Art Center Sarasota’s New Exhibitions:
December 14-January 19
Interior
A survey of observational, interior-based paintings by Jeff Schwartz.
Curated by Anne-Marie Russell, executive director of Sarasota Museum of Art.
Floating Cubes
Site-specific sculpture by artist Akiko Kotani created from crocheted plastic strips, draped over two floating cubes.
Art Center Sarasota Instructors Show
Featuring works in 15 mediums by 26 Art Center Sarasota instructors.
December 14-January 12
New and Now
An open, all-media, juried exhibition.
Opening reception for all four exhibits is Thursday, December 14, 5-7p.m.
(Sarasota, FL) Art Center Sarasota’s 2017-2018 exhibition season, entitled “New and Now,” continues with four exhibits, which run December 14, 2017, to January 19, 2018. “Interior,” in Gallery One, is a survey of observational, interior-based paintings by Jeff Schwartz, curated by Anne-Marie Russell, executive director of Sarasota Museum of Art. “Floating Cubes,” in Gallery Two, features site-specific sculpture by artist Akiko Kotani created from crocheted plastic strips draped over two floating cubes. The Art Center Sarasota Instructors Show, in Gallery Three, features work in 15 mediums by 26 Art Center Sarasota instructors. “New and Now,” in Gallery Four, which runs December 14 through January 12, is an open, all-media exhibition juried by Taylor Robenalt, a nationally recognized ceramist. The opening reception for all four exhibits is Thursday, December 14, 5-7 p.m., and is free and open to the public. Art Center Sarasota is located at 707 N. Tamiami Trail, in Sarasota. For more information, call 941-365-2032 or visit www. artsarasota.org.
Jeff Schwartz is an artist and the associate vice president for Academic Affairs and dean of Undergraduate Studies at Ringling College of Art and Design. According to Schwartz, the content of the work in “Interior” explores locations as universal experiences. The work also addresses the process of drawing and the illusion of space. “How much illusion is enough and how much manipulation of space is too much,” he notes in his artist’s statement for this exhibit. “Working with ink and collage is akin to trying to juggle water. I intentionally piece together different images that cannot exist in the real world, but only in my drawing/painted world. Multiple angles, subtle moves, dripping ink and textured surfaces combine to make an image that does not translate into a digital format well, but asks the viewer to spend time with the image and experience it as a physical process. The drawing helped me to slow down as I make them. The layering forces me to let the surface dry. I want the viewer to feel and see this. In the process, I try to give an inanimate object a sense of animation, time, space and surprise.” The guest curator for this exhibit is Anne-Marie Russell, executive director of the Sarasota Museum of Art.
Akiko Kotani’s art embodies the surprising power and attraction of simplicity. The diversity of her influences and her training comes together in her distinctive imagination, which enables her to create original works. With whatever materials and whether the images are playful, serene or serious, her work contains a depth of feeling within an economy of means. In the site-specific installation, “Floating Cubes,” the viewer will encounter two white cubes floating in space. “The initial image for this work was the square white gallery itself,” says Kotani. “I gave myself the challenge of charging the empty space with a particular energy. One of the guiding ideas I have held as an artist is that art works act as punctuation marks to enliven the space that surrounds them. In other words, they are objects in service to a particular environment.” She explains that “Floating Cubes” consists of a pair of soft white cubes lit from below covered with crocheted plastic strips cut from 45-gallon white garbage bags. “The contrast of my lofty notions with the humble methods I employ to achieve my goals gives me much joy and humor. The technique is crochet, laborious and numbingly repetitious. Somehow, the resulting texture of the soft plastic with this method of production, both add to the end result of two cubes that float.”
