Why Arts Matter Now: Power, Politics, and the Business of Creativity

Our new speaker series, Art, Actually, explores how art intersects with identity, community, and change through conversations with artists, curators, and cultural leaders.
“Art, Actually” is a community-centered speaker series at ACS that explores the role of art in shaping Sarasota’s cultural identity—past, present, and future. Each session highlights the voices of local artists, cultural leaders, and creative thinkers as they reflect on how art connects us, tells our shared stories, and inspires meaningful dialogue. Grounded in Sarasota’s rich artistic legacy, this series celebrates the power of creativity to build community and spark change. $15 for New Friends of the Art Center. Free for Members.

Why Arts Matter Now: Power, Politics, and the Business of Creativity:

In today’s cultural landscape, the arts are more than entertainment—they are vessels of memory, resistance, and possibility. Yet behind every performance, exhibition, or program lies a complex reality: balancing vision with operations, creativity with sustainability, and passion with the politics that shape funding and public perception.

In this engaging talk, Yoleidy Rosario-Hernandez, Founding Executive Artistic Director of Mosaic Movements, pulls back the curtain on the business of the arts. From wearing multiple hats to navigating shifting political climates, ze shares candid reflections on what it takes to build and sustain an arts organization today. Through stories rooted in Sarasota’s vibrant cultural identity and broader national currents, Yoleidy invites the community to consider why the arts matter now more than ever—and how artists, patrons, and cultural leaders together can spark resilience and change.