Pictured: Dustin Juengel. Photo by: Shane Donglasan.

Art Center Sarasota heads into the new season with some fresh blood as local artist Dustin Juengel takes the reins as exhibition curator. A Ringling grad, Juengel also brings an international perspective to the project, hailing from Leverkusen, Germany and earning his master's in Fine Arts from Chelsea College of Art and Design in London before returning to Sarasota in 2011. A member of Art Center Sarasota’s exhibition committee since 2012, where he assisted reviewing artist and exhibition proposals, this new appointment places Juengel closer to the head of the decision-making process, where he says maybe he can “freshen it up a little bit.”

“I’m like the doorman,” said Juengel of his new responsibilities. “I’m the first one to see the exhibition proposals and I’m also actively searching for artists.” Slightly revamped, the exhibition curator position formerly served in both an administrative and creative capacity, but Juengel says the new formulation places less administrative duties on his desk and frees him to explore the artistic community and dedicate himself to crafting the exhibits without non-creative concerns.

Though he’s quick to remind that Art Center Sarasota is still a team effort and he’ll be working closely with the exhibition committee and executive director Lisa Berger, Juengel doesn’t shy from revealing his ambitions for the center. “I hope I can search out some younger artists fresh out of grad school who are really dedicated to their art,” said Juengel, largely uninterested in displaying “crafty projects” from part-time artists. “There’s no Plan B for them. They’re artists through and through. I don’t see those kinds of artists too much in Sarasota.”

But that doesn’t mean that part-time artists and crafty sorts won’t have a place at Art Center Sarasota, on that Juengel is adamant, saying “Juried exhibitions are for the entire community.”

“It seemed like the perfect match,” said Juengel of his decision to take the position. “I bring my own aesthetic and I’m attracted to different artists, so I’m going to influence [Art Center Sarasota] in that way.” 

Pictured: Dustin Juengel. Photo by: Shane Donglasan.