Call for Artists!

October 10, 2022 – Sarasota

The Suncoast Black Arts Collaborative, a nonprofit organization that uses the unifying power of the arts to nurture inclusion and diversity across the regional arts and cultural landscape, seeks Black artists and artists of color to submit work for its “2023 Visions in Black” initiative. This juried exhibition celebrating the work of talented artists of color who live in Florida, will be presented in three different galleries in Sarasota and Manatee counties, February 2-25, 2023.

Michéle Des Verney Redwine, the founder and executive director of the Suncoast Black Arts Collaborative, notes that “the prolific creative output of Black and visual artists of color has attained a dynamism not found since the early 1970s. Our ‘Visions in Black’ initiative was created to help regional artists of color discover opportunities to promote and exhibit their art.”

Redwine says that the 2022 “Visions in Black” exhibition showcased the works of 26 artists. This year, the exhibit will be staged in three different galleries, which opens opportunities to more artists and a wider community engagement. The exhibits will be at the Arts & Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County; the Arts Advocates’ gallery at the Crossings at Siesta Key mall; and at the Manatee Performing Arts Center. Redwine adds that SBAC’s focus is again on emerging professional artists, as well as college and graduate students as far north as Tallahassee.  “We are working on getting the word out to our local Suncoast college students of color in the Sarasota, Tampa Bay and Pinellas regions,” she says. Nine artists will have the chance to win prizes as each gallery space will offer its own set of prizes, which are: $700 for first place; $500 for second place; and $300 for third place.

Artists who are interested in applying for Visions in Black should contact Marlon Tobias, exhibition coordinator, at visionsinblack2023@gmail.com or visit www.SuncoastBlackArtsCollaborative.org for more information.