The party is on Pineapple tomorrow night, as 502 Gallery invites the community to stay out late and celebrate the gallery’s annual Summer Open House, where attendees will have the opportunity to view recent work from 502’s varied member artists, see highlights from past exhibitions they may have missed, and mark the debut of two new member artists: Nathan Beard and Anthony Rice. Additional standouts include work by Syd Solomon, a rare watercolor by author Maurice Sendak, and the unveiling of a new series by artist and gallery co-founder Tim Jaeger. The doors open at 6pm with food and drink available for purchase from La Cajita SRQ and 99 Bottles.

“It’s about celebrating the spirit of the Sarasota arts scene,” says Jaeger, and so the exhibition is as eclectic as that spirit. On one wall, find largescale oil and acrylic abstractions from Tom Stephens next to mischievous contraptions from wood-sculptor Tom Casmer and great mixed media creations from Mary GrandPre. On another, see archival pigment prints from Jon Pirman that look good enough to eat, lithographs from James Brooks, and work on formica from Joseph Patrick Arnegger.

And even if they skip the tacos from La Cajita, watercolor enthusiasts will be eating well at 502, with work on display from Wilfrid Berg, Keith Crowley, William Hartman, and Loran Frederick Wilford, not to mention a fantastical map made in watercolor by Where the Wild Things Are author Maurice Sendak.

The Sarasota arts scene is also growing, if this show is a reflection of its trajectory as well as its spirit, and tomorrow’s celebration will also be a welcome party for Anthony Rice, a painter and monotype artist who teaches at Ringling College of Art and Design and whose work can also be found in the Smithsonian American Art Museum, as well as Nathan Beard, a St. Petersburg-based abstract artist whose hypnotic compositions explore repetition, memory and time.

And tucked away in the back of the gallery, a brand new series from Jaeger, still in its infancy, takes its first steps. Colorful, complex, somewhat fishy, the compositions seem simultaneously whimsical and precise, playful and seeking. “I’m just trying to make sense out of the chaos,” he says. And in the endless swirls of mass repetition on the canvas, he’s seeking one thing:

“Stillness.”

Summer Open House at 502 Gallery runs from 6pm to 9pm this Saturday, July 12.

502 Gallery, 502 S. Pineapple, Sarasota. 

Pictured: New work from artist Tim Jaeger on display at 502. Image courtesy of the artist.

Yoshida Hiroshi’s woodblock prints set the tone, quite literally, for mid-20th century Japanese art. Yoshida’s work is currently on view at The Ringling Museum’s exhibition Yoshida Hiroshi: Journeys Through Light. Yoshida, who was trained formally as a painter in the Yoga, or Western style of Japanese paintings in the early 1900s, made his early career as a landscape artist, traveling frequently across Europe, Asia, North Africa and the Americas in search of inspiration. In the 1920s, however, Yoshida’s career stalled.

“In 1920 he was invited by a commercial publisher named Watanabe Shozaburo to design a series of woodblock prints, which had been gaining popularity at the time,” says Rhiannon Paget, The Ringling Museum’s Curator of Asian Art. “In 1923 the Great Kanto Earthquake hit Japan and destroyed Tokyo, including the print shop. Yoshida and his wife, who was also a respected painter, gathered up what was left and went to the United States together and later Europe to sell what they could.”

What Yoshida found was that his woodblock prints—the product of intricately carved designs pressed with ink onto paper—were far more popular than his paintings. What makes Yoshida’s work exceptional is the variance between different prints, often of the same design. Journeys Through Light explores those differences by focusing on Yoshida’s betsu-zuri or separate printings. “He was constantly experimenting with the palette, the textures, even if he wasn’t making an explicitly different version of that print, he was always striving to see what he could fo and what different kinds of emotional effects he could produce out of ink and carved wooden blocks,” says Paget. “People tend to think of woodblock prints as being multiples, just reproductions of themselves, but what this exhibition shows is that every print is unique.”

Although Yoshida was not the only artist making landscape prints, the techniques he employed, particularly as an independent artist, raised the bar for woodblock printers for years to come. “He produced these incredibly complex woodblock prints. Some of the images he created required a tremendous amount of printing blocks—typically with a woodblock print you have one block per color—he would go beyond that,” says Paget. “To get these extremely delicate gradations of color and the depth of the saturated areas, he would make multiple impressions just slightly adjusting the ink.”

Yoshida Hiroshi: Journeys Through Light, The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota, 34243 

Sphinx — Night, from the series Europe, 1925. Provided photo.

To learn more click here

Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College of Art and Design (SAM) will shine a spotlight on Art Deco as the artform celebrates its centennial anniversary. Beginning August 31, 2025, "Art Deco: The Golden Age of Illustration" showcases 100 rare posters from the Crouse Collection created by some of the world's earliest master graphic designers during the 1920s and 1930s. In addition to these iconic posters, the significant exhibition will include selected sculptural works and cocktail shakers from the Crouse Collection and Art Deco furniture pieces on loan from the Wolfsonian Museum at Florida International University in Miami.  

As Sarasota’s first arts organization, Art Center Sarasota is proud to mark its centennial season with a bold step into the future. Welcoming new leadership, the Center has appointed two new board members—Michael Kinsey and Cathy Wilson—and two key staff members: Laurie Miller, director of education and community engagement, and Rachel Denton, administrative coordinator. These additions reflect a continued commitment to community, creativity, and forward momentum. 

Bubble artist Blaise Ryndes will blow guests away with his immersive Spheres Bubble Show, a comedic and mysterious fusion of art, science, and magic that the whole family will enjoy! Bubbles Under the Banyans is included in Selby Gardens admission - free for members! 

To learn more click here

The Sarasota Ballet will open its 2025–2026 Season with a highly anticipated return to the prestigious Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival—its first appearance there since 2015. From July 16–20, the Company will present six performances featuring a compelling triple bill: a World Premiere by renowned choreographer Jessica Lang and two celebrated works by Sir Frederick Ashton. The Program will also feature a performance by the Company’s Resident Guest Principal, adding to the excitement of this summer engagement. Audiences can expect the hallmark excellence, precision, and artistry that define The Sarasota Ballet. 

For ticket information click here.

Don’t miss On Stage 2025 by the Sarasota Cuban Ballet on July 19 at 6:00 pm at the Sarasota Opera House. Royal Ballet guest artists Francisco Serrano and Leticia Dias join Summer Intensive dancers from around the world in classical and contemporary works. Our audiences agree: “This showcase never fails to delight!” “Incredible, first rate” “I was stunned by the talent” 

Click here to purchase tickets.

Join us for the inspiring 10th Annual SRQ Women Who Roar Leadership and Awards Luncheon, celebrating local women leaders who significantly impact our community. Enjoy a dynamic program featuring the introduction of the esteemed 2025 Leadership Circle inductees, engaging PopUp Boutiques, and opportunities to network during our post-event reception. 

Get ready to be inspired at the Annual Giving Coast Luncheon: Philanthropic Agenda & Good Hero Awards, recognizing local changemakers. Join us in bringing the philanthropic community together on Wednesday, December 10, 2025 at Michael's On East and help celebrate the nonprofit spirit of our area. Featuring a panel of distinguished philanthropic leaders discussing giving trends, the honorable Good Hero Awards, and the interactive Giving Tree Program, this event will be nothing short of spectacular. Also highlighting the acclaimed SRQ Lifetime Good Hero Achievement Award, the program will uplift attendees and spark meaningful change.