Art Center Sarasota

Among the 28 art exhibits on view in August at area art centers is “Shaping Sarasota: A Century of Art” at Art Center Sarasota – which showcases the artists, volunteers and visionaries who have helped establish Sarasota as one of the leading arts communities in Florida. Also on view is “The Art of Healing: Prescriptions for the Soul” – which will turn the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center’s Grand Atrium into an immersive wellness emporium on August 7 – and “Currents” at BIG ARTS – which will convert the Dunham Family Gallery into a 125-foot-long underwater mural over the next eight weeks.

On August 20, Art Center Sarasota opens its final shows of its 100th season. One, in particular, will showcase the artists, volunteers and visionaries who helped establish Sarasota as one of the leading arts communities in Florida. “Shaping Sarasota: A Century of Art” traces Art Center Sarasota’s evolution from its earliest days in 1926 through a century of artistic innovation, community leadership, and creative exchange.

Like the Greek goddess Thetis, artist Cat Tesla found healing and rejuvenation in water. Following surgery for early-stage breast cancer, Tesla told her husband she wanted to go to the water. They ended up in Florida, where she began painting large color field abstractions that became part of her nature-based “Exhale” collection. Examples of that work, along with a second series that originated during the pandemic, are on view through July 31 at Art Center Sarasota in her “Living by the Water” exhibition.

From Sarasota to Marco Island and Venice and Sanibel to Arcadia and LaBelle, Southwest Florida is home to more than a dozen art centers. Most host visual art exhibitions showcasing member, regional and nationally renowned artists that change every month. In July, there are 28 shows at these venues.

In June, there are 28 shows at art centers throughout Southwest Florida, including “This Is Not a Pizza Box” at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center.

From Sarasota to Marco Island and Venice and Sanibel to Arcadia and LaBelle, Southwest Florida is home to more than a dozen art centers. Most host visual art exhibitions showcasing member, regional and nationally renowned artists that change every month. In May, there are 31 shows at these venues, underscoring the importance of the arts in our part of the country.

The 2026 International Baccalaureate Visual Arts Exhibition at the Davis Art Center headlines 29 visual art exhibitions on view in April at Southwest Florida art centers.

In March, there are 28 exhibitions at SWFL art centers, including “Rooted in Community,” a group exhibition that honors the rich contributions of artists from Sarasota’s Newtown and Overtown communities—two historically Black neighborhoods whose cultural and creative voices have profoundly shaped the city’s artistic identity.

For decades, the Beaux Arts Ball was the Sarasota cultural event of the season. Art Center Sarasota is bringing it back. This year, the themed roaring 1920s costume ball will honor artistic legacy, celebrate Art Center Sarasota’s centennial anniversary, and support the future of art in Southwest Florida.

From Sarasota to Marco Island and Venice and Sanibel to Arcadia and LaBelle, Southwest Florida is home to more than a dozen art centers. Most host visual art exhibitions showcasing member, regional and nationally renowned artists that change every month. In February, there are 25 shows at these venues, underscoring the importance of the arts in our part of the country.