The Hermitage's new beachfront property on Manasota Key. Provided photo.

About halfway down Manasota Key, the 11-mile barrier island that splits the Gulf of Mexico and Lemon, lies the Hermitage Artist Retreat. The Hermitage, which makes its home on a Gulf-facing beachfront campus, is one of the foremost national arts incubators, a place where Pulitzer Prize, Grammy, Oscar, Tony-award winners and nominees come to create acclaimed work. For these artists, the Hermitage is a safe haven—a place to create and perform, in programs free to the public, to try new things and engage in unexpected collaborations.

In fall 2024, the Hermitage’s beachfront campus was ravaged by successive Hurricanes Helene and Milton, with over eight feet of sand causing damage to buildings and the landscape. While the Hermitage has slowly, but surely returned to its programming, the damage still remains. There has, however, been a ray of light at the end of the long tunnel.

On January 15, the Hermitage announced that the organization had received an unprecedented gift of land and property from the Morrison and Steans families. Under half a mile from the Hermitage’s original campus, the three adjacent properties are valued at $12,000,000, spanning 6.5 acres and include five houses. “The gift is a happy reminder that there are good people in the world,” says Andy Sandberg, artistic director and CEO of the Hermitage. “The Morrison and Steans families have been wonderful, longtime supporters. They are great appreciators of the arts and the values of what the Hermitage means for the larger arts community.”

Originally built by the Vanderbilt family, who came to Manasota Key in the 1950s, the properties are the largest single gift the Hermitage has ever received in its 23-year history. With five houses, the property will allow the Hermitage to more than double the amount of artist residences—and has already provided more housing for artists than before the hurricanes, even with the existing damage to the original campus. The properties also allow the Hermitage to explore more collaborative and project residencies, in addition to the individual artist residencies.

“A lot of their intention behind this gift, beyond supporting an organization that they love, is knowing that they can trust us to preserve the integrity of Manasota Key. It is a place that we value, that the Morrison and Stean families have valued for over four decades—there is a real sense of community and neighborhood on the key and the Hermitage is a part of that ecosystem,” says Sandberg. “We want the world to know that we’re digging our roots proudly in Manasota Key as we also expand nationally and internationally.”

The Hermitage Artist Retreat, 6630 Manasota Key Rd., Englewood.

The Hermitage's new beachfront property on Manasota Key. Provided photo.

To learn more click here