galleries featuring regularly updated exhibitions
of local and regional art. To the south,
the Venice and North Port Art Centers—as
well as the Englewood Art Center, designed by
Ringling College of Art and Design—strive to
promote the work of local artists from Sarasota
and neighboring Charlotte County.
Art Walks: Palm Avenue,
Towles Court Artist Colony,
and the Historic Downtown Village
On nearly any given Friday throughout the
year, there’s an art walk where you can indulge
in one of downtown Sarasota’s distinct arts districts.
For one evening a month, galleries, artist
studios, and shops open their doors for extended
hours gallery meet-and-mingle events.
First Fridays around Palm Avenue, Main
Street and Pineapple Avenue is a monthly Art
Walk, featuring strolling serenades from members
of the Palm Avenue Arts Alliance, as well
as hors d’oeuvres. The Towles Court Artist
Colony—a charming enclave of artist studios,
galleries and shops nestled in historic “Old
Florida” cottages dating to the 1920s—hosts a
monthly art walk on the third Friday of each
month. On the northern edge of downtown,
the Historic Downtown Village bordering
Gillespie Park closes out each month with its
fourth Friday art walk.
Arts for Everyone at Sarasota Art Centers
Community art centers in Sarasota nurture
local talent and provide meaningful glimpses
into the hearts of Florida’s living artists. In
addition to exhibits, art centers throughout
Sarasota County offer year-round arts
education and enrichment programs for all
ages and skill levels.
Bordering downtown Sarasota on Tamiami
Trail is Sarasota County’s most visible public
art center, Art Center Sarasota, with four
Clyde Butcher Gallery
World-renowned nature photographer and
conservationist Clyde Butcher is sometimes
referred to as the Ansel Adams of the Everglades
for his breathtaking, large-scale black-andwhite
photographs of Florida’s unrestrained
natural wilderness. Visitors can view Butcher’s
work at the Clyde Butcher Gallery and Studio
in Venice or the Clyde Butcher Gallery on
St. Armands Circle.
PERFORMING A R TS
Theater
he stage is set in Sarasota for a
broad array of theater styles,
from classical to contemporary dramas,
musicals, improv and more.
Florida’s premier professional theater,
the Asolo Repertory Theatre, is considered
one of the most influential cultural
centers in the southeastern United States.
The Asolo Repertory Theatre stages up to
15 productions per season, ranging from
newly commissioned plays to provocative
adaptations of classical and contemporary
works.
Towles Court
Clyde Butcher Gallery
and Studio
22 The Official Destination Guide of Sarasota County