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New Fall Programs Announced

The Hermitage Artist Retreat today announced three additional fall programs. The newly announced events include Hermitage Fellows Talene Monahon and Tommy Lubben in an exploration of how history influences their artistic practices – Friday, November 13 at 5:30pm on the Hermitage Beach; celebrated opera composer Ricky Ian Gordon sharing his original music and creative process on Friday, November 20 at 5:30pm at Selby Gardens’ Historic Spanish Point; and composer, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist Jen Shyu sharing traditional songs alongside original compositions at the Hermitage Englewood Art Center on Friday, December 4 at 5:30pm.

Hermitage Fellows Talene Monahon and Tommy Lubben are acclaimed artists in their respective fields who regularly look to history to inspire their artistic practice. Monahon, a celebrated playwright and Pulitzer Prize finalist for Meet the Cartozians, mined a lengthy 1920s trial transcript to guide the vision of the play, resulting in “the best production I’ve seen all year” according to The New York Times. Her other notable work includes The Good John Proctor, inspired by the Salem Witch Trials, and Jane Anger, which used a 1589 historical document and Shakespeare as its jumping off point. Tommy Lubben, a classically trained multi-instrumentalist who is one-third of the musical trio The Lubben Brothers, calls himself a “folk revivalist,” constructing original arrangements of archetypal American songs throughout history. Last seen at the Hermitage in our culminating program for the 2025 Cross Arts Collaborative and a frequent collaborator with Sarasota’s Key Chorale, Lubben returns with his latest exploration into the works of those who came before him. For this Hermitage program, these two distinguished artists will share their artistic practice and discuss how history informs their work with “Looking Back to Look Forward: An Evening of Theater & Folk Music,” against the backdrop of the historic Hermitage Beach on Friday, November 13 at 5:30pm.

Describing Hermitage Fellow Ricky Ian Gordon’s work, The New York Times wrote, “If the music of Ricky Ian Gordon had to be defined by a single quality, it would be the bursting effervescence in fusing songs that blithely blur the lines between art song and the high-end Broadway music of Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim – it’s caviar for a world gorging on pizza.” Gordon’s songs have been recorded by some of the best singers in the world, including Audra McDonald, Kristin Chenoweth, Renée Fleming, Kelli O’Hara, and many more. His works have been performed at the Metropolitan Opera, Lincoln Center, and Carnegie Hall, and he has collaborated with Hermitage Fellows Lynn Nottage and Mark Campbell, among many other notable playwrights and librettists. Gordon is also known for setting the literary work of contemporary poets and writers such as Langston Hughes, Emily Dickinson, Dorothy Parker, and Edna St. Vincent Millay, to music for his song collections. In this program, Hermitage Fellow Thea Lobo and five Sarasota Opera Resident Artists will perform selections of this iconic composer’s songs, and Gordon will share insight into his artistic practice in the beautiful bayfront setting of Selby Gardens’ Historic Spanish Point for “Words Spoken, Words Sung: An Evening with Ricky Ian Gordon” on Friday, November 20 at 5:30pm. This event is presented in partnership with Marie Selby Botanical Gardens and Sarasota Opera.

On Friday, December 4 at 5:30pm, Hermitage Fellow Jen Shyu, called “one of the most creative vocalists in contemporary improvised music” by The Nation, returns to the Hermitage for a special look into her singular artistry. The New York Times has called her concerts “the most arresting I’ve seen over the past five years.” Shyu’s performances encompass dance, vocals, and multiple instruments, including piano, violin, Taiwanese moon lute, and Korean gayageum, and she has performed at world-famous venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  Jen Shyu shares traditional songs alongside original compositions, while exploring what it means to be guided by your heritage and history in “Finding Your Authentic Voice” at the Hermitage Englewood Art Center. 

These Hermitage programs are free and open to the public (with a $5/person registration fee), offering Gulf Coast audiences a rare chance to engage and interact with some of the world’s leading talent. Running time for most Hermitage programs is 60-70 minutes with no intermission. Due to capacity limitations, registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org.

Hermitage Launches New Series at Hermitage Englewood Art Center

The Hermitage Artist Retreat today announced the launch of two new series at the Hermitage Englewood Art Center (HEAC). The facility was acquired by the Hermitage earlier this year from Ringling College of Art and Design. These two new series mark a new chapter of Hermitage programming at the HEAC, which will continue to evolve over the coming seasons. 

Hermitage Saturday Sessions will offer a series of weekend workshops for the community. One Saturday during the month, an accomplished Hermitage Fellow will lead an intimate group of participants through a hands-on exploration of their respective craft. Workshops will vary in topic and span the disciplines of visual art, music, dance, theater, literature, and more, allowing participants the unique chance to tap into their creativity through the guidance of the Hermitage’s world class artists.

