Photo: Ryan Gamma
Photo: Ryan Gamma
Learn
Program Guide
Weekly Programs
FOCAL POINT
Curious about what enlivens a work of art? Deep dive into a select work within our current exhibitions during our Focal Point tours. Your guide will invite you to slow down and look closely while exploring the medium, content, inspiration, and context of a new work every Wednesday at 11:15 am.
Wednesdays at 11:15 am
Meet in the Wendy G. Surkis & Peppi Elona Lobby.
HIGHLIGHTS TOUR
Join us for lively conversations and engaging activities, facilitated by Museum Guides, that offer insightful ways to engage with our current exhibitions. Learn about the themes and ideas that guide each exhibition, as well as the connection points between them.
Fridays at 11:15 am
Meet in the Wendy G. Surkis & Peppi Elona Lobby.
Schedule At A Glance
JAZZ THURSDAY
Featuring Ona Kirei
Thursday, August 11 from 5:30 pm – 8 pm
FREE DAY
Free Second Sundays at SAM Activities
Sunday, August 14 from 11 am – 5 pm
POINT OF VIEW
Sabrina Cummings
Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast
Wednesday, August 17 from 6 pm – 7 pm
MUSIC ON THE PLAZA
SPIN Featuring Stumble Creek
Wednesday, August 24 from 5:30 pm – 8 pm
GALLERY TALK
Steven and William Ladd: Lead With a Laugh
Sunday, September 3 from 1 pm – 2 pm
DROP-IN ACTIVITY
Steven and William Ladd: Lead With a Laugh
Sunday, September 3 from 2 pm – 4 pm
CURATOR TALK
Alejo Benedetti
Thursday, September 8 from 6 pm – 7 pm
JAZZ THURSDAY
Featuring The Sarasota Jazz Project
Thursday, September 8 from 5:30 pm – 8 pm
SPECIAL EVENT
untitled
Friday, September 9 from 7 pm – 10 pm
PERFORMANCE
DITCH
Friday, September 10 from 11 am – 12 pm | 1 pm – 2 pm
FREE DAY
Free Second Sundays at SAM Activities
Sunday, September 11 from 11 am – 5 pm
SPOTLIGHT TALK
Dr. Alix Pierre
Thursday, September 15 from 6 pm – 7 pm
POINT OF VIEW
Jon Thaxton, Gulf Coast Community Foundation
Wednesday, September 21 from 6 pm – 7 pm
August
Jazz Thursdays
Jazz Thursday - Featuring Ona Kirei
Thursday, August 11
5:30 pm – 8 pm
Sarasota Art Museum
FREE for Members
$20 Not-Yet Members
Join us for live jazz at Sarasota Art Museum, hosted by the Jazz Club of Sarasota, featuring Ona Kirei and extended hours in the galleries, Bistro, and SHOP!
Join us every second Thursday from 5:30 pm – 8 pm for music and drinks on the Marcy & Michael Klein Plaza, and art in the galleries. Galleries are open until 7:00 pm on Jazz Thursdays.
Sip on refreshing cocktails and enjoy small bites in the Bistro. Each second Thursday of the month features a different style of jazz–from straight-ahead to free jazz, bebop to swing–programmed in partnership with Jazz Club of Sarasota.
Jazz Thursday activities:
- Enjoy Ona Kirei’s performance on Marcy & Michael Klein Plaza from 5:30 to 8:00 pm.
- Grab dinner and drinks at Bistro, which opens at 5 pm, serving a special evening menu, beer, wine, and cocktails.
- Explore the exhibitions in our galleries, with hours extended to 7 pm.
- Treasure hunt in SHOP all evening!
Members always receive their 10% discount in SHOP & Bistro
ABOUT ONA KIREI
Born in Barcelona, Ona Kirei has an exceptional ability to move the listener’s soul with her expressiveness and virtuosity. Her music pushes stylistic boundaries that showcase remarkable compositional and arranging skills while displaying a profound emotional connection that makes it readily accessible to any audience. Her life experience, cultural influences, determination, and deepness, are reflected in her unique voice. Sit back and enjoy the journey as Kirei and her group of world class musicians takes on a global musical journey.
