Big Arts

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.

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.

In January, there are 35 shows at Southwest Florida art centers, underscoring the importance of the arts in our part of the country.

BIG ARTS is built to last. The building weathered Hurricanes Ian, Helene and Milton largely unscathed. The outdoor sculpture garden wasn’t as lucky. But it has now been restored and Gallery Director Wilson McCray hopes people will check out the improvements this season and is busy preparing a map that will facilitate self-guided walking tours.

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 December, there are 23 shows at these venues, underscoring the importance of the arts in our part of the country.

Reynier Llanes has been influenced by a number of factors: his grandfather's penchant for reading from Aesop's Fables every Sunday following dinner; his experiences fleeing Cuba by boat with 21 other emigrants; and the pandemic. His solo show, "Curious," is on view at BIG ARTS through December 15.

In November, there are 31 shows at art centers throughout Southwest Florida, underscoring the importance of the arts in our part of the country.

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 October, there are 32 shows at these venues, underscoring the importance of the arts in our part of the country.