the small nation rose to global prominence in the 17th century. The five exceptional paintings from the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, complement The Ringling’s holdings of Dutch art and provide additional perspective on the artistry, historical significance, and continuing appeal of Dutch painting from this period. Runs through Nov. 1, 2026.
“The Greatest Show on Earth” [John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art]: This latest addition to the museum celebrates the era of modern circus that began with Irvin Feld’s purchase of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey in 1967. The Greatest Show On Earth Gallery modernizes the museum’s expansive history of the circus by exploring the first 50 years of the Feld family’s stewardship during which the spectacle of the show brought the circus experience to new heights. This exhibit continues the story, found throughout the Circus Museum, of how Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey grew to become one of the most well-recognized brands in the world. The gallery space is designed to evoke the excitement of seeing a live show, while also representing the full spectrum of the production experience from both front- and back-of-house perspectives. Visitors can explore artifacts, costumes, and media footage in an engaging and multisensory experience throughout the exhibition area. This is a permanent exhibition that is periodically updated with new artifacts from the museum’s permanent collection. Ongoing exhibition.
Marietta Museum of Art & Whimsy re-opened Nov. 29. Founder, owner and curator Marietta Lee says that “there’s a story associated with every single artwork inside the museum and on its grounds. Discover what’s new and revisit old favorites as the Marietta Museum of Art & Whimsy begins a new season. Read: “Marietta Museum of Art & Whimsy closed for summer, but work goes on inside.” The museum is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. through May 23, 2026.
“Steve KEENE: RAUSCHENBERG 100 – A Centennial Celebration”[Bob Rauschenberg Gallery Annex]: This newly commissioned, site-specific installation of 100 paintings by the “World’s Most Prolific Painter” celebrates the 100th birthday of gallery namesake Robert Rauschenberg. Sourcing countless “found” photographs/images of Rauschenberg himself, his seminal/iconic artworks (including “Monogram,” “Buffalo II” and others) and his Captiva Island studio/compound, Keene has created this centenary celebration as an ambitious and immersive exhibition of 100 newly created paintings that capture both the art and life of the Bob Rauschenberg Gallery namesake in advance (and during) his October 22, 2025 100th birthday. For more, hear/read, “Brooklyn-based artist Steve Keene makes 100 paintings to celebrate 100th anniversary of Bob Rauschenberg’s birth.” Closes Dec. 6.
“The Trees Know” [Cohen Student Union & Sugden Hall Walkway]: The FGCU Art Galleries has partnered with the Art and Language and Literature Programs to create a hybrid visual art and creative writing site-specific outdoor public exhibition. This exhibition features the coursework of FGCU students from Introduction to Nature Writing and Art and Community Engagement. As the arts become increasingly integrated throughout campus, these cross-curricular efforts promote increased collaboration between students. The result of the project is a large-scale multi-panel mural on display in the walkway between the Cohen Student Union & Sugden Hall leading the way to Parking Garage 1. Runs through October 31, 2026.
“Diamonds in the Light: Farrah Alkhadra” [North End of Arts Complex at Florida Gulf Coast University]: This mural consists of steel, resin and mixed media. Created by alumna Farrah Alkhadra, “Diamonds in the Light” continues her exploration of geometry and color theory. Runs through Sept. 30, 2026.
“Senior Projects – Fall 2025” [Wasmer Art Gallery at FGCU]: This exhibition features final presentations from graduating art majors combining technique, research, and personal expression. Opens Thursday, Dec. 4 with a 5-7 p.m. reception and runs through Dec. 12.
“Florida Contemporary 2025-26” [Baker Museum of Art in Hayes Hall galleries and Artis-Naples cultural campus]: This annual exhibition presents a select group of notable visual artists practicing in Florida. Highlighting the diversity of artistic approaches to personal, local and global themes, Florida Contemporary invites visitors to celebrate the state’s vibrant art scene. Featured artists are Mally Khorasantchi, whose colorful, large-scale collage-based paintings reflect on the dichotomies found in humankind and in nature: beauty and discord, reality and falsehood, or representational and abstract; Boy Kong, whose work is inspired by a mixture of Ukiyo-e, surrealism, graffiti art and animal folklore; Jillian Mayer, whose varied practice includes film, performance, sculpture, drawing and installation, with many of her works focused on concerns around the ubiquity of technology in contemporary life; and Reginald O’Neal, whose richly painted canvases expand the art historical traditions of portraiture with work that is simultaneously sentimental and sinister. Runs through June 28, 2026.
“Tamara de Lempicka” [Baker Museum of Art]: With works that exuded cool elegance and sensuality, Tamara de Lempicka (1894-1980) helped define Art Deco. Capturing the glamour and vitality of 1920s postwar Paris and the cosmopolitan sheen of Hollywood celebrity, Tamara de Lempicka infused her paintings with a brilliant sense of fashion, design and the theatrical. This exhibition explores the artist’s distinctive style and unconventional life as she rose to the pinnacle of café society. The artworks on display range from her post-Cubist work in 1920s Paris to the melancholic still lifes and interiors of her final days in the United States and Mexico. The exhibition is augmented by exceptional examples from the Fine Art Museums of San Francisco’s notable Art Deco collection, as well as signature photographs from the era. This exhibition is organized by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Runs through Feb. 8, 2026. There will be a screening of “The True Story of Tamara de Lempicka and the Art of Survival” (2024; 96 minutes) at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 10 with introduction by Director and Chief Curator Courtney McNeil.