Born in Barcelona, Ona Kirei has an exceptional ability to move the listener’s soul with her expressiveness and virtuosity. Her music pushes stylistic boundaries that showcase remarkable compositional and arranging skills while displaying a profound emotional connection that makes it readily accessible to any audience. Her life experience, cultural influences, determination, and deepness, are reflected in her unique voice. Sit back and enjoy the journey as Kirei and her group of world class musicians takes on a global musical journey.
Tickets will also be available at the gate.
Please no outside food and drink.
Photo: Daniel Perales
FREE SECOND SUNDAYS
Free Second Sundays @ SAM ACTIVITIES
Sunday, August 14
11 am – 5 pm
Join us for Free Second Sundays @ SAM!
Bring your friends and family to explore new art and thought-provoking exhibitions, and participate in our fun activities.
Musical Interludes with The Believers – 12 pm to 1:30 pm
Join us for music on the Marcy & Michael Klein Plaza.
Activating Words with Asolo Repertory Theatre – 2:00 to 2:45 pm
Aaron Slater, Illustrator | By Andrea Beaty | Illustrated by David Roberts Aaron Slater loves listening to stories and dreams of one day writing them himself. But when it comes to reading, the letters just look like squiggles to him, and it soon becomes clear he struggles more than his peers. When his teacher asks each child in the class to write a story, Aaron can’t get a single word down. He is sure his dream of being a storyteller is out of reach…until inspiration strikes, and Aaron finds a way to spin a tale in a way that is uniquely his. How do YOU express yourself? On August 14, we’ll combine art, movement, and storytelling to share who we are—just like Aaron Slater! This dynamic hour of fun encourages families to solve the puzzle, allowing them to create together.
Aaron Slater, Illustrator | By Andrea Beaty | Illustrated by David Roberts Aaron Slater loves listening to stories and dreams of one day writing them himself. But when it comes to reading, the letters just look like squiggles to him, and it soon becomes clear he struggles more than his peers. When his teacher asks each child in the class to write a story, Aaron can’t get a single word down. He is sure his dream of being a storyteller is out of reach…until inspiration strikes, and Aaron finds a way to spin a tale in a way that is uniquely his. How do YOU express yourself? On August 14, we’ll combine art, movement, and storytelling to share who we are—just like Aaron Slater! This dynamic hour of fun encourages families to solve the puzzle, allowing them to create together.
The Studios at SAM – 2 to 4pm
Jewelry and Beading
Have you ever wanted to make your own jewelry? In this hands-on workshop with beading masters Carol Hoffman and Louise Gallagher, we will create our own bracelets and earrings as we learn about different techniques including beadstringing, beadweaving, kumihimo, and more!
Jewelry and Beading
Have you ever wanted to make your own jewelry? In this hands-on workshop with beading masters Carol Hoffman and Louise Gallagher, we will create our own bracelets and earrings as we learn about different techniques including beadstringing, beadweaving, kumihimo, and more!
Support for Free Second Sundays @ SAM is provided by the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation.
POINT OF VIEW
Sabrina Cummings, Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast
Wednesday, August 17
6 – 7 pm
Marcy & Michael Klein Plaza
$10 Museum Members
$20 Not-Yet Museum Members
We each approach a work of art with our own point of view. Curious about how art inspires some of Sarasota’s brightest community leaders?
Join us for Point of View, a series of artful pairings that brings together one community leader with one artwork of their choosing from one of SAM’s current exhibitions. Each month, our special guest speaker will discuss how they connect with their chosen artwork, whether it be through personal experience, occupation, identity, or another form of self-expression.
Guests are encouraged to ask questions, spark discussions with fellow members, and experience the art in new ways.
MUSIC ON THE PLAZA
SPIN - Featuring Stumble Creek
Wednesday, August 24
5:30 – 8 pm
Marcy & Michael Klein Plaza
FREE Museum Members
$20 Not-Yet Members
SPIN invites you to socialize and experience the contemporary genre of sound through the exploration of musical notes, movement, and engagement.
