Marcy & Michael Klein Plaza, Photo: Ryan Gamma
Marcy & Michael Klein Plaza
Photo: Ryan Gamma

Learn

Program Guide

Weekly Programs

Spring Break Workshops

March 12 - March 16
1 - 3 pm

Free for Members
Free with Museum Admission

This Spring Break, take a break and make! Join us in The Studios at SAM from March 12-16 for a variety of drop-in workshops. Adults and children are invited to spend quality time making memories, art, and unique gifts for family and friends.

  • Tuesday, make a paper masterpiece in our Origami workshop!
  • Wednesday, sit still with a Still Life.
  • Thursday, build a magical world with Model Magic.
  • Friday, what can you make with Sumi Ink? Try your brush at a landscape or portrait!
  • Saturday, join us for jewelry making and create a bracelet/necklace/gift in beads and wire!

Events

Embracing Kindness

October 26-December 18

Embracing Our Differences and Sarasota Art Museum are thrilled to announce the return of Embracing Kindness, a collaborative exhibition now in its second year. Displayed on the Museum’s Great Lawn, this unique showcase features 14 billboard-sized images of original artworks spanning the last two decades.

Art on Film

Put the art world in focus with Art on Film at SAM. Join us for award-winning documentaries, short films, and biopics that highlight some of our favorite artists, reveal untold histories, and explore what it takes to make it as an artist today. Each screening will include opportunities for discussion and connection among audience members.

  • Thursday, November 21 | 2 pm
  • Tuesday, January 28, 2025 | 2 pm
  • Tuesday, February 25, 2025 | 2 pm
  • Thursday, March 27, 2025 | 2 pm
  • Thursday, April 24, 2025 | 2 pm
  • Thursday, May 29, 2025 | 2 pm

Bistro Pop-Up Nights

Enjoy an after-hours gallery tour and a 4-course dinner curated by Executive Chef Kaytlin Dangaran.

Dinner reservations are available for 6:30 pm. Private tour will begin one hour prior to dinner, at 5:30 pm.  

  • Wednesday, November 6 | 5:30 pm
  • Wednesday, January 8, 2025 | 5:30 pm
  • Wednesday, February 5, 2025 | 5:30 pm
  • Wednesday, March 5, 2025 | 5:30 pm
  • Wednesday, April 2, 2025 | 5:30 pm
  • Wednesday, May 7, 2025 | 5:30 pm

End of Summer BBQ

Say goodbye to Summer and hello to Fall at our End of Summer BBQ! 

Food + Beverages will be available to purchase.
Event is free; Museum admission priced separately. Advance registration not required.

  • Saturday, September 7 | 12 – 3 pm

Once Upon a Time

Put the art world in focus with Art on Film at SAM. Join us for award-winning documentaries, short films, and biopics that highlight some of our favorite artists, reveal untold histories, and explore what it takes to make it as an artist today. Each screening will include opportunities for discussion and connection among audience members.

  • Saturday, June 8 | 1 pm

Member Exclusive

Talks and Tours

Conversation series:
What in the (art)World?

Meet in the Wendy G. Surkis & Peppi Elona Lobby
Sarasota Art Museum
First Tuesdays |  11 am

Be part of our engaging series held every first Tuesday of the month, delving into both the surface ripples and the profound depths of the contemporary art world with art appraiser and advisor, Elana Rubinfeld.

  • Tuesday, November 5, 2024 | 11 am
  • Tuesday, December 10, 2024  | 11 am
  • Tuesday, January 7, 2025 | 11 am
  • Tuesday, February 4, 2025 | 11 am
  • Tuesday, March 4, 2025 | 11 am
  • Tuesday, April 8, 2025 | 11 am
  • Tuesday, May 6, 2025 | 11 am

Art at Noon

Meet in the Wendy G. Surkis & Peppi Elona Lobby
Sarasota Art Museum
Third Tuesdays |  Noon

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

  • Tuesday, November 19 | 12 pm
  • Tuesday, December 17 | 12 pm
  • Tuesday, January 21, 2025 | 12 pm
  • Tuesday, February 18, 2025 | 12 pm
  • Tuesday, March 18, 2025 | 12 pm
  • Tuesday, April 22, 2025 | 12 pm
  • Tuesday, May 20, 2025 | 12 pm

Museum Architecture Walking Tour

Meet in the Marcy & Michael Klein Plaza
Sarasota Art Museum

Explore the iconic architecture around the Sarasota Art Museum campus in this walking tour led by Architecture Sarasota’s President Marty Hylton.

  • Monday, December 9 | 1 pm
  • Monday, January 13, 2025 | 1 pm
  • Monday, February 10, 2025 | 1 pm
  • Monday, March 10, 2025 | 1 pm
  • Monday, April 14, 2025 | 1 pm
  • Monday, May 12, 2025 | 1 pm

Mindfulness and Art:
A Collaboration of the Senses

Learn to practice mindfulness using all five of your senses! The journey will begin with a comprehensive look at mindfulness and how to apply its concepts through the arts.  This 6-part series is guided by Crystal Brooks, LCSW CIMHP, Owner and Psychotherapist of North Star Counseling and Wellness.  

  • November 7, 2024 | An Overview of Mindfulness and Its Applications for Wellness
  • January 9, 2025 | Mindfulness Through Sight – Seeing is Feeling
  • February 6, 2025 | Mindfulness and Taste – History’s Greatest Love Story
  • March 6, 2025 | Mindfulness and Sound – Experiencing Beauty By Hearing It
  • April 3, 2025 | Mindfulness and Touch – The Art of Sensation
  • May 1, 2025 | Mindfulness and the Nose – The Aroma of Wellness

This Is Not a Book Club!

Explore the intersection of art and literature at This Is Not a Book Club! Moderated by Certified Art Appraiser Elana Rubinfeld, each gathering will dive into one new release or art world classic – offering in-depth insights into the people, places, and ideas that shape contemporary art, and illuminating your understanding of this complex and entertaining universe.

  • Tuesday, November 12, 2024
  • Tuesday, February 11, 2025

  • Tuesday, May 13, 2025

Quotable Talks

Quotable Talks present authors, artists, and contemporary creatives who spark new ways of thinking about art, culture, and creative practice.

  • Saturday, January 25, 2025 | 1 pm
  • Saturday, February 22, 2025 | 1 pm
  • Saturday, April 5, 2025 | 1 pm

Education Programs

Performances and More

Jazz Thursday

Marcy & Michael Klein Plaza
Sarasota Art Museum
Second Thursdays |  5:30 pm-8:30 pm

Join us for live jazz at Sarasota Art Museum, hosted by the Jazz Club of Sarasota, with extended hours in the galleries, Bistro, and SHOP!

  • Thursday, October 24
  • Thursday, November 14
  • Thursday, December 19

Movement

Move Through

In The Galleries
Sarasota Art Museum

Join us for a joyful hour of movement and human connection. This class will invite close looking and a deeper exploration of the art on view in SAM’s galleries through creative expression.

  • Saturday, November 2 | 9 am
  • Saturday, December 7 | 9 am
  • Saturday, January 4, 2025 | 9 am
  • Saturday, February 1, 2025 | 9 am
  • Saturday, March 1, 2025 | 9 am
  • Saturday, April 5, 2025 | 9 am
  • Saturday, May 3, 2025 | 9 am

Yoga

In The Galleries
Sarasota Art Museum
Fourth Saturdays | 9 am

Take a break from your busy world and join us for a one-hour all-level yoga class surrounded by inspirational works of art.
  • Saturday, February 24
  • Saturday, March 23
  • Saturday, April 27

All programs by date