Be inspired. Explore curated art and juried shows exhibited in four galleries.

As Art Center Sarasota celebrates its 100th year, we are proud to continue one of our most cherished traditions: the Spring Art Show. This longstanding annual exhibition, organized by dedicated school coordinators Angela Hartvigsen and Debra Markley, showcases the incredible talent of more than 1,500 young artists from grades K–12.

The Spring Art Show is a vibrant testament to the creativity, imagination, and dedication of students across Sarasota’s northern region, including public and charter schools. For many, it offers a first opportunity to exhibit their work in a professional gallery setting—an empowering experience that draws hundreds of family members, educators, and community supporters.

A highlight of the exhibition is the high school awards ceremony, where local organizations generously contribute over $20,000 in scholarships and prizes. Elementary students are also celebrated with two evening award ceremonies that honor their artistic accomplishments.

As we mark a century of fostering the arts, this exhibition reminds us that the future of creativity is already taking shape in the hands of our youngest artists.

(Note: The South County Spring Art Show will take place at the Venice Art Center.)

“The Spring Art Show is a cherished tradition in Sarasota County Schools, celebrating the creativity and talent of our students from every grade level and every school. For many years, this event has showcased not only the artistic growth of our students but also the dedication of our incredible arts educators. It is a powerful reminder of the essential role the arts play in a well-rounded education — and in building vibrant, expressive, and confident young people.”
- Executive Director of Elementary Schools, Sarasota County Schools, Cynthia Thro

Anja Palombo

In her upcoming exhibition, Anja Palombo presents a new body of work inspired by the natural world and her love of art history.

Anja Palombo was born and raised in Hamburg, Germany. She studied art history at the Universities of Hamburg and Berlin and graduated with a BFA in Painting and Art History from WSU in Detroit, MI. She received an MA in Applied Linguistics from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ and taught art in Asia for twenty years. She currently teaches ceramics in Sarasota, FL. Anja has participated in many art exhibitions, including curated group and solo shows on three continents, venues including The American Center and The India International Center in New Delhi, India. Her art is represented in private collections around the world.

Architects Who Art: Designing the Cultural Coast

This exhibition highlights the creative breadth of individuals who blur the lines between architecture and visual art. Both disciplines demand a deep understanding of space, form, structure, and imagination—skills that manifest in strikingly different yet complementary ways. Whether through sculpture, drawing, painting, or design, these architect-artists translate their spatial thinking into expressive, multidisciplinary works.

Featuring local artists who are also trained architects, Architects Who Art draws from Sarasota’s unique cultural and visual landscape. Renowned for its architectural legacy—particularly the Sarasota School of Architecture—and its vibrant arts community, the city has long been shaped by the dynamic interplay of design and creative expression.

Co-curated by Morris (Marty) Hylton III, this exhibition will feature work by a number of architect-artists including but not limited to Carl Abbott, Jerry Sparkman, Javier Suárez, and Javi Suárez. Architects Who Art presents both fine art and architectural renderings and models, offering a fuller picture of each artist’s range and vision. Together, these works reflect not only individual talent, but also the enduring role of architecture in shaping Sarasota’s sense of place, identity, and aesthetic experience.

Trained as an architect, Morris (Marty) Hylton III is a preservationist with over 25 years of experience protecting cultural heritage. He specializes in 20th-century architecture, disaster recovery, and climate resilience. Marty has led initiatives at the World Monuments Fund, the University of Florida, and the National Park Service. He currently serves as President of Architecture Sarasota, advancing preservation, design education, and community engagement through innovative programs and leadership.

Cat Tesla: Living by the Water

Cat Tesla shares new works from her Exhale and Feeling Good series resulting in a meditation on healing, presence, and the quiet power of beauty.

Born in St. Louis, MO in 1963, Cat Tesla grew up with a love for both art and science, obtaining degrees in Biology and Graphic Design, and an MS in Human Genetics. She worked as a genetic counselor at Emory University for 20 years before trading the clinic for the studio.

Cat moved to Florida in 2022, just weeks after receiving a breast cancer diagnosis. As she navigated both physical healing and a major life transition, the Florida landscape offered more than scenery—it became a sanctuary.

Cat’s work has been exhibited internationally including at the Knoxville Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art in Atlanta, and the Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art north of Atlanta. Her paintings are held in corporate and private collections and nearly 1,000 hospitals and medical centers in the U.S. including in the Emory Winship Cancer Institute, Royal Caribbean, Capital One, and the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab.

Juried Show: Medium Mutiny

This exhibition seeks work that defies expectation and reinvents tradition. We’re looking for pieces that experiment boldly—with process, form, and concept. Whether through unexpected techniques, hybrid materials, or subversive approaches to craft, the work in Medium Mutiny resists easy categorization.

If your creative practice breaks boundaries, blurs lines, and challenges how art is made—or how it's perceived—we want to see it. Medium Mutiny is a celebration of fearless experimentation. Show us how you turn convention on its head and redefine what art can be or how it communicates.

Meet the Juror Ed Swan:

Ed Swan Jr. has over 35 years experience in institutional investment management and marketing. He received a BA from Tufts University and a MBA from the Wharton School. He attended a director development program at the Kellogg School at Northwestern University and was a captain in the US Air Force. 

Ed has served on both corporate and nonprofit boards including at Virtus Investment Partners (Audit and Finance Committees), Tufts University (Audit Chair), Dillard University (Investment Chair), and the Hyams Foundation. He served on the Museum of Modern Art’s Friends Committee, as Vice Chair of the Massachusetts State Finance Advisory Board, and as a member of the NYC Industrial Development Agency Board. He serves on the Boards of The Ringling Museum (ex-officio after 10 years as a full Board Member) and the Hermitage Arts Center. 

Ed has been a furniture maker for over 35 years alongside his investment management career. His expertise includes designing stained glass windows and doors, as well as creating wooden tables and benches. He had a workshop at the Boston Center for the Arts and now maintains workshops in Sarasota and Martha's Vineyard, MA.

• Online Submission Deadline: Sunday, April 19, 2026

• On View: Thursday, May 21 - Saturday, August 1, 2026

• Opening Night Reception: Thursday, May 21, 5-7pm

• Art drop off dates are May 12 & 13, pickup dates are Aug 10 & 11

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.

• Online Submission Deadline: Sunday, July 19, 2026

• On View: Thursday, August 20 - Saturday, September 26, 2026

• Opening Night Reception: Thursday, August 20, 5-7pm

• Art drop off dates are Aug. 11 & 12, pickup dates are Sep. 28 & 29, 2026

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: Sunday, Sep. 6, 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