“Sonia Louise Davis: To Reverberate tenderly” [Baker Museum of Art]: Visual artist, writer and performer Sonia Louise Davis works within a lineage of Black feminist abstraction and avant-garde music. Her latest multisensory exhibition, “To Reverberate Tenderly,” is a living environment for creative activity that reflects the artist’s deep engagement with improvisation. The exhibition includes textile-based soft paintings, a wall mural composed of painted gestures and neon elements, and custom steel instruments, or “sounders,” that can be activated by performers. The artist creates her soft paintings using an industrial tufting machine, running yarns through the surface of each work to create voluminous forms with high relief and texture. Davis has invented a personal vocabulary of lines, curves, dots, rings and dashes that she considers akin to musical notation. These marks are interwoven, layered and repeated throughout the gallery, creating a musical score in three dimensions. Her exhibition, "To Reverberate Tenderly," explores the possibilities of a new kind of sonic space, one that is attuned to vulnerability and generosity while offering a soft landing for ideas to resonate. Runs through May 24, 2026.
“Louise Nevelson: Dawn’s Forest” [The Baker Museum and Hayes Hall]: The monumental sculpture “Dawn’s Forest” by preeminent American artist Louise Nevelson (1899-1988) is one of the most iconic works in The Baker Museum’s permanent collection. The work is made of various white-painted abstract wood elements, some as tall as 25 feet, created by Nevelson in her signature assemblage style over a period of more than a year. This is a permanent exhibit located in the Drackett Gallery and throughout Hayes Hall. Ongoing exhibition.
Sculpture Trail [throughout the Kimberly K. Querrey and Louis A. Simpson Cultural Campus and Sculpture Trail at Pelican Bay]: The Baker Museum Sculpture Trail offers a distinctive way to experience art in harmony with nature. This dynamic outdoor exhibition features sculptures from The Baker Museum’s collection and select loans, including works by George Rickey and Albert Paley. Visitors can enjoy self-guided tours anytime. Ongoing exhibition. For more, hear/read, “Baker Museum collaborates with Pelican Bay Foundation on outdoor sculpture trail.”
Chihuly Collection [The Baker Museum]: Dale Chihuly is a multimedia artist known for pushing the boundaries of glass and revolutionizing the American studio glass movement. The Baker Museum is the permanent home to four of his dynamic large-scale installations: “Blue Icicle Chandelier,” “Red Chandelier,” “Red Reeds” and “Persian Seaform Ceiling.” On view to museum visitors during all normal operating hours.
Baker Museum Now Fully Accredited. The Baker Museum of Art is not only celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2025, it has also recently become fully accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, places the Baker Museum among approximately the top 3% of museums in the U.S. and the only accredited museum of any kind in Collier County. Read more on WGCU.
“Fire in the Soul” [Naples Art Institute]: “Fire in the Soul” offers a striking selection of Joan Miró’s works—ranging from graphic pieces to vibrant paintings—revealing the themes of nature, mysticism, and Catalan identity that shaped his unique artistic language. Through symbolic imagery and spiritual undertones, the show invites viewers into Miró’s poetic and transcendent vision of the world. For more, read/hear, “Joan Miro exhibition coming to Naples in December.” Opens Dec. 13. Runs through April 4, 2026.
“Sharing the Path: Understanding Our Environment Through Learned Wisdom and Traditional Knowledge of Indigenous People” [Museum of the Everglades]: As wildfires rage across national forests turned to tinderboxes — their historic stewards driven from the land or forbidden to tend it — while our waterways waver between historic droughts and catastrophic floods, it just may be time to stop fighting to control the Earth and work to heal it. It stands to reason that if we wish to understand what the world we live in is telling us, we should seek the counsel of those who already speak its language. This new exhibit, created in part through a collaborative effort with the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, seeks to reinforce the relevance and underscore the importance of recent initiatives by organizations, institutions, and even governments — from the federal level on down — to integrate the knowledge and experience of Indigenous cultures into policies and decision-making. Runs through Feb. 14, 2026.
“Aztec Dancers: A Living Tradition by Lisette Morales” [Immokalee Pioneer Museum]: Aztec Dancers is a photo exhibition by local photographer Lisette Morales, celebrating Danza Azteca Guadalupana as practiced in Southwest Florida. Documenting a year and a half of devotion, the series centers on the Navarro family’s 24-year commitment to this sacred, syncretic tradition, presented each year from Día de los Muertos through Three Kings Day. Morales’ images honor the spiritual power, cultural resilience, and collective joy of Indigenous and migrant communities sustaining this vibrant ceremonial practice across generations and geographies. Runs through Jan. 31, 2026.
“Marco on the Move” [Marco Island Historical Museum]: As human beings, we have repeatedly found Marco Island a paradise. This exhibit explores how we get here, how we move about, and how transportation defines Marco Islanders. Hop on your boat, plane, train, car, or bicycle and cruise on into this exhibit. Runs through March 21, 2026.
“A Cottage Christmas” [Collier Museum at Government Center]: Visit the Naples Cottage at the Collier Museum at Government Center for its fifth annual holiday display, "A Cottage Christmas." Explore the 20th century Christmas traditions that introduced new technologies and materials to Christmas celebrations, transforming the holiday from a home-based Victorian celebration of a few days to a modernistic, multi-week season of shopping, events, and celebrations. The cottage is decorated in mid-century holiday style, and vintage decorations are on display throughout the house. Runs through Jan. 3, 2026.
Support for WGCU’s arts & culture reporting comes from the Estate of Myra Janco Daniels, the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation, and Naomi Bloom in loving memory of her husband, Ron Wallace.
For full disclosure, FGCU holds the broadcast license for WGCU. WGCU is a member-supported service of FGCU.
