In just under six weeks, Sarasota will experience something that it never has before. Yes, the city that is home to Florida’s Cultural Coast™ has had art festivals before. The Ringling International Arts Festival was a beloved tradition. The Sarasota International Chalk Festival returns this November, larger and with more variance in its programming than ever before. The Sarasota Film Festival continues to live on.

But the people of Sarasota have yet to immerse themselves in the spectacle that is the upcoming Living Arts Festival. From November 10-17, the festival, produced by the non-profit Sarasota Rising, will engage nearly all of the area’s arts organizations in an effort to promote and cement Sarasota as the cultural hub of Florida’s Gulf Coast. “The idea was to make it as simple as possible. We don’t want to make organizations jump through hoops and produce something special for the festival. We want to support whatever an area arts organization’s mission is,” says Jeffery Kin, Executive Director of Sarasota Rising. “We want more people to walk through their lobbies, more butts in their seats, more people in the restaurants, more heads in beds. Really, we’ve realized, over the course of the two years, that we’re almost more like an arts movement. We’re more than a festival, more than a street fair, more than a kids art day, it's a movement of helping us all come together, celebrating who we are, what we are and enjoying what makes us so unique and different as a city.”

In its inaugural year, the Living Arts Festival will feature a bevy of produced events for attendees, special premieres of works from established organizations and even specially produced work by some of the organizations for the festival. The fun starts two days before the official opening of the festival, with a pre-festival “Living Arts Festival Fete” on Friday, November 8 and a family-focused free arts exhibition on November 9. The party officially kicks off on November 10, with the opening rooftop bash, “A World of the ARTS”, celebrating the global influences within the Sarasota art scene. That event is followed by “Our Embrace Reimagined”, a “super collaboration” between a number of local organizations, featuring a performance walking tour through Marie Selby Gardens’ Historic Spanish Point campus. “All Roads Lead to Venice” will highlight the plethora of arts organizations in the city of Venice and “Arts Roulette” will allow participants to spin the roulette wheel to win tickets to events of the festival’s participating organizations. The festival will close in the Circus Arts Conservatory’s (CAC) Sailor Circus Arena with “Sarasota Rising –Celebrating Our Youth”, a massive, highly orchestrated production from the CAC and Key Chorale that will feature performances from many of the participating organization’s youth programs.

The Living Arts Festival takes place November 10-17, 2024. 

Several arts and cultural venues in the Sarasota area are undergoing repairs after sustaining damage from Hurricane Helene. The storm caused widespread disruptions, with strong winds and flooding impacting historic theaters, galleries, and performance spaces. Local arts organizations are working swiftly to restore these vital cultural hubs, aiming to reopen and continue their programming as soon as possible. 

Photo courtesy of The Ringling.

Sarah Wertheimer, the executive director of Embracing Our Differences, recently announced that the organization has received a $50,000 Empowering Arts Grant Award made possible through the Charlotte Ellis Charitable Fund at Gulf Coast Community Foundation. The grant will support various aspects of the organization’s year-round educational initiatives and strengthen its mission.  

Pictured: Students from area schools partake in EOD’s Make-A-Day-of-It! program, which offers free bus transportation for thousands of students and teachers to visit EOD's annual outdoor exhibition and other arts and cultural venues.

Between the colors red and blue lies a range of vibrant hues that makes up the wild and wonderful world of purple! Immerse yourself in purple flowers and foliage at this year’s Orchid Show at Selby Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota campus, showcasing the magnificence and majesty of the royal family of plants. The Orchid Show 2024: PURPLE! presented by Better-Gro, will combine a stunning display of purple orchids in the Tropical Conservatory with a dynamic exhibition of botanical books, prints, photographs, and other materials in the Museum of Botany & the Arts. The conservatory will be filled with masses of purple orchid flowers and other plants with purple foliage. Selby Gardens members get exclusive first access to explore the entire exhibition before the show opens to the public on Saturday, October 5! 

To learn more, visit.

Art Center Sarasota’s 2024-2025 exhibition season opens with four exhibits, October 10-November 16. In “Echoes of Belonging,” Gabriel Ramos explores identity, community, and cultural heritage, bridging personal narratives with shared history to inspire reflection and connection. (Artist Talk is Saturday, October 19, 5:30-6:30 p.m.) In "pouring, storing and ore-ing," Amy Sanders employs utilitarian objects, focusing on vessels designed for pouring and storing. These everyday items are imbued with layers of meaning beyond their functional roles. David Fithian’s exhibition, "Faces & Places," presents a series of paintings and drawings deeply rooted in Cubism and Abstract Illusionism, where divergent and eccentric perspectives converge into dynamic compositions. (Artist Talk is Friday, November 1, 5:30-6:30 p.m.) The open, juried exhibit: "Euphoria!" invites artists to express their exuberant selves and explore diverse interpretations of the theme, capturing the essence of euphoria in a myriad of creative forms. The juror is Leslie Butterfield, an artist and designer. (The Juror’s Critique with Leslie Butterfield is Tuesday, October 22, 4 p.m.). 