Beginning June 22, join us for SPIN every Fourth Wednesday this summer in the Marcy and Michael Klein Plaza for our live music and movement program.
ABOUT STUMBLE CREEK
From sweet to sassy, philosophical to irreverent – in an eclectic mix of Americana with strong folk roots, hot bluegrass flashes and rock-inspired riffs. Austin Kennedy brings his infectious seasoned vocals and instrumental chops provide much of the bounce and tumble of the band’s sound. Heather Downie is a longtime local favorite whose singing and songwriting elicit emotion through her original heartfelt lyrics and soulful musical melodies. Sara Stoval’s command of the violin will make you understand why she commands the instrument and Tom Hicks holds down the steady beat and adds to the bottom to both the music and vocals. Like every good creek should, Stumble Creek offers a range of sounds and sensations that provide a feast for the ears as well as the heart – a one-of-a-kind experience at every bend and turn.
September
Purple Maquette
2013
Archival board, fiber, and metal
10 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 3 in.
Courtesy of the artists and Cristina Grajales Gallery
GALLERY TALK
Stephen and William Ladd: Lead With a Laugh
Saturday, September 3
1-2pm
Sarasota High School Alumni Auditorium
FREE for Museum Members
$20 Not-Yet Museum Members
Executive Director, Virginia Shearer, will offer an introduction to the Museum’s newest exhibition, Steven and William Ladd: Lead With a Laugh. Learn about the underlying themes and ideas that inform the exhibition, as well as the evolving studio practice of the artist duo.
Visit the exhibition first
Be one of the first visitors to experience Stephen and William Ladd: Lead with a Laugh. Members receive early access before the program.
Be one of the first visitors to experience Stephen and William Ladd: Lead with a Laugh. Members receive early access before the program.
Join us for a drop-in studio activity after the talk from 2-4pm (see description below).
Purple Maquette
2013
Archival board, fiber, and metal
10 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 3 in.
Courtesy of the artists and Cristina Grajales Gallery
DROP-IN STUDIO
Stephen and William Ladd: Lead with a Laugh
Saturday, September 3
2-4 pm
Sarah F. Huisking Classroom
FREE for ALL
Curious about some of the techniques used by Steven and William Ladd in the Museum’s newest exhibition, Steven and William Ladd: Lead With a Laugh?
Join us for a drop-in studio to create your own work with similar materials! Before you drop in, experience the exhibition on its opening day and learn more just before at the Curator Talk from 1-2 pm.
Join us for a talk with our Executive Director, Virginia Shearer, before this activity (see description above).
Photo: Ryan Gamma
CURATOR TALK
Alejo Benedetti
Thursday, September 8
6-7 pm
Sarasota High School Alumni Auditorium
FREE for members
$20 Not-Yet Members
$20 Not-Yet Members
Join Alejo Benedetti, Associate Curator of Contemporary Art at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, to learn more about the Museum’s current exhibition, State of the Art 2020: Constructs. Alejo Benedetti will discuss how the exhibition came to be, the themes present in the exhibition, and highlights of specific artists and artworks.
State of The Art 2020: Constructs is organized by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas.
The national tour of State of the Art 2020 is sponsored by Bank of America with additional support from Art Bridges.
State of the Art 2020: Constructs is on view through September 11, 2022.
This talk coincides with Jazz Thursday.
Jazz Thursdays
Jazz Thursday - Featuring The Sarasota Jazz Project
Thursday, September 8
5:30 pm – 8 pm
Sarasota Art Museum
FREE for Members
$20 Not-Yet Members
Join us for live jazz at Sarasota Art Museum, hosted by the Jazz Club of Sarasota, featuring The Sarasota Jazz Project and extended hours in the galleries, Bistro, and SHOP!
Join us every second Thursday from 5:30 pm – 8 pm for music and drinks on the Marcy & Michael Klein Plaza, and art in the galleries. Galleries are open until 7:00 pm on Jazz Thursdays.
