Arts and Culture in Sarasota

Arts and Culture in Sarasota on Florida's Gulf Coast

Not only is Sarasota one of the cultural centers of Florida, its rich arts scene rivals some of the biggest urban centers in the country. With dozens of performing arts venues, renowned opera, theatre and ballet companies, numerous art museums, a thriving visual arts community and art festivals that draw visitors from across the globe, it's easy to understand why people come to Sarasota for art vacations instead of beach getaways. Thankfully, the two are not mutually exclusive.

The foundation of art in Sarasota rests firmly on the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. Housed on the site of the circus magnate's former estate on the shore of Sarasota Bay, the museum hosts one of the largest collections of Rubens canvasses in the world, along with many other works by Old Masters. But that's only the beginning of the Ringling legacy. You can also tour Ca d'Zan Mansion, a magnificent 56-room Venetian Gothic palace that served as the Ringling's residence, or see the history of Sarasota's relationship with the circus at the Circus Museum. Ringling's Historic Asolo Theater -- built in Italy in the late 1800s, then dismantled and reassembled on the Ringling grounds in the 1940s -- home to a professional theater company that today performs an array of award-winning programs in the Asolo Repertory Theatre complex across the street.

Performing arts of all kinds thrive in Sarasota, from the Sarasota Opera (now in its 52nd season -- staged in an intimate art deco opera house in downtown Sarasota) -- to the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation-designed Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, which hosts travelling shows ranging from musical acts to Broadway revivals. The Sarasota Orchestra is the oldest continuing orchestra in the state, while the Sarasota Ballet has featured several world premieres under the direction of internationally famed Iain Webb. A half-dozen different theater companies perform comedies and dramas on a variety of stages in Sarasota and Venice, improv groups and stand-up comedians tickle audiences, and live music rings from pubs and clubs across town on any given night.

Thanks to Ringling College of Art and Design, Sarasota is home to a thriving community of visual artists who regularly show their work at exhibits sponsored by the school, or by local artist groups like s/ART/q. Numerous galleries around Sarasota hang the canvasses of these young talents alongside the works of established artists from outside Sarasota.

Sarasota's rich artistic atmosphere has also germinated a host of local festivals that have become a destination for visitors and artists. Film is represented by the Sarasota Film Festival in April and the Sarasota Film Society Cine-World Festival in November. Music is orchestrated by the Sarasota Music Festival which brings the best up-and-coming young musicians from around the world to Sarasota for three weeks each June and the Sarasota Blues Fest which rocks into town in September. Arts and crafts are highlighted at the annual Atomic Holiday Bazaar with its funky modern arts and crafts every December. Ringling Museum, in conjunction with the Baryshnikov Arts Center in New York, recently started its own event: The Ringling International Arts Festival, which brings together performers from across the globe for a week-long celebration of art in all its forms.