The Hermitage Book Club is an opportunity to read and explore the extensive literary work of our illustrious Hermitage Fellows. Curated and facilitated by Hermitage Programs Director Tiffany Colli-Moon, this group will meet on the first Monday of each month at 5:30pm for a lively group discussion about a work written by one of our distinguished literary alumni – many written and/or developed in part at the Hermitage. The Hermitage Book Club will provide attendees the opportunity to read critically acclaimed titles, discover new favorites, and engage more deeply with the work of Hermitage Fellows. (On select occasions, the Hermitage may arrange for the distinguished author to join the session, but the meeting will more often be an independent group discussion. Attendees are asked to read the full book prior to attending the session.) 

In December of 2025, the Hermitage assumed ownership of the Englewood Art Center from the Ringling College of Art and Design. Located directly across Lemon Bay and just a ten-minute drive from the Hermitage’s existing home on Manasota Key, the Hermitage Englewood Art Center property spans two acres of land and includes two primary buildings totaling 11,000 square feet. The Hermitage intends to make use of this facility as a multidisciplinary arts center in furtherance of its mission: to inspire and foster the most influential and culturally consequential art and artists of our time. To that end, the Hermitage plans to activate the HEAC as extended space for visual art installation and its celebrated public programming, now including Hermitage Saturday Sessions community workshops, and The Hermitage Book Club. Beyond the public-facing programs intended to enrich the community, this facility will provide meaningful studio and gallery space for the Hermitage’s renowned artist-in-residence program. The long-term strategic planning for the future of the facility is still in process. The Hermitage hosted a meaningful community information session for members of the Englewood and surrounding communities to help inform thoughtful activation of this invaluable space in the way that best meets the needs of our community while continuing to advance the organizational mission. This includes ongoing dialogue with constituents of the Englewood community as the plans take shape.   

On Saturday, October 10 at 11am, the Hermitage kicks off Hermitage Saturday Sessionsworkshops with Tony Award-nominated Hermitage Fellow Julian Crouch, a legendary opera and theater director and designer who has been heralded by The New York Times. His impressive body of work includes the Olivier Award-winning musical Shockheaded Peter in London; The Enchanted Island and more at the Metropolitan Opera; The Addams Family, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and more on Broadway; and numerous other opera and theater designs across the U.K. and Europe. Crouch will guide workshop participants in the exploration and use of live animation and puppetry techniques that have been the inspiration for many of his productions in “Something from Nothing: A Puppetry Workshop.” Focusing on the use of everyday materials and simple movement qualities, the workshop will demonstrate how to bring the inanimate to life through collaborative improvisation. The workshop is suitable for both true beginners and experienced practitioners, and will involve both performance and some simple making. All materials will be provided – participants need only bring their curiosity and their imagination. Due to limited capacity and supplies, registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org. This first workshop will accept participants on a first-come, first-served basis.  

The inaugural session of the Hermitage Book Club will be held on Monday, November 2 at 5:30pm, featuring Hermitage Fellow, former Hermitage Curatorial Council member, and acclaimed author Emily Nemens’ highly anticipated second novel, Clutch. Named a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice, Clutch follows a group of five women – friends for twenty years – as they navigate the biggest challenges of their lives, asking: when you’re hanging on by your fingernails, how can you extend a hand to the ones you love? Named a “Best Book” by The New York Times Book Review, People Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, Alta Journal, Bustle, and more, Clutch is described by the LA Times as “White Lotus with more sincerity and heart.” Nemens previously shared work from her novel The Cactus Leagueon the Hermitage Beach, offering insight into the world of Major League Baseball and spring training in Arizona. To kick off the series, Emily Nemens will join this inaugural Hermitage Book Club discussion in person!

“We are incredibly excited to launch these two newly conceived series at the Hermitage Englewood Art Center,” said Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg. “The HEAC is ripe with possibilities, and as we continue planning our next steps for the facility, these two series will allow us to engage more meaningfully with the community.”

Hermitage programs are free and open to the public (with a $5/person registration fee), offering Gulf Coast audiences a rare chance to engage and interact with some of the world’s leading talent. Future workshops may require a lottery depending upon capacity and demand. In those instances, registrants will be notified two weeks prior to the workshop if their names were drawn for participation. Running time for most Hermitage programs is 60-70 minutes, with interactive workshops typically running 90 minutes.

Hermitage and Terrence McNally Foundation Continue Partnership 

Andy Sandberg, Artistic Director and CEO of the Hermitage Artist Retreat, today announced that Talene Monahon will be the 2026 designee of the McNally Fellowship at the Hermitage, made possible with generous support from the Terrence McNally Foundation. This residency sponsorship is intended to support the Fellowship of an early-career playwright who is making a meaningful impact in the theater. In collaboration with the McNally Foundation, the Hermitage has selected Pulitzer Prize finalist and Hermitage Major Theater Award finalist Talene Monahon as the 2026 McNally Fellow.

Monahonis a Boston-born playwright of Armenian and Irish descent. She is a Pulitzer Prize finalist for her play Meet the Cartozians, which premiered Off-Broadway at Second Stage Theater in fall of 2025. Meet the Cartozians was also a New York Times Critic’s Pick and was recognized on Vulture’s “Top 10 Best Plays of 2025” and TheaterMania’s “Top 5 Plays of 2025.” Monahon’s other plays include The Good John Proctor, Jane Anger, and How to Load a Musket.

