Sarasota Art Museum Traces Four Decades of Janet Echelman’s Path-Breaking Career
‘Radical Softness’ follows the artist’s remarkable path from early explorations in mixed media, painting and textiles to the awe-inspiring, monumental netted sculptures which have drawn international acclaim
Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Giovanni DeAngelis.
SARASOTA, FL (August 28, 2025) — Step into a world in which interconnectedness and innovation abound with Janet Echelman: Radical Softness, on view Nov. 16, 2025-April 26, 2026, at Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College of Art and Design. Janet Echelman’s solo exhibition at Sarasota Art Museum traces more than four decades of her path-breaking career, offering an intimate look at Echelman’s artistic evolution through drawings, paintings, textiles, and the artist’s renowned monumental, netted sculptures, and sculptural dance performances. The exhibition also marks the debut of a series of cyanotypes created from 3D models and photographs made during her design process, translating her monumental forms into a new photographic medium that uses the environment — sunlight — as both method and subject.
“Radical Softness invites visitors to experience art that transcends genre and fosters shared moments of wonder,” said Virginia Shearer, Sarasota Art Museum’s executive director. “As Sarasota Art Museum encourages visitors to explore new ideas, Janet Echelman’s work illustrates art’s ability to reshape our perceptions of physical space and interpersonal connection.”
Echelman, who held the top spot on Oprah Winfrey’s “List of 50 Things That Make You Say Wow!,” is best known for her larger-than-life sculptures that marry design, architecture, and engineering. Often choreographed by the wind, the aerial networks of knotted netting demonstrate interconnectedness and unity. When any part of the sculpture billows, all the surrounding elements are impacted, including the visitors underneath.
“Radical Softness contextualizes Janet Echelman’s practice, revealing the narratives, influences, and processes that drive her work. At its core, the exhibition highlights Echelman’s use of softness as a powerful tool — not only in material but as a philosophy,” said Lacie Barbour, associate curator at Sarasota Art Museum.
The exhibition showcases early works by Echelman from the 1980s and 1990s across a variety of mediums, including Batik dye and acrylic on canvas and linen, painted quilts and small-scale net models within a context of the artist’s studio. It also features recent large-scale maquettes, such as “Study (Butterfly Rest Stop 1/9 scale)” (2022) and “Remembering the Future” (2025), her vertically soaring sculpture “Expanding Club” (2007), as well as a never-before-seen series of cyanotypes made this year. Each demonstrates her profound relationship with the environment, remarkable ability for storytelling, and mastery of diverse materials.
While Echelman is known for her artistic practice that has transformed public spaces around the globe, “Radical Softness” also features drawings and paintings that marked the start of her career before her unplanned experiment with three-dimensional works. During a Fulbright Lectureship in India in 1997, Echelman promised to present painting exhibitions on behalf of the U.S. Embassy. However, the paints she shipped did not arrive. As deadlines for the shows loomed, Echelman searched for local materials to fulfil her obligation and stumbled upon net-makers in a fishing village in South India. The painter studied how the fishermen knotted nets and incorporated those methods into a new sculpture practice. This unforeseen set of circumstances and creative discovery re-charted the artist’s course and led Echelman to create the monumental body of public artworks which have gained recognition worldwide.
“That was my pivot point from two to three dimensions. That moment catapulted my trajectory of going into cities and landscapes and meeting people where they are — in the middle of their lives — with contemplation of resilience, fluidity and interconnectedness,” Echelman said.
Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Bruce Petschek.
For Echelman, Sarasota Art Museum is a fitting place to reflect on her artistic journey. A fourth-generation Floridian, Echelman regularly vacationed in Sarasota as a child and still returns for annual family reunions. Before Sarasota Art Museum officially opened its doors in 2019, Echelman was one of the institution’s first visiting artists.
“Sarasota has been a part of my entire life. It’s like coming home, so it is a very special place to launch my first mid-career retrospective,” said Echelman. “When you see someone’s life trajectory, it’s more than just looking at their art. You get a fuller story of the ideas which drew them, their practice, and mission.”
The exhibition is accompanied by a publication, titled Radical Softness: The Responsive Art of Janet Echelman, edited by Gloria Sutton, associate professor of contemporary art history at Northeastern University. The book includes previously unpublished project documentation, archival materials and an illustrated timeline of Echelman’s career milestones. Featuring a foreword by Swizz Beatz and contributions from international scholars, engineers, designers, architects, and curators, it illuminates Echelman’s significant impact across contemporary art, architecture, engineering, dance, and landscape architecture. Published by Chronicle Books and Princeton Architectural Press, the book is set to be released on Sept. 16.
Echelman’s sculptures span five continents. Recent commissions include Remembering the Future at the MIT Museum (2025); Butterfly Rest Stop in Frisco, Texas (2024); Current in Columbus, Ohio (2023); Bending Arc at the St. Pete Pier in Florida (2020); Earthtime Korea (2020); Impatient Optimist at The Gates Foundation in Seattle (2015); 1.8 Renwick at the Smithsonian American Art Museum (2015); and Every Beating Second at San Francisco International Airport Terminal 2 (2011), among others. Soaring aerial performance Noli Timere fuses contemporary dance and avant-garde circus with art installation and advanced engineering to question how we navigate an unstable world. For more information, visit echelman.com.
Janet Echelman: Radical Softness is organized by Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College of Art and Design and curated by Lacie Barbour, associate curator at Sarasota Art Museum. The exhibition at Sarasota Art Museum is paid for, in part, by Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax revenues. Special thanks to media sponsors Sarasota Magazine, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, and WUSF 89.7 FM, West Central Florida’s NPR station.
Related Public Programs:
Opening Day Talk and Book Signing: Joe Fig
Nov. 16, 1-3 p.m.
Free to Museum members, $20 for not-yet members (includes Museum admission)
Enjoy an engaging conversation between artist Joe Fig and Sarasota Art Museum Senior Curator Rangsook Yoon, Ph.D. as they explore the themes and inspirations behind Fig’s exhibition, “Contemplating Vermeer.” Discover the evolution of Fig’s artistic journey, the conceptual development of his “Contemplation” series and the unique insights that shaped the works on view. Whether you’re an art enthusiast or curious about the intersection of contemporary and historical influences in visual culture, this talk promises a thought-provoking look into Fig’s creative process and his homage to Vermeer.
About Sarasota Art Museum
Sarasota Art Museum is Ringling College of Art and Design’s dynamic laboratory for the exploration and advancement of contemporary art. As Sarasota’s only museum solely focused on contemporary artists and their work, Sarasota Art Museum offers visitors a place to see thought-provoking exhibitions and participate in education programs that start conversations and amplify the city’s creative spirit.
Located in the historic Sarasota High School, Sarasota Art Museum opened to the public in 2019 and features 15,000 square feet of dedicated exhibition space, the outdoor Marcy & Michael Klein Plaza, the Great Lawn featuring temporary sculpture and site-specific installations, Bistro, and SHOP. Sarasota Art Museum is home to a robust portfolio of education programs for all ages, including The Studios at SAM, a vibrant studio arts program, and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Ringling College, which offers a variety of courses for adult learners.