Arts Advocates

WHO WE ARE

Formed in 1968 as the Fine Arts Society of Sarasota, the purpose of Arts Advocates is to inspire creativity, advance education, and connect the community to the arts.

Over the years, Arts Advocates has acquired a collection of works of art by Florida artists. Until 2021, the over 60 pieces of art had been displayed exclusively at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. In June 2021, Arts Advocates opened its first art gallery featuring a selection of paintings and sculptures by artists of the Sarasota Art Colony – artists who migrated to Sarasota from the 1930s to the 1970s. The Arts Advocates Gallery – named Best New Gallery in Sarasota Magazine’s The Best of Sarasota 2022 Editor’s Picks – houses the foremost collection of works by Sarasota Art Colony artists on public view.

Also in 2021, Arts Advocates was the beneficiary of a gift of five Highwaymen paintings, which are on exhibit in the gallery.

WHAT WE DO

The Arts Advocates Gallery is open every Saturday from 2:00-4:00 pm with free docent tours at 3:00 pm (no appointment required).

Arts Advocates also offers a variety of workshops, educational tours, art talks, monthly luncheons, and other events and programs, all of which are open to the public.

INFORMATION

Arts Advocates Website