“The Hermitage is deeply grateful to the Terrence McNally Foundation for their continuing support and passionate belief in the work we are doing,” said Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg. “It has been a joy to collaborate with our friend Tom Kirdahy as a fellow advocate for new voices, and he’s been such a champion of the Hermitage and its mission. We are honored to celebrate Terrence’s incomparable legacy by providing the gift of space and time to the next generation of prolific voices in the theater, and we are excited to welcome Talene Monahon as the 2026 recipient of this honor.”

Tom Kirdahy, a Tony and Olivier Award-winning theater and film producer and the late Terrence McNally’s husband, is the president of Tom Kirdahy Productions and a principal trustee of the McNally Foundation. Kirdahy’s work spans Broadway, Off-Broadway, the West End, and beyond. Among his current and recent producing credits are the Tony Award-winning revival of Ragtime at Lincoln Center Theater; the Broadway smash-hit musical Just in Time; Stephen Sondheim’s posthumous Off-Broadway musical Here We Are, which starred Tony Award winner and Hermitage Fellow Rachel Bay Jones; Terrence McNally’sKiss of the Spider Woman film starring Jennifer Lopez; the hit Off-Broadway revival of Little Shop of Horrors; and Hadestown, the winner of eight Tony Awards on Broadway including Best Musical, along with the recent film release and the Olivier Award-nominated West End production. 

“We are incredibly proud to support the work the Hermitage is doing,” added Kirdahy. “The Hermitage is a world-class arts incubator – not only for playwrights and theater artists, but for so many extraordinary talents of all different backgrounds and disciplines. The gift they are giving to these innovative and imaginative writers, performers, and artists is invaluable. We are excited for Talene to continue her creative journey with this Hermitage residency in Terrence’s name.” 

The Terrence McNally Foundation is a nonprofit organization committed to supporting bold new voices in the American theater by providing support to early-career playwrights and the institutions that support them. The McNally Foundation’s mission to champion new playwrights aligns with the mission of the Hermitage Artist Retreat: to inspire and foster the most influential and consequential art and artists of our time. Created by legendary playwright/librettist Terrence McNally and supported through the ongoing royalties of his work, the Foundation is also committed to supporting LGBTQ+ causes, as McNally did throughout his life. Following Terrence’s passing, Tom Kirdahy stated that the Foundation would continue the legendary playwright’s “singular legacy of mentorship and activism.”

A leading national arts incubator, the Hermitage is the only major arts organization in Florida’s Gulf Coast exclusively committed to supporting the development and creation of new work across all artistic disciplines. The Hermitage hosts artists on its Gulf Coast Manasota Key home for multi-week residencies, where diverse and accomplished artists from around the world and across multiple disciplines create and develop new works of theater, music, visual art, literature, dance, film, and more. As part of their residencies, Hermitage Fellows participate in free year-round community programs, offering audiences in the region a unique opportunity to engage with some of the world’s leading artists and to get an authentic “sneak peek” into extraordinary projects and artistic minds before their works go on to major galleries, concert halls, theaters, and museums around the world. These free and innovative programs include performances, conversations, readings, music concerts, interactive experiences, open studios, school programs, teacher workshops, and more, serving thousands in our regional community each year.

New October Program Announced

The Hermitage Artist Retreat today announced a new October program on the Hermitage Beach featuringacclaimed poet and Pulitzer Prize finalist Robyn Schiff, alongside celebrated drummer and music producer Sarah Galdes. On Thursday, October 29th at 5:30pm, these two talented Hermitage artists will offer a program of poetry and percussion on the Hermitage Beach with “We Got the Beat: Poetry & Percussion.” Join us for the first beach program of the fall season as these renowned artists share their original work and discuss their respective journeys as the sun sets into the Gulf. 

Hermitage Fellow Robyn Schiff is the author of four collections of poetry, including Information Desk: An Epic, based on Schiff’s experience as a staff member at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s information desk. Described as “an effluvial rush of memory, desire, data, and metaphor” by The New York Review of Books, Information Desk: An Epic was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry. Schiff co-edits the independent poetry press Canarium Books, and she is a professor at the University of Chicago, where she is Director of the Program in Creative Writing. 

Hermitage Fellow Sarah Galdes is a drummer, electronic artist, and music producer. Galdes has toured, performed, and recorded with a wide variety of bands and artists in the international music scene including Julien Baker (boygenius), Lauren Mayberry (CHVRCHES), Anna Wise, Bartees Strange, and many more. In addition to the drums, Galdes has studied traditional Korean percussion instruments and North Indian music, embarking on intensive study tours in South Korea, New York, Australia, and Canada. 

Hermitage programs are free and open to the public (with a $5/person registration fee), offering Gulf Coast audiences a rare chance to engage and interact with some of the world’s leading talent. Running time for most Hermitage programs is 60-70 minutes with no intermission. Due to capacity limitations, registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org.

