Origins: Sarasota Artist Colony, 1945-1965

This historical group exhibition revisits the creative legacy of the Sarasota Colony—a vibrant and visionary community of artists who helped shape the region’s post-war cultural identity and laid the groundwork for Sarasota’s emergence as a thriving arts destination.

Drawn to the Gulf Coast for its climate, light, and Ringling School of Art, these painters, printmakers, and educators established studios, taught classes, and exhibited widely, fostering a collaborative spirit that flourished between 1945 and 1965. Origins is a visual tribute to this remarkable era—highlighting the innovation, camaraderie, and enduring influence of the colony's members.

FEATURED ARTISTS INCLUDE:
Syd Solomon, Helen Sawyer, Elden Rowland, Shirley Clement, George Kaiser, Martha and William Hartman, Judy Axe, Robert Chase, Jerry Farnsworth, Harold Slingerland, Al Parker, Hilton and Dorothy Leech, Eugene White, Loran Wilford, Ben Stahl, Sidney Laufman, Thornton Utz, Glenna Finch, Roy Nichols, Nike Parton, Robert Larsen, and more.

Together, their work captures the experimental energy and pioneering spirit of a group whose contributions continue to echo throughout Sarasota’s art scene today. Through their vibrant, diverse works, this exhibition captures a pivotal moment in Sarasota’s cultural evolution—one that continues to resonate and inspire the region’s contemporary art community.