Sip on refreshing cocktails and enjoy small bites in the Bistro. Each second Thursday of the month features a different style of jazz–from straight-ahead to free jazz, bebop to swing–programmed in partnership with Jazz Club of Sarasota.
Jazz Thursday activities:
- Enjoy The Sarasota Jazz Project’s performance on Marcy & Michael Klein Plaza from 5:30 to 8:00 pm.
- Learn more about State of the Art 2020: Constructs at our Curator Talk at 6 pm with Alejo Benedetti, Associate Curator of Contemporary Art at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.
- Grab dinner and drinks at Bistro, which opens at 5 pm, serving a special evening menu, beer, wine, and cocktails.
- Explore the exhibitions in our galleries, with hours extended to 7 pm.
- Treasure hunt in SHOP all evening!
ABOUT THE SARASOTA JAZZ PROJECT
Sarasota Jazz Project” is a high energy 17-piece jazz ensemble comprised of some of the finest musicians on the West Coast of Florida. These talented all-stars play both original compositions and standard tunes, creatively arranged in a unique contemporary Big Band style. Whether you dance, or listen or both, be prepared to be thoroughly entertained. The Sarasota Jazz Project Big Band is dedicated to the preservation, promotion, and public performance of big band jazz music.
Sarasota Jazz Project” is a high energy 17-piece jazz ensemble comprised of some of the finest musicians on the West Coast of Florida. These talented all-stars play both original compositions and standard tunes, creatively arranged in a unique contemporary Big Band style. Whether you dance, or listen or both, be prepared to be thoroughly entertained. The Sarasota Jazz Project Big Band is dedicated to the preservation, promotion, and public performance of big band jazz music.
Tickets will also be available at the gate
Please no outside food and drink
SPECIAL EVENT
untitled
Friday, September 9
7 – 10 pm
7 – 10 pm
Marcy & Michael Klein Plaza
$20 Members
$35 Not-Yet Members
$35 Not-Yet Members
Name Your Night / Define Your Experience
SAM’s “untitled” art party series invites you to style your own connections with contemporary art through dynamic creative experiences.
New Exhibitions | DJ | Live Performances | Photo Ops | Food + Cash Bar
This “untitled” will feature a performance with Jody’s Kuehner’s DITCH as part of the State of the Art 2020: Constructs exhibition in the Museum’s 2nd Floor Galleries. Performances by Sarasota Contemporary Dance and DJ IMMINENT will activate spaces on the ground floor.
PERFORMANCE
DITCH
Saturday, September 10
11 am – 12 pm | 1 pm – 2 pm
2nd Floor Galleries
Free with Admission
Welcome to the world of Cherdonna Shinatra, the drag persona and alter ego of Seattle-based queer performance artist Jody Kuehner. Cherdonna investigates the political, social, and power dynamics of a country obsessed with heteronormativity and the patriarchy. This work aims to celebrate otherness and show the ridiculousness of society’s standards of beauty and behavior.
You’re invited to experience and engage with this performance accompanying Jody Kuehner’s DITCH, on view as part of State of the Art 2020: Constructs.
Photo: Daniel Perales
FREE SECOND SUNDAYS
Free Second Sundays @ SAM ACTIVITIES
Sunday, September 11
11 am – 5 pm
Join us for Free Second Sundays @ SAM!
Bring your friends and family to explore new art and thought-provoking exhibitions, and participate in our fun activities.
Musical Interludes with The Believers – 12 pm to 1:30 pm
Join us for music on the Marcy & Michael Klein Plaza.
DITCH – 11 am – 12 pm | 1 – 2 pm
Welcome to the world of Cherdonna Shinatra, the drag persona and alter ego of Seattle-based queer performance artist Jody Kuehner. Cherdonna investigates the political, social, and power dynamics of a country obsessed with heteronormativity and the patriarchy. This work aims to celebrate otherness and show the ridiculousness of society’s standards of beauty and behavior.