Composer Jaylin Vinson Wins 2026 Hermitage Prize in Composition

The Hermitage Artist Retreat and the Aspen Music Festival and School (Aspen, Colorado) are pleased to announce Jaylin Vinson, a composition student at AMFS, has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 Hermitage Prize in Composition. Vinson is the thirteenth recipient of this annual award, which includes a residency at the Hermitage. This year, the Hermitage is pleased to announce a new $10,000 valuation for the prize, which includes a $5,000 commission paid directly to the winner, in addition to supporting expenses related to the winner’s Fellowship and public program at the Hermitage. With this commission, Vinson will create an original composition that will be developed at the Hermitage prior to having its full premiere in Aspen in 2027 with the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble (ACE). This commission is made possible with generous support from Marsha & David Dowler, Rebecca Donelson & Robert Blattberg, and Friends of the Hermitage in Aspen.

Vinson was selected by a jury that includes multiple Grammy Award winner Robert Spano, Music Director of the AMFS, Artistic Director Laureate of the Atlanta Symphony, and a past member of the Hermitage Curatorial Council; award-winning composer and arts administrator Alan Fletcher, AMFS President and CEO; and the composition faculty of the AMFS, including Grammy Award-winning Hermitage Fellow Christopher Theofanidis.

Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg presented the award to Vinson on Saturday at the Aspen Music Festival’s Klein Tent, alongside Fletcher and Theofanidis. The commission was announced the following day at an annual reception hosted by Marsha and David Dowler in celebration of the Hermitage Prize and the AMFS composition students. 

The Hermitage Prize in Composition, launched in 2013, reflects an invaluable partnership between AMFS and the Hermitage, designed to champion new and original works and to recognize exceptional talent in the field of contemporary classical music. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of this award in 2023, the Hermitage and AMFS produced a retrospective video featuring exclusive interviews with past winners, distinguished AMFS faculty members, and renowned thought leaders in music, which can be seen here (full URL link below). With established composers like Spano, Fletcher, Theofanidis, Nico Muhly, and more having experienced memorable Hermitage Fellowships, the Hermitage Prize in Composition was created to offer the same experience to young, talented composers just beginning their professional careers.

“We are thrilled to recognize Jaylin Vinson as the winner of the thirteenth annual Hermitage Prize and the inaugural recipient of this new commission,” noted Sandberg. “Jaylin is a brilliant young composer whose work has been heard across the United States, and we know he will a welcome addition to the Hermitage community. We were delighted that the weekend’s festivities could be celebrated alongside fellow Hermitage alumni. We must also thank Marsha and David Dowler, Rebecca Donelson and Bob Blattberg, and our generous supporters in Aspen for making this new commission possible, and we are grateful for our continuing collaboration with the Aspen Music Festival and School.”

The Hermitage Prize at AMFS is the only student residency awarded each year; all other Hermitage Fellows are accomplished working professionals and leaders in their fields, selected by the Hermitage’s National Curatorial Council. This provides the recipient of the annual Hermitage Prize in Composition the opportunity to share this unmatched Hermitage experience with leading artists from all around the world. 

This year’s season of the world-renowned Aspen Music Festival featured works and performances from Hermitage alumni including AMFS Music Director Robert Spano, AMFS President Alan Fletcher, Christopher Theofanidis, Lera Auerbach, Nico Muhly, Jessie Montgomery, Gity Razaz, David Lang, and 2017 Hermitage Prize in Composition winner Joel Thompson. 

Hermitage Fellows have included 20 Pulitzer Prize winners, multiple Grammy, Oscar, Emmy, and Tony winners, Poets Laureate, MacArthur and Guggenheim Fellows, and more. Hermitage Fellows regularly describe their time at the Hermitage as “magical,” “transformative,” and “life-changing.”

2026 Hermitage Prize in Composition winner Jaylin Vinson is a concert-music composer whosemusic has been described as “an awakening” by the Sioux City Journal, marked by “insatiable curiosity” from the Heifetz Institute, and recognized as “bold and compelling” by DC Theater Arts. His compositions have been showcased at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the DiMenna Center for Classical Music, with works performed by ensembles across the United States including the New York Youth Symphony, Houston Youth Symphonies, the Oklahoma Youth Orchestras, Baylor Symphony Orchestra, University of Northern Iowa Symphony Orchestra, the Brevard Music Center Orchestra, the National Orchestra Institute, Sioux City Symphony Orchestra, the U.S. Navy Band, the Apollo Chamber Players, and KINETIC Ensemble. Vinson’s one-act opera, Future of Dreams, was commissioned by Washington National Opera and premiered at the Kennedy Center in January 2025. A Finalist for the San Francisco Symphony’s Black Emerging Composer Project, Vinson’s honors prior to the Hermitage Prize include being named Composer of the Year by the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra, winning the inaugural Altus Adams Prize by the U.S. Navy Band, and receiving an Honorable Mention in the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award. Vinson holds a Bachelor of Music in Composition from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. He is currently pursuing a Master of Music in Composition at the Juilliard School, as a proud recipient of the Kovner Fellowship.

