SARTQ, the newly rejuvenated Sarasota contemporary arts collective, presents its first show in three years, Here and Now, this Saturday at 1525 State St., next door to State of the Arts Gallery, showcasing the collective’s new and varied membership. Founded in 2008 by Tim Jaeger and Joseph Arnegger, SARTQ returned earlier this summer with the SARTQ Print Party, but Here and Now will be the first show to introduce the breadth of the collective’s current manifestation.

Curated by Danny Olda, the work of sixteen different artists will be on display, including Cassia Kite, Javier Rodriguez, Daniel Miller, Laine Nixon and Nathan Wilson, with every medium from painting to ceramics, with photography, projection, drawing and installation art all given a place within the collective and Here and Now. “We’re not aiming for one particular look or feel,” said Jaeger, who will also be exhibiting in the show. “We have a lot of respect for and see merit in all of it. The quality in all of these media is there and you’ll see it.”

Jaeger hopes to see the community come out in force to support the collective and with the exhibition he aims to instill a greater appreciation and understanding of art to all who attend, but by setting it so close to the heart of downtown, Jaeger also seeks to demonstrate the potential economic impact of supporting the arts in Sarasota and that “the visual arts is an economic engine."

For example, attendees out for the night are likely to stop and grab a bite to eat or a drink somewhere along the way, said Jaeger. “That’s creating revenue and stimulating the local economy,” he continued. “Local artist, local economy. We’re not outsourcing anything.”

With refreshments, free admission and free parking in the newly constructed parking garage across the street, Here and Now opens Saturday, Aug. 15, with a reception from 6pm-9pm.