The Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County
Announces Cover Winner for Guide to Arts and Culture
(Sarasota, FL) — The Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County announced today that Venice, Florida artist Karen Chandler has won the 2016/17 Arts and Culture Guide Cover Contest. The call to local artists requested artwork representative of our vibrant arts and culture scene in Sarasota. Over 40,000 copies of the guide will be distributed throughout the community in early October as a part of Sarasota County’s Tourist Development Tax program for tourism development through the arts.
“The Arts and Culture Guide serves as a compass for visitors to learn about and participate in the multitude of arts here in Sarasota. The guide is very popular and we had excellent cover submissions this year. Karen’s abstract piece with bold, vibrant colors captured the essence of the arts and culture scene in Sarasota,” said Jim Shirley, Executive Director of the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County.
Chandler, who studied oil painting at the Stevenson Academy, design at the New York School of Visual Arts, and photography at the New York Institute of Technology, has been affiliated with the NASA Space Art Program and the United States Air Force Art Program since 1990. Her paintings are currently hanging at the Pentagon and the National Aviation Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. In addition, Chandler’s illustrations have appeared on the covers of several popular series by authors such as R.L. Stein.
The Arts and Cultural Alliance is a member-powered organization that serves as an advocate for arts and culture in Sarasota County. Founded in 1986 by a group of committed citizens, the Alliance has administered more than $17 million in grants to area artists and arts organizations. The Alliance works to ensure arts and culture remain essential to the continuing development of a vibrant, creative community. This is achieved through arts advocacy, education and community outreach. For more information about how you can join the Arts and Cultural Alliance, please visit our website at www.sarasotaarts.org or call (941) 365-5118, extension 304.