“Words cannot adequately express how thrilled and humbled I am to receive the Hermitage Prize in Composition,” said Vinson. “As a composer, I work within a fundamentally time-based art form, so receiving the gift of time at the Hermitage Artist Retreat is not one I take for granted. To know the history of this wonderful landscape on Manasota Key is to know the brilliant creatives who have also been blessed with uninterrupted time at the Hermitage – time that has led to an extraordinary body of new work and fruitful collaboration. I am beaming with anticipation, thinking of the new work and the relationships that will grow out of my own time there. I extend my utmost gratitude to the selection committee for this investment in my creative life, and for the privilege this time will mean to my career. I look forward to what I will create: my gift of gratitude for the gift that has been extended to me.”

Following the award presentation on the stage of the Klein Tent, Vinson was recognized at a reception hosted by Marsha and David Dowler in celebration of the Hermitage Prize, where he was surprised by the news of the commission. At this event, Vinson’s original work “Carpe Diem” was debuted by the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble (ACE). Vinson’s new commission will also receive its premiere in collaboration with ACE next summer, to coincide with the awarding of the 2027 Hermitage Prize winner.

Previous residencies of AMFS Hermitage Prize recipients have led to exciting collaborations, lifelong friendships, and extraordinary new compositions. The first winner of this award in 2013 was Patrick Harlin. While in residence at the Hermitage, Harlin met acclaimed designer and visual artist Anne Patterson. The two sparked a decade-long collaboration that led to the world premiere exhibition, “The Truth of the Night Sky,” at the Sarasota Art Museum in the fall of 2024. Harlin and Patterson also spent time at the Hermitage with AMFS composer Christopher Theofanidis and celebrated poet Melissa Studdard; as a result, these four Hermitage alumni began a multi-year collaboration which led to the 2025 world premiere of Siddhartha, She at the Aspen Music Festival. Adapted from Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha, this original opera developed at the Hermitage featured music by Christopher Theofanidis, a libretto by Melissa Studdard, design and direction by Anne Patterson, soundscape design by Patrick Harlin, and music direction by Robert Spano– all five Hermitage alumni. This newly created work received critical acclaim at the 2025 Aspen Music Festival. 

“This opportunity at the Hermitage has made such a big difference to me,” said 2025 Hermitage Prize in Composition winner Harriet Steinke. The first thing I noticed was how amazing it has been for my creative brain to have space and time. People, including myself, underestimate how much you need that to be creative. It takes time to get your brain and your body in the right space, and as you move through your life, it’s impossible to find that sort of time. This experience has helped me find that peace and quiet, this extraordinarily valuable thing that artists really need to continue to produce throughout their lives. While I’m at the Hermitage, I’m working on an opera for Beth Morrison Projects, setting the text of the Victorian poet Christina Rossetti.”

“I cannot adequately describe how grateful I felt to be at the Hermitage Artist Retreat,” said the 2024 Hermitage Prize winner Hannah Rice of her resulting residency. “Life is so fast paced for young artists, so to be awarded the time to wake up, watch the sunrise, and ground myself was truly a gift. I was so unbelievably inspired by the ocean, the sounds of the birds squawking, and the beauty of mother earth, and I feel so thankful for this invaluable time to get back to child-like play in my music studio. I also had the opportunity to connect with some incredible, seasoned artists while in residence, and I have learned so much from their insights and experiences. As I approached the end of my time on Manasota Key, I soaked in everything that this gorgeous place and these wonderful people had to offer and splattered as many sounds against the canvas as I could. It was truly a privilege to be at the Hermitage –I kept reminding myself – I’m not in a dream!”

Previous Hermitage Prize recipients include Patrick Harlin (2013), Thomas Kotcheff (2014), Phillip Sink (2015), Andrew Hsu (2016), Joel Thompson (2017), Sid Richardson (2018), Chelsea Komschlies(2019), David Clay Mettens (2021), Sofía Rocha (2022), Matīss Čudars (2023), Hannah Rice (2024), and Harriet Steinke (2025).

Hermitage Announces New Members of National Curatorial Council

The Hermitage Artist Retreat recently announced its 2026-2027 Curatorial Council, comprised of distinguished national arts leaders spanning the fields of theater, music, visual art, literature, and arts education. The newest additions to the Council include Mark Ronson, Academy Award and nine-time Grammy Award-winning songwriter and producer; Will Butler, Grammy Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated composer; Bill Rauch, Tony Award-winning Artistic Director of the Perelman Performing Arts Center; Ian Alteveer, Beal Family Chair of Contemporary Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; and Justin Torres, a National Book Award-winning author and Hermitage alumnus. 

