Hermitage Sunsets at Selby Gardens

August 25, 2021 – Sarasota

The Hermitage Artist Retreat’s popular series, “Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens,” continues its second year with a six-event series as part of the 2021-2022 season. The outdoor series – a collaboration between the Hermitage and Selby Gardens – features performances and explorations of works-in-progress by Hermitage artists-in-residence and alumni. All six events are currently scheduled to take place at Selby Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota campus. The first of these six events is “Words and Music: Performance in Process,” with Hermitage Fellows Thea Lobo and Ni’Ja Whitson, who will share their words, voices, and music on Friday, August 27, 6:30 p.m., behind Payne Mansion at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota campus, 1534 Mound St., Sarasota. Admission is free, but registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org. Capacity will be limited to accommodate safe social distancing, so early reservations are recommended. All events in last year’s “Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens” series reached capacity. Face masks are requested at check-in and strongly encouraged throughout the program.

The additional event dates for this second season of “Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens” include:

• Friday, Aug 27; 6:30 p.m. (previously announced), with Thea Lobo & Ni’Ja Whitson
• Friday, Oct. 22, 2021; 6 p.m.
• Friday, Jan. 21, 2022; 5:30 p.m.
• Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022; 6 p.m.
• Wednesday, March 23, 2022; 6:30 p.m. 
• Late May of 2022; date TBA

Each program will feature a celebrated Hermitage artist (or artists) to be announced. Last year’s “Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens” artists featured world-renowned flutist and Avery Fisher Prize winner Claire Chase, composer and santur player Amir El-Saffar, musical theater composer Rona Siddiqui, and celebrated cellist Dorothy Lawson of ETHEL. 

 “As we continue to expand our Hermitage programming throughout the region and find safe ways to gather in person, we are thrilled to once again welcome audiences to share a unique and magical evening with Hermitage artists against the beauitul backdrop of Selby Gardens,” says Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg. “We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Selby Gardens on this popular series, and welcoming new audiences to experience a ‘sneak peak’ into these extraordinary artists’ creative process.” Sandberg also notes that safety and comfort remain a top priority, so as with the Hermitage beach programs on Manasota Key, all seating will be outdoors and socially distanced.

 “We are thrilled to continue our collaboration with The Hermitage Artist Retreat again this year,” says Selby Gardens’ President & CEO Jennifer Rominiecki. “We look forward to welcoming the artists and patrons to our outdoor bayfront sanctuary.”

These outdoor events are one part of many “Hermitage North” programs and collaborations planned throughout the season, spanning Sarasota County and the surrounding region. The programs feature celebrated playwrights, visual artists, musicians, poets, and more — all free to the members of our community with a $5/person registration fee. 

The Hermitage has also announced that its fall fundraiser, the 2021 “Artful Lobster: An Outdoor Celebration!” will be held at the Hermitage campus on Saturday, November 13, starting at 11:30 a.m., once again abiding by the health and safety protocols put in place for last year’s event.

To register for an upcoming Hermitage program or to learn more about the organization, visit HermitageArtistRetreat.org.