Arts Advocates Announces March 2024 Programs and Events

February 7, 2024 – Sarasota

Arts Advocates is pleased to announce its schedule of March programs and events, including a special exhibit and sale of Highwaymen paintings, a member artist exhibit, a tour of the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, a jewelry-making workshop, and the monthly luncheon program at Sarasota Yacht Club. Unless otherwise indicated, registration is required at ArtsAdvocates.org

.The Arts Advocates board of directors is thrilled to announce a special exhibition of 50 Florida Highwaymen paintings in the Arts Advocates Gallery on March 2, 3, 22, 23 and 24from 2:00-6:00 p.m. each day. 

The Florida Highwaymen were prolific painters who, starting in the 1950s, sold their landscape paintings on Florida highways from the trunks of their cars as galleries and museums refused to exhibit black artists at that time. Today, Highwaymen artworks are collected and exhibited globally. Five Highwaymen paintings are part of Arts Advocates’ permanent collection. This exhibition is being held in collaboration with Roger Lightle, noted Highwaymen art collector, along with Curtis Arnett, an original Florida Highwayman, and Roy McLendon, Jr., son of an original Highwayman. All pieces on display will be offered for sale. In addition, McLendon will demonstrate his painting techniques live in the gallery, and Lightle will be on hand to elaborate on his collection. The exhibition is free and open to the public. The Arts Advocates Gallery is located in The Crossings at Siesta Key mall, 3501 South Tamiami Trail, Sarasota.

Arts Advocates member artists are invited to exhibit monthly in the Arts Advocates Gallery, located in the Crossings at Siesta Key mall, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail in Sarasota. Shows open the first Saturday of the month and close the last Saturday of the month. Lynn Armstrong Coffin’s show, “Full Circle,” will be on exhibit from March 2-30, Saturdays only from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Coffin creates captivating works using recycled and discarded materials. Her work incorporates the circle as a metaphor of the cyclical course of life. Admission is free.

The “Behind the Curtain: Exploring the Van Wezel from the Art to the Stage” tour on March 11 from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. is presented in partnership with the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. The art in the Van Wezel, 777 N. Tamiami Trail in Sarasota, was created by noted Florida artists and is on loan from Arts Advocates. A docent leads a tour of the paintings and sculptures including those by Robert Chase, William Hartman, Eugene White, Ben Stahl, Thornton Utz, Frank Colson, Dean Mitchell, and others. Participants then step onto the stage where a Van Wezel guide offers a peek behind the curtain and shares stories and anecdotes about the colorful world of show business. Tickets are $15 per person and can be purchased at the Van Wezel box office or by calling (941) 263-6799. Proceeds benefit the education/outreach programs of Arts Advocates and the Van Wezel.

Arts Advocates presents monthly luncheon programs at the Sarasota Yacht Club, 1100 John Ringling Blvd., Sarasota, featuring engaging speakers discussing local arts-related topics. EnsembleNEWSRQ co-founders and wife/husband team Samantha Bennett and George Nickson are the featured speakers on March 21, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Dedicated to playing and supporting the music of contemporary composers, the ensemble performs innovative, thoughtfully curated programs to rave reviews. $45 for Arts Advocates members; $50 for non-members. Lunch is included.

Artist and lifetime arts educator Judy Levine presents a beaded necklace workshop on March 30, 12:00-2:00 p.m. in the Arts Advocates Gallery. Participants will design and create a unique necklace while learning about color, symmetry, balance, visual weight, and pattern. All skill levels welcome. $45 workshop fee includes all materials.

The Arts Advocates’ collection of Sarasota Art Colony and Highwaymen works is on permanent display in the Arts Advocates Gallery. The gallery is open every Saturday from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.; admission is free and written information is available for self-guided tours.

To learn more about or become a member of Arts Advocates, or to register for programs and events, visit ArtsAdvocates.org.