The full National Curatorial Council for the Hermitage’s 2026-2027 season, comprised of fifteen accomplished and diverse nominating members from across the United States, includes: 

  • Ian Alteveer* (Visual Art), Chair of Contemporary Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
  • Courtney J. Boddie (Arts Education), VP, Education & School Engagement, New Victory/New 42
  • Will Butler* (Music), Grammy Award-Winning & Academy Award-Nominated Composer
  • Kimberli Gant (Visual Art), Curator of Modern & Contemporary Art, Brooklyn Museum
  • Lauren Groff (Literature), New York Times Bestselling Author & Time “100 Most Influential People” 
  • Cathy Park Hong (Literature), Pulitzer Prize Finalist & Time “100 Most Influential People” 
  • Rajiv Joseph (Theater), Obie Award-Winning Playwright & Screenwriter
  • Christine Kuan (Visual Art), President & Executive Director, Creative Capital
  • Tina LaPadula (Arts Education), Founder of Arts Corps & Arts Ed Manager, City of Seattle
  • Lynn Nottage (Theater), Two-Time Pulitzer Prize-Winning Playwright
  • Shara Nova (Music), Grammy Award-Nominated Recording Artist & Performer
  • Bill Rauch* (Theater), Tony Award-Winning Artistic Director of Perelman Performing Arts Center
  • Mark Ronson* (Music), Academy Award & Grammy Award-Winning Songwriter & Producer
  • Justin Torres* (Literature), National Book Award-Winning Author
  • Du Yun (Music), Pulitzer Prize-Winning & Grammy Award-Nominated Composer

*New to the Council as of 2026

 “We are honored to welcome these visionary and forward-thinking arts leaders to the Hermitage Curatorial Council,” says Andy Sandberg, Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO. “Ian Alteveer, Will Butler, Bill Rauch, Mark Ronson, and Justin Torres are innovative creative minds with a finger on the pulse, each highly regarded for their unique contributions to their respective fields. The members of this esteemed Curatorial Council share a collective passion for the development and creation of new work from bold and diverse voices, and we are incredibly fortunate to have these luminaries of the arts in the Hermitage family. With their breadth of experience, their vast networks, and their insightful ability to identify extraordinary talent, the selection of this next wave of Hermitage Fellows is in exceptionally capable hands.”

Mark Ronson is a globally celebrated DJ and a nine-time Grammy Award, Academy Award, and Golden Globe Award-winning producer and songwriter. He began his career DJ-ing in 1990s New York before rising to fame with standout collaborations, including Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black, which earned him multiple Grammys including Producer of the Year, and the global smash “Uptown Funk” with Bruno Mars. He co-wrote the Oscar, Golden Globe, and Grammy-winning hit “Shallow” for A Star Is Bornand has worked with artists like Lady Gaga, Adele, Paul McCartney, Miley Cyrus, and Dua Lipa. In 2023, he served as executive producer and composer for Barbie: The Album and its score, earning another Grammy, and in early 2025, executive produced SNL50: The Homecoming Concert with Lorne Michaels. His memoir, Night People: How to Be a DJ in ’90s New York City, was released in September of 2025 and earned him a spot on The New York Times Bestsellers list, and the Sunday Times “Top 10 Bestsellers” list. The memoir was quickly snapped up by Brad Pitt’s Plan B and Warner Brothers Studios for a film adaptation. Most recently, Mark received the 2026 Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music and highlighted the show with a seven-minute live performance featuring Ghostface Killah and Dua Lipa.

Will Butler is an award-winning musician and composer. As a member of the band Arcade Fire until 2022, he released era-defining records such as Funeral and The Suburbs, which won the 2011 Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Along with Owen Pallett, he was nominated for the Oscar for Best Original Score for the Spike Jonze film Her. He has collaborated with a wide range of artists, including Emma Stone, Terry Gilliam, Greta Gerwig, choreographer Ryan Heffington and comedians Jo Firestone and Patti Harrison. He is currently a recording artist for Merge Records. Stereophonic was his Broadway debut, earning 13 Tony Award nominations, including Best Score and Best Orchestrations.

Bill Rauch is the inaugural Artistic Director of the Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC NYC), at the World Trade Center. His work as a theater director has been seen across the nation, from community centers to Broadway in the Tony Award-winning production of All The Way, its sequel The Great Society, and most recently co-directing Cats: The Jellicle Ball, for which he won the 2026 Tony Award for Best Director of a Musical. From 2007 to 2019, Bill was Artistic Director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the country’s oldest and largest rotating repertory theater. Bill co-founded Cornerstone Theater Company where he served as artistic director from 1986 to 2006, directing collaborations with diverse, rural, and urban communities nationwide. 

Ian Alteveer , a 2026 Hermitage Greenfield Prize juror, joined the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in 2023 as the Beal Family Chair of Contemporary Art, where he leads the department focused on art made after 1955 and where his project Martin Puryear: Nexus, a 50-year survey of the American sculptor, is currently on view. Prior to his current role, Alteveer was the inaugural Aaron I. Fleischman Curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where he curated the survey Cecily Brown: Death and the Maid, as well as retrospectives for Kerry James Marshall, Marisa Merz, David Hockney, and Vija Celmins. Alteveer is a graduate of Stanford University and New York University’s Institute of Fine Arts. 

