The Hermitage Artist Retreat (Sarasota County, Florida) announced today that the annual Hermitage Artful Lobster benefit will be held on Saturday, November 7, 2026, from 11:30am to 2pm on Manasota Key. Now in its eighteenth year, this signature outdoor event raises valuable funds for the Hermitage’s renowned artist residency program. The Artful Lobster is the only Hermitage benefit hosted on the grounds of the historic Gulf-front campus – outdoors beneath a large tent – located at 6660 Manasota Key Road in Englewood. Michael’s On East offers a lobster feast, with performances from award-winning Hermitage Fellows. Past artists who have shared their talents at this popular event include Tony Award-nominated Broadway star Betsy Wolfe, internationally renowned flutist Claire Chase, Tony Award nominee Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer, acclaimed string quartet ETHEL, celebrated musical theater composer Adam Gwon, Grammy Award-nominated music director and composer Rona Siddiqui, virtuoso violinist Daniel Bernard Roumain, and more. For more information about the Hermitage and upcoming programs, visit: HermitageArtistRetreat.org.