Director’s Tour – April 2027
Monday, April 26, 2027 | 1 pm
Salvaged textiles with mixed media. 78 inches diameter. (c) Kirsten Hassenfeld
Salvaged textiles with mixed media. 78 inches diameter. (c) Kirsten Hassenfeld
Rope, vintage 24k gold Japanese thread, synthetic Chainette yarn, 58 x 96 x 2.5 in. © Windy Chien.
Rope, vintage 24k gold Japanese thread, synthetic Chainette yarn, 58 x 96 x 2.5 in. © Windy Chien.
Cotton, grout, 84 x 45 x 19 in. © Liz Robb.
![Lisa Solomon (American, born 1973), Senninbari [1000 stitch knot belt] (detail), 2016. Hand-dyed & tied cotton rope, 122 x 299 x 4 in. Courtesy of Walter Maciel Gallery, Los Angeles, CA. © Lisa Solomon.](https://i0.wp.com/www.sarasotaartmuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/LisaSolomon_Senninbari_1000_stitch_knot_belt_2000x1250.jpg?fit=2000%2C1250&ssl=1)
Hand-dyed & tied cotton rope, 122 x 299 x 4 in. Courtesy of Walter Maciel Gallery, Los Angeles, CA. © Lisa Solomon.
Brown yarn, silk, leather, fleece, felt, belts, fabric, wood, 82 x 77 x 3 in. Courtesy of Eleanor Harwood Gallery, San Francisco, CA. © Kira Dominguez Hultgren.
Braided cotton cord, steel curl bar. 104 x 59 x 15 in. Courtesy of Patricia Sweetow Gallery, San Francisco, CA. © Jacqueline Surdell.
Extension cords, light bulbs, wood, mixed media, 81 x 24 x 14 in. Courtesy of Eleanor Harwood Gallery, San Francisco, CA. © Dana Hemenway.
A Beautiful Mess: Weavers & Knotters of the Vanguard
February 25 - June 25, 2023
From micro artworks the size of your hand to mammoth room-sized installations, the national roster of women artists in A Beautiful Mess push the boundaries of their textile-based medium. Using rope, yarn, clay and wire, this group of conceptual artists knot and twist their media into sculptures that range from minimal and hyper-organized to utter pandemonium. They explore personal and political ideals — order and chaos to the extreme — and freely break the rules to create their beautiful artworks. Serious about making a strong cultural and intellectual impact, this group deftly weaves their message into works that demonstrate extraordinary technical skill.
Artists include: Windy Chien, Kira Dominguez Hultgren, Kirsten Hassenfeld, Dana Hemenway, dani lopez, Hannah Perrine Mode, Liz Robb, Katrina Sánchez Standfield, Meghan Shimek, Lisa Solomon, and Jacqueline Surdell.
A Beautiful Mess: Weavers & Knotters of the Vanguard was organized by Bedford Gallery at the Lesher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek, CA.
This exhibition is made possible, in part, with generous support from:
Platinum Sponsors
Shari and John Hicks
Silver Sponsors
Isabel Becker
Gerald and Sondra Biller
Keith Monda and Veronica Brady
Programs
Curator’s Tour – May 2027
Monday, May 3, 2027 | 1 pm
Ringling College of Art and Design Alumna Chie Fueki receives first mid-career survey exhibition at Sarasota Art Museum
Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College of Art and Design is proud to present “Painting the Floating World,” the first mid-career survey of works by Japanese American painter Chie Fueki. Running October 18, 2026–April 4, 2027, this exhibition highlights the 25-year trajectory of Fueki’s artistic practice, celebrated for transforming scenes of everyday life into luminous, extraordinary spaces.
World renowned glass artists and designers debut thought-provoking new artworks at Sarasota Art Museum
For over 40 years, internationally acclaimed artists Monica Guggisberg and Philip Baldwin have revolutionized the studio glass movement. Their work has been shown in hundreds of exhibitions worldwide, including a monumental installation in England’s Canterbury Cathedral (2018).
Sarasota Art Museum presents immersive solo exhibition asking visitors to investigate profound questions about life, change and permanent impermanence
Opening October 18, 2026, Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College of Art and Design will debut “Eszter Sziksz: Seeking, I Don’t Know What I’m Looking For (And I Hope I Never Find It).”
Sarasota Art Museum to present exhibition showcasing iconic works by 20th-century photography titans
Photographs are, as the theorist Roland Barthes wrote, “certificates of presence,” verification that a moment, a person or a place existed. From the adoration of a loved one or the wonder felt before nature to the hardship of labor or the devastation of war, photographs can be imprinted with the totality of human experiences.