The Art Center Sarasota Instructor Show features works in 15 mediums by 26 Art Center Sarasota instructors. According to Sarah Valdez, the exhibitions and marketing coordinator at Art Center Sarasota, “This annual exhibition gives students and the public the opportunity to see the work of our talented instructors who are all professional artists. Viewers also get to see the amazing diversity of disciplines we offer here.” Valdez notes that the center offers painting classes in watercolor, acrylic, oil, pastel, ink, mixed media and sumi-e; sculpture classes in tech art, papier mache and new mediums. “We also offer printmaking, papermaking, bookmaking and photography workshops and classes,” she says. “We try to appeal to artists working in a wide variety of mediums. Our instructors teach representational, abstract, portraiture, still-life and mixed media classes and workshops.” The exhibit’s featured artists are: Renee DiNapoli, Ralph Garafola, Julie Hanson, Joseph Melançon, Gail White, Nancy Goff, Barbara Eisenberg, Jill Krasner, Ali Lambert, Judy Nadler, Janine Hoffman, Judy Just, Tom Winchester, Tom Stephens, Elena De La Ville, Anne Abgott, Lucinda Hathaway, Jamie Kirkell, Kathy Morrill, Keiko Romerstein, Barbara Gerdeman, Tim Jaeger, Liz Davis, Cheryl Martin, Jorge Mendoza and Bill Buchman.
“New and Now” is an open, all-media exhibition juried by Taylor Robenalt, a nationally recognized ceramist.
2017-2018 Season: A Quick Glance
Cycle 3 (February 1-March 9) features “My Sarasota,” a solo exhibit of work by John Pirman; a solo exhibit of work by George Pratt. “ASALH: Black Muse 2018,” is a curated exhibit of works by member artists of the Association for the Study of African-American Life and History. “Art from the Heart,” an open, juried exhibit, is January 25-February 24. The opening reception for all four exhibits is February 1, 5-7 p.m.
Cycle 4 (March 15-April 20) features “SPECTRUIII,” a group show that embodies the work of three artists; “iconcept: A 10-Year Retrospective,” “New Reality,” a group show; and “Real – Not Real,” an open, peer-juried exhibit. The opening reception for all four exhibits is March 15, 5-7 p.m.
Additional exhibitions:
- April 23-May 7: An exhibit by students in grades K-12 from north Sarasota County schools. The opening receptions days and time will be announced.
- May 10-17: Works by senior visual arts students from Booker High School’s VPA program
Cycle 5 (May 24-June 29) features “Painting as Object,” a group exhibit and another exhibit TBA. An exhibit of works by Peter Gaztambide and “Possibilities,” a members-only, juried exhibit are May 17-June 22. The opening reception for all four exhibits is May 24, 5-7 p.m.
Cycle 6: (July 5-August 10) “Florida’s Finest,” an all-media, all-subject juried exhibition highlighting the talented artists who live and work in Florida, is in all galleries. The opening reception is July 5, 5-7 p.m.
Cycle 7 (August 30-October 5) features “Looking Forward Towards the Past,” a group exhibit; works by Stephen McMennamy; and a student project. “Elsewhere,” an open, juried exhibit, is August 23-September 28. The opening reception for all four exhibits is August 30, 5-7 p.m.
The 10th annual Beaux Arts Ball / iconcept unconventional fashion event will be on May 11, 2018, at the Van Wezel Grand Foyer. Details TBA.
For more information about Art Center Sarasota, call 941-365-2032 or visit www.artsarasota.org.
About Art Center Sarasota
Art Center Sarasota was the first arts and cultural institution in Sarasota. It was founded in 1926 as the “Sarasota Art Association” by Marcia Rader, the art supervisor for the Sarasota County schools district. In the early years, the group met monthly and sponsored exhibits in rented facilities. The Association was incorporated as a not-for-profit organization in 1943 and has been in its current location in the Sarasota Bayfront Cultural District since 1949. Art Center Sarasota is now a membership-based organization that offers curated and juried exhibitions, adult and youth education programs, outreach initiatives for underserved youth, and culturally related public programming. Art Center Sarasota’s mission is to inspire individual creative expression, nurture artistic talent and provide the community with accessible and diverse visual art opportunities.
Art Center Sarasota
707 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34236
Phone: 941-365-2032 § Fax: 941-366-0585
www.artsarasota.org
Gallery Hours:
Free admission
10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Saturday
Closed Sunday
