Our History

In June 2021, the organization opened its first art gallery featuring a selection of paintings and sculptures by artists of the Sarasota Colony. The collection includes works dating back to the 1930s. Also in 2021, Arts Advocates was the beneficiary of five Highwaymen paintings, now on exhibit in the gallery.

From the mid-1950s to 1970, these celebrated African-American painters created an estimated 200,000 works and have surpassed that number in the subsequent decades. Docent tours of the collection are available to residents and visitors.

In late 2001, the Fine Arts Society organized and presented “An American Legacy: The Sarasota School of Architecture Symposium,” a five-day event including lectures by eminent architects and tours of Mid-Century Modern buildings. Over one thousand design professionals, scholars and individuals from around the world attended. The Sarasota Architectural Foundation was developed largely as a result of this symposium.

Traditionally, the Society organized and sponsored the popular “Creators and Collectors Tour.” The public was invited to visit local artists in their studios, and a “Celebrate the Arts” luncheon was held to honor outstanding individuals from Sarasota's art community.

Luminaire Awards have been presented to artists Roger Lighlte, Roy McLendon and Roy McLendon Jr, Mary Ann Carol and Curtis Arnett, Howard Tibbals (miniature circus creator), Howard Millman (Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe), Iain Webb and Margaret Barbieri (Sarasota Ballet), Victor DeRenzi (Sarasota Opera) and Richard and Rebecca Hopkins (Florida Studio Theatre).

Scholarships are awarded annually to talented students pursuing a career in the arts. Arts Advocates' scholars attend prestigious institutions such as Carnegie Mellon University, Pratt Institute, Berklee School of Music, Columbia University and The Ringling College of Art and Design.