Be inspired. Explore curated art and juried shows exhibited in four galleries.
Gallery hours: Mon - Sat, 10 am - 5 pm
Admission is free; art is available for purchase.
On View: August 20-September 26, 2026
Molly Duff-Clarke
Molly Duff-Clarke
Molly Duff-Clarke invites viewers into a vibrant, life-sized world of ceramic furniture and domestic vignettes that reimagine the home as a space of unrestrained joy, texture, and playful reinvention. Through brightly colored ceramics adorned with yarn, velvet, and tactile excess, Molly explores the complexities of building a home and raising a family in today’s shifting cultural landscape.
Molly Duff-Clarke is a ceramic artist based in St. Petersburg, FL. She earned her MFA from the University of South Florida in 2023, where she was honored with the MFA Excellence Award. She also holds an MA from Maharishi University and a BFA in Printmaking and Ceramics from Kendall College of Art and Design.
Molly's work has been exhibited both locally and nationally, including at Heiress Gallery, the Contemporary Art Museum at USF, the Museum of Art – DeLand, and at numerous NCECA conferences. Her teaching and professional experience includes positions at Ox-Bow School of Art and Artists’ Residency, the Morean Center for Clay, Dunedin Fine Arts Center, and St. Petersburg College.
Shaping Sarasota: A Century of Art
Shaping Sarasota: A Century of Art marks the culmination of Art Center Sarasota’s 2025–2026 Centennial Season, presenting a chronological visual history spanning 100 years of creativity. This landmark exhibition features rich archival images that highlight the artists, influential members, and community leaders who helped shape the Center’s evolving identity and legacy.
From Marsha Rader’s 1926 gatherings of local art supporters, to the official incorporation of the Sarasota Art Association in 1941, the organization’s guiding mission—to “promote the educational and cultural advantages of Sarasota in the field of contemporary art”—has remained at its core.
Shaping Sarasota: A Century of Art was researched and brought to life by ACS Archivist and Guest Curator, Alecia Harper. Alecia Harper earned her B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, followed by a graduate degree in Applied Art History and a certification in Museum Management from the University of South Carolina at Columbia. Her professional experience includes work at the Harpeth Gallery in Nashville, Vanderbilt University Creative Services, the Center for the Study of the American South, and Duke University Press.
A passionate advocate for arts education and public engagement, Alecia is docent emerita at The Ringling Museum of Art and has contributed her expertise to the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art, the Art and Culture Center of Hollywood, and the Old Davie School Historical Museum. Alecia currently teaches Art History and Humanities at State College of Florida. She previously served on the board of Sarasota’s community radio station WSLR, where she continues to host a Wednesday morning show as a deejay.
Antoine Williams
Antoine Williams
Antoine Williams presents a new body of work that reimagines Black southern cultural folklore and traditions through a surrealist lens.
Antoine received his MFA from UNC Chapel Hill. His residencies include the Joan Mitchell Residency in New Orleans, The Center for Afrofuturist Studies, The McColl Center of Art and Innovation, The Hambidge Center, Loghaven Artist Residency, and Rubenstein Arts Center at Duke University. Williams was also part of the 2021 Drawing Center viewing program. He is a recipient of the 2017 Joan Mitchell Award for Painters and Sculptors, the 2022 National Academy of Design’s Abbey Mural Prize, 2022 South Arts Individual Artist Career Opportunity Grant, and the 2018 Harpo Foundation Grant Award.
Williams has exhibited nationally, including at Smack Mellon Brooklyn, the Nasher Museum of Art, The Weatherspoon Museum, 21c Museum, North Carolina Museum of Art, Prizm Art Fair, and the California Museum of Photography among others. His work is in the collection of the Nasher Museum of Art and the North Carolina Museum of Art. Williams is an assistant professor of Drawing in the Expanded Field at the University of Florida.
Juror John Pirman
Juror Critique with John Pirman:
Wed. Aug 26, 2026 at 4:00 pm.
Juried Show: Icons
Icons is a visual exploration of figures, symbols, and moments that shape culture, influence society, and transcend time. From historical legends to contemporary trailblazers, this exhibition examines what it means to be iconic—whether through fame, influence, or artistic interpretation.
Artists are invited to submit works that engage with the idea of "icons" in any form—portraits of cultural figures, symbolic imagery, or conceptual reflections on power, legacy, and myth-making. Whether celebrating, critiquing, or reimagining icons, this exhibition seeks bold and thought-provoking perspectives.
