Arts and Cultural organizations are on fire this season in Sarasota County. Conversations with virtually all of the area presenting and performing organizations indicate record attendance and the highest volume of ticket sales in history.

The Arts and Cultural Alliance has been poling organizations throughout the region this past week as a part of our mid season assessment. Every organization is reporting significant increases in ticket sales and attendance over last year with most groups running at near capacity seating for every performance. Not only are locals turning out in record numbers but box offices are reporting tourist sales to be somewhere between 40 percent and 51 percent of total sales. 

Sarasota has been branded as the Cultural Coast of Florida for many years and for good cause. That cause is more about quality than just sheer quantity. Whether your preference is theater, visual arts, dance, opera, orchestra or other, the quality of the performances and presentations that we are fortunate to have here is equal to or better than that found in other communities throughout the nation that are much larger than here. The artists, artist directors and business managers of our local organizations are true professionals and take great pride in the level of work that they produce.

As always, the great quality and success of our arts and cultural organizations is not a one way street.  They could not afford to develop this level achievement if we did not have the level of sophisticated audiences and nurturing donors that we do in our region. Great art truly requires the effort and participation of an entire community.  The Arts and Cultural Alliance and our member organizations are truly grateful to the philanthropists, community and private foundations, businesses and the people of our region for helping create this Mecca for the arts and helping us earn the distinction of being the Cultural Coast of Florida.

Thank you.

Jim Shirley is executive director of theArts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County.