Big Arts

In November, there are 35 shows at art centers from Sarasota to Marco Island.

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 30 shows at these venues.

In September, there are 26 shows at area art centers.

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.

Last year, four local artists created a mammoth mural that encompassed the entire Dunham Family Gallery at BIG ARTS. “Birds, No Words” was as tall as a person and as long as a football field. It was such a huge success that BIG ARTS is doing it again, says Marketing Director Meghan Govoni.

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.

Each year, BIG ARTS collaborates with the Florida SouthWestern State College School of the Arts to put on an exhibition in the Dunham Family Gallery. The theme for this year’s show is boredom.

Only 17 Southwest Florida arts organizations to share in $65.9 million in arts funding approved by Legislature for 2026-2027. Again this year, some major arts organizations in Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee and Collier counties have been left on the outside looking in.

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.