Art at Noon

Come enjoy discussions with specialists and artists covering a variety of topics related to Sarasota Art Museum’s exhibitions, architecture, and areas of interest.

As this talk will be exploring works in the galleries, there will be standing room only.

Meet in the Wendy G. Surkis & Peppi Elona Lobby.

Join one of our Art at Noon Talks

Art at Noon with Jamie DeRuyter

Tuesday, April 22, 2025

12 – 1 pm

Free for Members

$20 Not-Yet Members (Includes Museum Admission)

Join Jamie DeRuyter, Department Head of the Entertainment Design program at Ringling College of Art and Design, in a discussion about the exhibition Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks.

About Jamie DeRuyter

Jamie DeRuyter earned a BFA in Computer Animation from Ringling College of Art and Design. Jamie joined Ringling College as faculty in 2002 and has maintained an active professional practice creating animation and visual effects for multiple experiences and theme park rides including The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Twister Ride It Out, Revenge of The Mummy, Dueling Dragons, The Simpsons and Antarctica: Empire Of The Penguin. He has created animation and visual effects for several game titles including Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Trilogy, the award winning remake of Shadow of the Colossus, and Demon’s Souls.

Now as Department Head, Jamie has led the development of our newest major at Ringling College. Entertainment Design teaches students to conceive, visualize, and realize innovative design solutions that bring immersive entertainment experiences to life. He is currently designing exhibits for the museum industry including: The Glass Barn, The International Spy Museum and The Frost Science Center.

Art at Noon with Lacie Barbour

Tuesday, May 20, 2025

12 – 1 pm

Free for Members

$20 Not-Yet Members (Includes Museum Admission)

Join Lacie Barbour, Associate Curator of Exhibitions for Sarasota Art Museum, in a discussion about the exhibition Personal to Political: Celebrating the African American Artists of Paulson Fontaine Press.

About Lacie Barbour

Lacie Barbour, Associate Curator of Exhibitions at Sarasota Art Museum, is an emerging museum professional with an interest in diversity, inclusion, and community in the contemporary art world. She participated in a curatorial internship at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, where she established an ongoing exhibition series aimed at highlighting marginalized communities within the Historic Circus Museum archives. She joined the team at Sarasota Art Museum as a curatorial assistant in 2022 and has since contributed to the curation and management of exhibitions by a variety of regional, national, and global artists. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from Southeastern Louisiana University and a Master of Arts in Museum and Cultural Heritage Studies from Florida State University.

Art at Noon with Melanie Mckenney

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

12 – 1 pm

Free for Members

$20 Not-Yet Members (Includes Museum Admission)

Join Melanie Mckenney, Studio Programs Coordinator for Sarasota Art Museum, in a discussion about the exhibition Chris Friday: Where We Never Grow Old.

About Melanie Mckenney

Melanie Mckenney, Studio Programs Coordinator at Sarasota Art Museum, is an experienced ceramic artist, entrepreneur and educator with a passion for bringing art and art-making to the community. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art from Alfred University’s top-ranking College of Ceramics, with a minor in Education. Since becoming a member of staff in 2024, she has taught ceramics, expanded youth and adult classes offered by the Studios at SAM and, most recently, organized and developed curriculum for the Museum’s annual summer camp.

Art at Noon with Eszter Sziksz

Tuesday, July 15, 2025

12 – 1 pm

Free for Members

$20 Not-Yet Members (Includes Museum Admission)

Join Eszter Sziksz, Ringling College of Art and Design Professor of Fine Arts, Printmaking, in a discussion about the exhibition Personal to Political: Celebrating the African American Artists of Paulson Fontaine Press.

About Eszter Sziksz

Eszter Sziksz is a Hungarian artist who has traveled and lived in several countries across Asia and Europe. Her work blends printmaking, installation, and video elements. She has shown at the regional and international level from Tokyo to Budapest.

Her works were recently shown at the Hunderton Art Museum in Clinton, NJ; Santorini Art Biennial Greece; International Artists Collective Museo del Brigantaggio, Itri, Italy; Ice Hotel, Sweden; Krakow International Print Triennial, Poland; IMPACT10 in Spain; IPCNY (International Print Center New York); and featured in Art in Print Magazine. After earning a BA from Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, she completed her MFA in Studio Arts at Memphis College of Art. Eszter recently received a DLA in Fine Arts from Pecsi Tudomany Egyetem in Pecs, Hungary.

Eszter’s prints are included in collections at Pecsi Tudomany University, Hungary; Memphis College of Art’s Presidential Purchase Collection; Szent Istvan Museum, Szekesfehervar, Hungary; University of North Florida; Santorini Biennial of Arts, Greece; and the International Artists Collective Museo del Brigantaggio, Itri, Italy.