You’re invited to experience and engage with this performance accompanying Jody Kuehner’s DITCH, on view as part of State of the Art 2020: Constructs.
Welcome to the world of Cherdonna Shinatra, the drag persona and alter ego of Seattle-based queer performance artist Jody Kuehner. Cherdonna investigates the political, social, and power dynamics of a country obsessed with heteronormativity and the patriarchy. This work aims to celebrate otherness and show the ridiculousness of society’s standards of beauty and behavior.
You’re invited to experience and engage with this performance accompanying Jody Kuehner’s DITCH, on view as part of State of the Art 2020: Constructs.
Activating Words with Asolo Repertory Theatre – 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm
Aaron Slater, Illustrator | By Andrea Beaty | Illustrated by David Roberts
Aaron Slater loves listening to stories and dreams of one day writing them himself. But when it comes to reading, the letters just look like squiggles to him, and it soon becomes clear he struggles more than his peers.
When his teacher asks each child in the class to write a story, Aaron can’t get a single word down. He is sure his dream of being a storyteller is out of reach…until inspiration strikes, and Aaron finds a way to spin a tale in a way that is uniquely his.
How do YOU express yourself? On August 14, we’ll combine art, movement, and storytelling to share who we are—just like Aaron Slater! This dynamic hour of fun encourages families to solve the puzzle, allowing them to create together.
Aaron Slater, Illustrator | By Andrea Beaty | Illustrated by David Roberts
Aaron Slater loves listening to stories and dreams of one day writing them himself. But when it comes to reading, the letters just look like squiggles to him, and it soon becomes clear he struggles more than his peers.
When his teacher asks each child in the class to write a story, Aaron can’t get a single word down. He is sure his dream of being a storyteller is out of reach…until inspiration strikes, and Aaron finds a way to spin a tale in a way that is uniquely his.
How do YOU express yourself? On August 14, we’ll combine art, movement, and storytelling to share who we are—just like Aaron Slater! This dynamic hour of fun encourages families to solve the puzzle, allowing them to create together.
The Studios at SAM – 2 to 4pm
3D Mixed Media
Join us in the studios to try your hand at mixed media! We will use a variety of materials to create a small sculpture or collage to take home.
3D Mixed Media
Join us in the studios to try your hand at mixed media! We will use a variety of materials to create a small sculpture or collage to take home.
Support for Free Second Sundays @ SAM is provided by the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation.
Photo: Ryan Gamma
SPOTLIGHT TALK
Alix Pierre
Thursday, September 15
6-7 pm
Sarasota High School Alumni Auditorium
FREE for members
$20 Not-Yet Members
$20 Not-Yet Members
Join Dr. Alix Pierre in exploring the cultural contexts that inform the artwork of Jamaica-based textile and fiber artist Katrina Coombs.
View the Exhibition First | 5-6 pm
Experience the Museum’s current exhibition of Coombs’ work, I M(O)ther: Threads of the Maternal Figure, prior to the exhibition with extended gallery hours from 5-6 pm.
ABOUT DR. ALIX PIERRE
Dr. Alix Pierre is the Senior Lecturer, African Diaspora and the World at Spelman College and current scholar-in-residence with Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator (Miami, FL).
Dr. Alix Pierre is the Senior Lecturer, African Diaspora and the World at Spelman College and current scholar-in-residence with Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator (Miami, FL).
Photo: Daniel Perales
POINT OF VIEW
Jon Thaxton, Gulf Coast Community Foundation
Wednesday, September 21
6-7 pm
6-7 pm
Marcy & Michael Klein Plaza
$10 Museum Members
$20 Not-Yet Museum Members
We each approach a work of art with our own point of view. Curious about how art inspires some of Sarasota’s brightest community leaders?
Join us for Point of View, a series of artful pairings that brings together one community leader with one artwork of their choosing from one of SAM’s current exhibitions. Each month, our special guest speaker will discuss how they connect with their chosen artwork, whether it be through personal experience, occupation, identity, or another form of self-expression.
Guests are encouraged to ask questions, spark discussions with fellow members, and experience the art in new ways.