Hermitage Artist Retreat Announces New Programs

May 18, 2022 – Sarasota

The Hermitage Artist Retreat announces new community programs in June with Hermitage Fellows spanning music, visual art, and theater. These newly added programs are presented at outdoor venues throughout Sarasota County as part of the Hermitage’s partnerships with local organizations, including Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, the Van Wezel Foundation, and Art Center Sarasota.

First, the season’s final installment of the popular “Unscripted” series, “Sparking Creativity,” features Hermitage Fellow and theater-maker Nandita Shenoy in a virtual program on Thursday, June 2 at 5pm ET. Lauded playwright and actor Shenoy will offer insight into process and share examples of her work that have resulted from her creative journey. Prior to the program, registered attendees will be given a prompt so that audience members can try this process out for themselves. The interactive “Unscripted” series is presented in a collaboration with the Van Wezel Foundation, and previous “Unscripted” programs have featured Hermitage Fellows Claire Chase, Eric Booth, Reggie Harris, Ann Patterson, Christopher Theofanidis, Melissa Studdard, Patrick Harlin, Hannah Hasan, and most recently Daniel Gumbiner.

Next, the Hermitage’s June programs continue with the previously announced “Soulful Strings: An Evening of Harp Music” with celebrated musician and composer Ashley Jackson. This is the inaugural event in the Ruby E. Crosby Alumni Music Series at the Hermitage, made possible with a generous gift from the Ruby E. and Carole Crosby Foundation. “Soulful Strings” will be presented on Tuesday June 7 at 8pm at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens (Downtown).

Finally, the Hermitage will partner with Art Center Sarasota to present “Visual Art: New Ways of Seeing,” featuring Hermitage Fellows Aram Han Sifuentes and Amanda Williams, live on the Hermitage Beach. This event will take place at 6:30pm on Friday, June 17.

These programs are in addition to previously announced programs throughout the month of May.

“The Hermitage’s ongoing May and June programming speaks to the expansive diversity and creative range of our renowned Hermitage Fellows, who are all brilliant talents in their respective musical and artistic fields,” said Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg. “By continuing our programming into the summer months, we also want to celebrate and recognize that there is a growing year-round community of arts appreciators here in our Gulf Coast region.”

Hermitage programs like these are free and open to the public with a $5/person registration fee. Due to capacity limitations and social distancing, registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org.

See below for complete program details and artist bios.

The newly and previously announced program descriptions:

• “Hermitage Poet’s Corner: The Contemporary Word,” Friday, May 20 @ 5pm: Presented in Partnership with Bookstore1, two incredible writers and Hermitage Fellows come together to read and discuss their evocative work. DaMaris B. Hill shares selections from her critically acclaimed Breath Better Spent: Living Black Girlhood, a Netgalley “Must-Read Books by Black Authors” in 2022. Playwright, performer, and award-winning poet Kirya Traber shares selections from her previous works and teases her forthcoming novel. Join these two writers, both deeply engaged with our contemporary moment, for a discussion following their readings. This event is presented in partnership with Bookstore1. Registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org ($5/person registration fee). Bookstore1, 117 S. Pineapple Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34236.
  
  
• “Worlds: A Part” with Hermitage Fellows Pauchi Sasaki and Monica Youn, Thursday, May 26 @ 6pm: Internationally renowned composer and performer Pauchi Sasaki and acclaimed poet Monica Youn, seem worlds apart. Sasaki is an interdisciplinary artist working on an original opera inspired by NASA’s mission to transport the first woman to the surface of the moon that utilizes a self-designed dress made of speakers. Winner of the Poetry Society of America’s William Carlos Williams Award, Youn’s poems are sharply crafted and weave together historical allusions and cultural references as diverse as Piero della Francesca, Goya, Martha Graham, and Twinkies. Both artists are grounded in their intersectional identities and multifaceted pursuits. Join these two Hermitage Fellows at the cutting edge of their disciplines as they discuss and share work on the beautiful grounds of the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast. This event is presented in partnership with Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast. Registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org ($5/person registration fee). Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast, 400 Palmetto Avenue, Osprey, FL 34229

• “UNSCRIPTED: Sparking Creativity,” Thursday, June 2 @ 5pm ET: Presented in partnership with the Van Wezel Foundation. In this season’s final installment of the interactive “Unscripted” series, lauded playwright, actor, and Hermitage Fellow Nandita Shenoy will give insight into her process and share examples of her work which have resulted from that process. Prior to the program, she will share a prompt question so that audience members can try it out for themselves and share their work as part of the event. No theatrical experience needed – just an open mind and willingness to jump in! Registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org. Virtual Event (via Zoom). Registered attendees will be sent a link 24 hours prior to the event.

• “Soulful Strings: An Evening of Harp Music,” Tuesday, June 7 @ 8pm: Celebrated harpist and Hermitage Fellow Ashley Jackson returns to Sarasota to launch the Ruby E. Crosby Alumni Music Series at the Hermitage – a new initiative launched this year by Carole Crosby to honor the legacy of her mother and their shared love of music. Jackson is the winner of the distinguished Theodore Presser Award, which honors musicians dedicated to artistry as well as citizenship. Jackson’s work is spurred on by academic excellence and a commitment to diversifying the classical music canon and audience. Preparing to launch her first solo album, Ennanga, and praised by Musical America for her “soulful” and “eloquent” playing, this special concert will feature works from across her impressive repertoire. Ashley Jackson is the first Hermitage alumna selected to participate in the Ruby E. Crosby Alumni Music Series at the Hermitage, and her concert will be held outdoors at Selby Gardens. Ashley Jackson’s concert and Hermitage residency are made possible through the Ruby E. Crosby Alumni Music Series at the Hermitage. Registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org ($5/person registration fee). Marie Selby Botanical Garden (entrance at 1534 Mound St, Sarasota, FL 34236) Extremely limited space remaining.

• “Visual Art: New Ways of Seeing,” Friday, June 17 @ 6:30pm: Presented in partnership with Art Center Sarasota, two acclaimed visual artists discuss their creative process and share examples of their work.  Hermitage Fellows Aram Han Sifuentes and Amanda Williams create in two different mediums of art. Han Sifuentes, whose work has been described as having “radical power” (The Guardian), works with fiber and materials. Williams, a visual artist trained as an architect, uses color in bold and energetic ways. At the center of both of their artistic practices is the mission to change the way we see the world around us and forge new communities in shared spaces. Registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org ($5/person registration fee). The Beach at Hermitage Artist Retreat, 6630 Manasota Key Road, Englewood, FL 34223.