Pictured: David Fithian's Cosmic Navigator. Photo courtesy of Art Center Sarasota.

Arts Advocates is pleased to announce its schedule of November events, which includes Robert C. Manteiga’s street photography exhibit, Sarasota Ballet and Van Wezel tours, Holly Freedman’s “Listening to Women” art talk, and a luncheon celebration of Arts Advocates’ milestone 55^th anniversary with a chance to win an original painting by Martha Hartman. Unless otherwise indicated, registration is required at ArtsAdvocates.org. 

This week, Sarasota Orchestra announced six exhibitions at the Orchestra’s Harmony Gallery to take place during the 2024-2025 season, including a collaboration with Booker High School featuring works by students from the school’s venerated Visual and Performing Arts program. The exhibit will also feature a special spotlight on Sarasota African American Cultural coalition artists. The Harmony Gallery features local artists showcasing their work in solo exhibitions throughout the Orchestra's season. These juried exhibitions feature artists with mediums ranging from painting to pastels to mixed media. Twenty-five percent of all proceeds from the sale of the artwork benefit Sarasota Orchestra. The exhibits invite patrons to explore the collaboration between the visual and performing arts. 

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Recovery continues after Hurricane Helene and we are happy to share the following updates on local businesses beginning to reopen:

Crescent Beach Market is now open.
New Pass Grille and Bait Shop is now open.
Poppos Taqueria on AMI will be open starting Saturday for limited hours, respecting the islands curfew.
Shore on St.Armand's is hosting a sip for a cause this weekend: Friday-Sunday 100% of all sangria sales will go towards rebuilding efforts within the community.
Siesta Key Watersports now has their vessels back in the water.
Summerhouse Steak & Seafood is open in Siesta Key Village for lunch with a value driven menu ranging from $14-20
The Porch Restaurant AMI is re-opening Oct 4th with limited hours, 12 pm - 8 pm until further notice.
Turtles on the south end of Siesta Key is now open. 

As we come together to help our community members in need, Realize Bradenton will be accepting disaster relief supply donations at the @bradentonpublicmarket in collaboration with @mealsonwheelsplusofmanatee and @obricks. Donations can be dropped off Saturday, October 5 between 9:00 am - 2:00 pm at the Meals on Wheels Plus van on the corner of Old Main Street and Manatee Ave or in the tent in front of O'Bricks (427 12th St W). Supplies needed include: Cleaning Supplies, heavy duty trash bags, shovels, brooms, rakes, batteries & portable chargers, buckets & storage tubs, hand carts & dollies, bottled water. 

As the community continues to recover from the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene, the City of St. Pete Beach is working diligently to restore normalcy and address the pressing needs of its residents and businesses. Debris Collection Progress: The city has mobilized a comprehensive debris collection effort, with six trucks operating on designated routes to clear the extensive debris left in the storm's wake. Collection times and drop locations have been carefully planned to ensure efficient removal of debris, which includes: • Debris Collection Routes: Neighborhood by neighborhood ensuring service to all private residents (noncommercial), ensuring that every neighborhood is serviced. • Collection Times: Debris collection is scheduled for 7 am – 7 pm, with crews working tirelessly to meet the community's needs. Sand Removal and Beach Renourishment. In addition to debris collection, the city is addressing the critical issue of sand removal. The county's renourishment contract has been re-tasked to facilitate sand removal, ensuring that our beaches are restored to their former beauty and safety. This effort is crucial for both environmental and economic reasons, as our beaches are a vital part of our community's identity and economy. Mayor’s statement: "The recovery from Hurricane Helene is a top priority for our city. We are committed to supporting our residents and businesses through this challenging time. Our debris collection and sand removal efforts are just the beginning of our comprehensive recovery plan," said Mayor Adrian Petrila. "We appreciate the patience and resilience of our community and are working diligently to restore our city to its full vitality." City Manager Frances Robustelli
For the most current recovery information please go to https://stpetebeach.org/813/Post-Helene Recovery-Updates.