Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College of Art and Design is creating more opportunities for people of all backgrounds to experience the arts through a two year grant from the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation. Through this investment, Sarasota Art Museum will enhance programs designed to break down barriers that often prevent underserved populations from experiencing the transformative power of art while offering more thought-provoking exhibitions reflecting the diversity of our community. Among the programs made possible through the Barancik Foundation’s funding is Free Second Sundays at SAM, a monthly event series that provides visitors with free admission to Sarasota Art Museum. In addition to free Museum admission, Free Second Sundays at SAM includes live music, interactive storytelling and performances, and hands-on studio art activities for all ages that draw from the Museum’s current exhibitions. The investment also powers Sarasota Art Museum’s WELCOME to SAM Program. Launched in 2023, WELCOME to SAM invites residents from underserved communities to experience the Museum as a place for enjoyment, connecting, learning, and healing through the arts. Working alongside partners including local nonprofits and schools, the program provides customized experiences and tours of the Museum and its exhibitions prior to each Free Second Sunday at SAM event. Participants also take part in follow-up workshops at the Museum or partner sites based on their feedback and interests. One of the exhibitions WELCOME to SAM Program participants will experience during the Museum’s current season is Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks, on view Feb. 9-May 4, 2025. Made possible through the Barancik Foundation’s grant, Future Now explores the intersection between design innovation and technological advancements in footwear. Future Now features over 70 futuristic designs from the Bata Shoe Museumʼs holdings as well as loans from other prominent institutions, collectors, designers, and inventors. Sarasota Art Museum is one of five museums participating in the exhibition’s national tour, co-organized by the American Federation of Arts and the Bata Shoe Museum, and curated by Elizabeth Semmelhack, director and senior curator, Bata Shoe Museum. WELCOME to SAM Program participants will be invited to engage with Future Now’s content before its installation and experience an early access celebratory opening. Additional programming will include sneaker design workshops for middle and high school students to introduce them to career opportunities within the creative economy.