With the close of its seventh season, the Season of Sculpture is no more, but chair Susan McLeod and the expanded board of the re-branded Sarasota Sculpture Center have grand plans for their phoenix-esque resurrection, including a permanent location attached to newly opened gallery Alfstad& Contemporary, year-round shows of various size and increased visibility for sculpture and public art in Sarasota. But don’t worry, McLeod has no intention of ending the famous Bayfront exhibitions, with the first from Sarasota Sculpture Center expected in November 2016.

“We’ve spent a lot of time thinking about where we’ve been, who we want to be and where we want to take our influence in the future,” said McLeod, who was recently elected to the board of directors of the International Sculpture Center, and hopes to leverage her new position for Sarasota’s benefit. “There’s a lot happening in sculpture on the national and international level. It’s contemporary and it’s exciting and we want to take advantage of that.”

The new office in Sarasota’s Rosemary District plays a crucial role in Sarasota Sculpture Center’s expanded role. Not only will it give the Center a more permanent presence within the community, but the included presentation space allows the hosting of smaller-scale shows, which required the former Season of Sculpture to find third-party locations, such as the lobby of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Increased visibility for sculpture and public art helps not only the region’s collectors and enthusiasts, who can add one more stop to their gallery rounds, but is also a boon for local artists hungry for more exhibit opportunities, said McLeod.

The inaugural show, Rubber, Metal, & Stone: Small Works Sculptures and Drawings, presented by both Sarasota Sculpture Center and Alfstad& Contemporary, opens this Saturday, with a reception tonight. The works of Chakaia Booker, Hans Van de Bovenkamp and Boaz Vaadia, all previous contributors to Season of Sculpture exhibitions, will be on display. The exhibit is not limited to the final product – prints, sketches and drawings made throughout provide insight into the artistic process. “It’s fun to see that dimension to their work,” said McLeod, pleased with the new space. “It’s not something you can do outside.”

Rubber, Metal, and Stone opens in Alfstad& Contemporary tonight with an opening reception at 5:30pm.

Caption: "Ginnetoy" by Boaz Vaadia