Sarasota Rising Reaches Milestone

February 8, 2023 – Sarasota

After an exhaustive research and development phase, Sarasota Rising, the organization seeking to establish an annual arts festival, enters 2023 poised for big progress on the heels of several key milestones.

After launching a website, newsletter and social media channels, the organization successfully filed for and received its official nonprofit designation this month, allowing it to operate independently from the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County. “We are beyond grateful to the Alliance for taking us under their wing and supporting us as we built the organization and crafted a vision for a 2024 launch,” says Sarasota Rising’s Executive Director, Jeffery Kin.

The organization’s nonprofit designation coincides with the creation of a robust board comprised of philanthropic and arts-focused trustees. Those trustees include: Jaime DiDomenico, founder of Cool Today and current VP of Business Development for Wrench Group; Irene Kauffman, a real estate developer and manager known for her area arts philanthropy; Ariane Dart, a prolific producer of nonprofit fundraising events and former board member of the Dart Family Foundation; and Sarasota Rising’s own Jeffery Kin, who brings his area arts acumen and network to the organization as it seeks to create a cohesive, interdisciplinary arts festival.

Both the new board and the start-up team will also have a dedicated space to meet thanks to the acquisition of a downtown office space. The new space will help centralize the organization’s efforts as it seeks more support and funding to add a full-time operations manager and communications manager.

“With all these really important milestones, we’re set up for an even more productive 2023,” says Kin, “including a big event this Fall that will feature a very special guest and where we’ll unveil the look and feel of the 2024 festival.”