Meet the Juror, John Pirman:
John Pirman graduated in 1979 from Kent State University with a BFA in graphic design & illustration, and studied in Brissago, Switzerland with Paul Rand. His work is influenced by Swiss design, pop culture, posters of the WPA era, and mid-century modern design.
In the fall of 1979, John moved to New York City and began a career as a freelance illustrator. He created editorial art for Fortune, Hemispheres, Vogue, Wallpaper, Glamour, New York Magazine, The New York Times, Forbes, Time, The Wall Street Journal,Travel and Leisure, Advertising Age, and Cosmopolitan Magazine.
Since 2013, John has created over 125 monthly illustrations for Sarasota Magazine’s last page, “Only In Sarasota”, featuring iconic places in town. His work has been exhibited at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Art Center Sarasota, Center For Architecture Sarasota, Pansy Bayou, and Bird Key Yacht Club.
Artist Talks & Special Exhibition Events
Join us for Artist Talks to hear their inspiration, process, stories, and more.
Doors open for mingling and refreshments at 5 pm, Artist Talks start promptly at 5:30 pm. $5 registration
Join us for an Artist Talk with Antoine Williams on Fri. Aug 28, 2026: Register here
Join us for an Artist Talk with Molly Duff-Clarke on Thu. Sep 24, 2026: Register here
Juror Critique with John Pirman on Wed. Aug 26, 2026 at 4:00 pm. No registration required
Watch previous Artists Talks and Juror Critiques on our YouTube channel!
Purchase Art, Support Local Artists
Each of our gallery exhibitions features artwork available for purchase. When you buy a piece, you’re supporting local artists and helping Art Center Sarasota continue to thrive as a creative hub for our community.
During exhibitions, we share a PDF of each show’s gallery guide so you can explore available works, then us call
941-365-2032 to confirm availability and purchase.
Note: Artwork is subject to availability; PDFs serve as previews only and will be posted here during the exhibition.
Upcoming Exhibitions
Juried Exhibitions
Our juried exhibitions showcase local and regional artists in our Atrium Gallery, with all artwork available for purchase. Each show has a different theme and all media are welcome.
Jurors are experts in their fields and include curators, historians, educators, artists, and art critics. Jurors recognize extraordinary talent with the selection of awards from 1st place to honorable mention. Gallery visitors also select a People’s Choice award winner.
Call to Artists
Artists of all levels of expertise are encouraged to submit work and be a part of the community! All submissions are online and are open to all artists and mediums. Please call 941-365-2032 if you need assistance submitting work.
Juror Danny Canton
Strange Weather
This exhibition invites artists to explore the surreal through unpredictable conditions and uncanny atmospheres. Submissions may interpret “weather” as environmental, emotional, or psychological, capturing moments when reality shifts, logic bends, and the familiar turns strange. Artists are encouraged to embrace transformation, ambiguity, and the unexpected in both subject and approach.
Meet the Juror, Danny Canton:
Danny Canton is a veteran of over 50 years in the Film Industry where he has served as a Director, Producer and most notably as a Director of Photography. He has worked on a variety of projects including Feature Films, Television Programs, Behind the Scenes/Making of Studio Films, Industrial Films, Commercials and Documentaries.
Danny graduated from The School of Visual Arts with a BFA in Cinematography and years later returned to Visual Arts to teach Film Production and Cinematography and eventually moved to Florida to build the online Film Program for Full Sail University. Danny continues to teach film here in Sarasota for the Sarasota Film Society in Lakewood Ranch Cinemas and he is working on a number of projects here in Sarasota including Directing a Documentary on Jorge Blanco, a local Metal Sculpture Artist, whose work can be seen across the street from the Art Center.
Online Submission Deadline: Monday, Sep. 7, 2026
On View: Thursday, October 8 - Saturday, November 14, 2026
Opening Night Reception: Thursday, October 8, 5-7pm
Art drop off dates are Sep. 29 & 30, pickup dates are Nov. 16 & 17, 2026
Solo Exhibition Submissions
Art Center Sarasota is now accepting proposals for solo exhibitions.
Submitting a proposal does not guarantee a solo exhibition. Submissions are reviewed on a rolling basis, and notifications will be sent out periodically.
Click here to learn more or to submit your solo exhibition proposal prospectus.