Justin Torres is a Hermitage alumnus and the author of Blackouts, which won the National Book Award for Fiction and the California Book Award, and was a finalist for the LA Times Book Prize, the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Lambda Literary Award, the Inside Literary Prize, and the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction. A 2025 Berlin Prize Fellow at the American Academy, he’s also received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard, and the New York Public Library’s Cullman Center. His first novel We the Animals was a national bestseller and adapted into a feature film. He lives in Los Angeles and is a professor of English at UCLA.

Members of the Hermitage Curatorial Council are experts in their disciplines and connected to some of the world’s most renowned artists and cultural institutions. Each year, the Council selects artists of extraordinary ability who are already making an impact in their field – artists, writers, performers, and educators who are eager to continue developing bold and impactful new works, and who may benefit creatively from a distinguished Hermitage Fellowship. *Since national and international Hermitage Fellowships are curated, there is no application for a Hermitage residency; neither the Hermitage staff nor members of the Curatorial Council can accept applications or solicitations. However, Sarasota County artists and arts teachers in Florida schools can find information on how to apply to select programs (John Ringling Towers Fellowships and Hermitage STARs) through the Hermitage website.

Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens 2026-27 Dates

The Hermitage Artist Retreat’s popular series, “Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens,” continues into its seventh year as part of the Hermitage’s upcoming 2026-2027 season. The outdoor series — a celebrated collaboration between the Hermitage Artist Retreat and Marie Selby Botanical Gardens — features performances and explorations of works-in-progress by Hermitage artists-in-residence and alumni. “Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens” events are currently scheduled to take place at Selby Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota campus and the Historic Spanish Point campus in Osprey. 

Newly announced dates for this seventh season of “Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens” include:

  • Friday, October 16, 2026, Downtown Sarasota campus
  • Friday, November 20, 2026, Historic Spanish Point campus
  • Thursday February 11, 2027, Historic Spanish Point campus
  • Thursday February 25, 2027, Downtown Sarasota campus
  • Thursday, March 18, 2027, Downtown Sarasota campus
  • Thursday, May 6, 2027, Downtown Sarasota campus

The first of these events, “New Music Under the Old Oak,” features Hermitage Fellows Madeline Benson & Chris Peters who collaborated as arrangers, orchestrators, and performers for late Hermitage Fellow Gavin Creel’s original musical Walk on Through, which was developed in part at the Hermitage. They have since partnered on other ventures, including Benson’s debut album, Leave it All to Me, produced by Peters, and a concert at Lincoln Center featuring their individual and collaborative work. Matīss Čudars, winner of the Hermitage Prize in Composition at the Aspen Music Festival & School, is a Latvian composer and guitar player who draws upon a diverse musical upbringing encompassing math-rock, jazz, classical music, and avant-garde improv. Last seen at the 2025 Hermitage Artful Lobster, he composes for orchestras, chamber ensembles, and solo performance. These talented Hermitage musicians will share their original work and their creative process as the sun sets into the Bay at Selby Gardens’ downtown Sarasota campus on Friday, October 16 at 5:30pm.

Start times for the additional program dates will vary with sunset and will be announced when each event opens for registration. Admission for these events has no ticket cost, though availability is subject to capacity limitations at each venue; advance registration is required ($5/person) at HermitageArtistRetreat.org.   

Each program will feature a celebrated Hermitage artist (or artists) to be announced. Last year’s “Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens” spotlighted the works and talents of acclaimed violist and founder of the quartet ETHEL Ralph Farris, Broadway performer and writer Lauren Marcus, Hermitage Roundabout Fellow and playwright Migdalia Cruz, Tony Award winner Britton Smith, acclaimed jazz musician Adam O’Farrill, Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning playwright Doug Wright, Obie Award winner Morgan Bassichis, celebrated Broadway and television actor and playwright Adam Chanler-Berat, award-winning singer-songwriter and composer Julian Hornik, and Juilliard-trained flutist Emi Ferguson. 

“This seventh season of ‘Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens’ promises to be another memorable one,” says Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg. “The forthcoming lineup will once again introduce audiences to some of the most dynamic artists and performers of our generation – six magical evenings set against the backdrop of these beautiful bayfront sanctuaries. This popular series has been a joyous collaboration with our friends at Selby Gardens, and we look forward welcoming new and returning audiences to experience a ‘sneak peek’ into the creative process of our leading artists, writers, and performers. 

“We are so excited to celebrate seven years of this wonderful collaboration with the Hermitage Artist Retreat,” says Selby Gardens President & CEO Jennifer Rominiecki. “Welcoming world-class Hermitage artists to our expanded bayfront sanctuary at our Downtown Sarasota and vibrant Historic Spanish Point campuses is something we look forward to each year. Treating Gulf Coast patrons to these special programs has been such a joy, and we are thrilled that the ‘Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens’ series continues to flourish.” 

These outdoor events are one part of many ongoing programs and collaborations planned throughout the season, spanning Sarasota County, Charlotte County, Manatee County, Lee County, and the surrounding region. The programs feature industry-leading playwrights, visual artists, musicians, poets, choreographers, and more — all free to the members of our community with a $5/person registration fee. 

