Sarasota High School, M. Leo Elliott Building
M. Leo Elliott - Former Sarasota High School
Photo: Dick Dickinson

The Memory Project

Stewarding the Public History and Collective Memory of the Sarasota High School Site

The 1926 M. Leo Elliott-designed former Sarasota Senior High School isn’t just a beautiful example of Collegiate neo-Gothic architecture, it is an important historical site that holds a century of Sarasota’s memories. As we embarked upon the transformation of the building into a new contemporary art museum, it was important for us to ensure those memories didn’t disappear. The building is a gravitational center and repository for a century of Sarasota’s rich history, and it’s thrilling to imagine we can add this dimension to the Museum’s mission, adding context and community to the Museum’s programming. Starting in 2015, we began using our historic, ethnographic and museological expertise to preserve, steward and interpret the history and public memory of the SHS site as we transformed the property into a new contemporary art museum.

Do you have a memory you’d like to share?
Please send to info@sarasota.art with Memory Project in the subject line.
The Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College of Art + Design is the anchor cultural institution of the Ringling College Museum Campus. The RCMC comprises the 1926 Elliott Collegiate Neo-Gothic former Sarasota Senior High School, the 1957 Paul Rudolph support building for the “New” Sarasota High School and the 1959 Victor Lundy former Galloway’s Furniture Store, as well as 5 acres of contained perimeter publicly available exterior space for Museum programming (performance, sculpture, installation, events,).

Barbara Banks : Worker

Located in the south wing, Barbara Banks’ Worker celebrates the individuals who lent their talents to remake the building that is now Sarasota Art Museum.

Barbara Banks, Worker (2019)
Barbara Banks, Close up of Worker, (2019)

The Memory Project Archives

Search

Search

Sarasota Art Museum’s Gala 2019

7 December 2019

Sarasota Art Museum Grand Opening

14 December 2019