Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center

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.

The Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center hosts an exhibition, this month, of works by fashion designed and self-described “debate artist” James Massacci. Titled “The Emotions of Everyday Life,” works in the show are predicated on simple images with powerful messages aimed at challenging viewers to engage with uncomfortable truths, and to, perhaps, reconsider ideological assumptions. We’ll talk with the artist about the show and about his unique approach to creating art.

The Davis Art Center is doing it again. Bowing to summer, the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center is moving its Back Lot Rave and Rock Circus indoors. It will be in the Grand Atrium on July 17. The night will feature aerial silk performers, local flow artists, live original music, dance performances and art vendors.

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.

Southwest Florida-based artist Christian De Jesús has a solo exhibition titled “UN-MASKED” opening June 5, 2026, at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center. His unconventional work tends to explore heavy themes of life, death, the complexity of the human condition and the weight of our choices. We will talk with the artist ahead of the show’s opening reception.

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.

The 16th Fort Myers Film Festival concluded on May 24 with the announcement of awards in 12 categories.

The 16th annual Fort Myers Film Festival will deliver five days of film screenings, filmmaker panels, and celebration. The festival, which runs May 20-24, 2026, will include 81 selected feature, documentary, and short films from all over the world. We’ll get a preview of the festival in a conversation with Fort Myers Film Festival founder and Executive Director Eric Raddatz. We’ll also talk with multi-award winning filmmaker Jordan Axelrod, whose short film “Szypliski” will be featured at the opening night red carpet gala at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center.

On Friday, the Sidney & Berne Davis is turning its back lot into rave and rock circus and its grand atrium and rooftop into an immersive night of music, movement and mural making. It’s called The Back Lot: Rave & Rock Circus and puts the exclamation point on this month’s Music Walk with a fresh wave of sound, spectacle and underground energy.

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.