Hermitage Hosts West Coast Alumni Reunion in Los Angeles

Over two decades of Hermitage Fellows came together in Los Angeles on Monday, August 3rd to celebrate the legacy of the Hermitage and connect with Hermitage Fellows across all artistic disciplines. Following the success of previous New York reunions, Hermitage alumni gathered in California to commemorate the impact of this leading national and international arts organization, located on Florida’s Gulf Coast.

“Yes, the Hermitage is a beautiful and inspiring place to create, but the more than 900+ extraordinary Hermitage Fellows are the true heart of the organization. These incredible artists and their experiences at the Hermitage are collectively changing the face of the artistic landscape,” said Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg. “They are all part of a remarkable tradition that has fostered generative artists, writers, creators, performers, and innovators, many of whom have earned national and international recognition.”

The evening brought together multiple generations of Hermitage alumni – and new Hermitage Fellows – to connect and reconnect as they shared stories of what they accomplished while in residence on Manasota Key, how the Hermitage has impacted their work and careers, and what the organization means to them as both artists and individuals. Sandberg thanked everyone for coming and encouraged all in attendance to take a moment to recognize the collective talent in the room, and to take pride in the shared legacy of what it means to be a Hermitage Fellow. 

The Hermitage, through its expanding commitment to alumni engagement, endeavors to build upon what many of the artists in residence share as one of the most meaningful experiences of their careers. In addition to serving as a leading national arts incubator, the Hermitage annually presents two distinguished commissions: the Hermitage Greenfield Prize and also the Hermitage Major Theater Award, which presents workshops and readings in major arts capitals such as New York, London, and Chicago. Hermitage Greenfield Prize winners Aleshea Harris and Sandy Rodriguez were among the distinguished artists in attendance.

Hermitage Receives Over $450,000 in National and Regional Grants 

The Hermitage Artist Retreat (Sarasota County, Florida) announced today that the nonprofit organization has been awarded a series of grants totaling over $450,000 that will support a variety of programs and initiatives, including residencies for Hermitage Fellows, arts education support, and program accessibility. Grants were awarded by the Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Community Foundation of Sarasota County, The Exchange, Florida Department of State’s Division of Arts and Culture, Frank E. Duckwall Foundation, Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Koski Family Foundation, Manatee Community Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, and the Sarasota County Tourist Development Cultural/Arts Program. 

The Hermitage is a multidisciplinary arts organization dedicated to championing bold and impactful new work, supporting the creative process, elevating the artist experience, and enriching the lives of audiences and arts appreciators around the world. A leading national incubator for diverse and original works across all artistic mediums, the Hermitage aims to inspire creative minds to achieve their greatest potential. In addition, the Hermitage is the only major arts organization in Florida exclusively committed to the development and creation of new work across all artistic disciplines.

The Florida Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture is supporting the mission of the Hermitage with a $150,000 grant award. These funds will go toward supporting artist residencies, free community programs, arts education programs, and additional programming surrounding Hermitage commissions like the Hermitage Greenfield Prize and the Hermitage Major Theater Award. 

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has renewed its support for the Hermitage with a $60,000 grant award. These funds are intended to support the Hermitage’s nationally renowned artist residency program.

The Welles Murphey Fund at Gulf Coast Community Foundation (GCCF) renewed its support for the Hermitage with a $50,000 Empowering Arts Grant in support of the organization’s mission: to inspire and foster the most influential and culturally consequential art and artists of our time. The Hermitage became one of Gulf Coast’s “Arts Appreciation” grantees in 2021, and that program was subsequently rebranded as “Empowering Arts,” supporting leading arts and cultural institutions in the region. GCCF has additionally supported the Hermitage through other special programs and hurricane relief efforts in recent years.

The Hermitage was awarded a $50,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County (CFSC) to once again serve as the Lead Community Sponsor for the Hermitage Greenfield Prize Weekend. This will be the tenth year of CFSC’s support of this annual celebration, which the Hermitage presents each year in partnership with the Greenfield Foundation. This coming year’s events are scheduled for April 16-18, 2027, with additional details to be announced. The popular Hermitage Greenfield Prize Dinner will be held on Sunday, April 18th starting at 6pm at Michael’s On East. 

For the upcoming season, Sarasota County approved the Tourist Development Cultural/Arts Program(TDC/A) funding, resulting in a grant award just over $60,000 for the Hermitage to facilitate artist residencies and programming that supports tourism in Sarasota County. Hermitage Fellows, alumni, and curators are some of the leading artists and thinkers in their respective fields from all over the world. These world-renowned creators share their artistic talents and insight into their creative process through free community programs held on the Hermitage campus, as well as at partner arts, cultural, and educational institutions throughout the region. These impactful and educational programs offer a wide variety of free events to tourists and residents alike, all throughout Sarasota County.

The Koski Family Foundation renewed their support of the Hermitage with a $50,000 grant to support the Hermitage’s commitment to arts education, in addition to their continuing support of the Hermitage’s Sarasota Cross Arts Collaborative initiative. This generous grant allows the Hermitage to foster the development and growth of teaching artists while providing local schools the benefit of these extraordinary artists’ insight and instruction. The Cross Arts Collaborative was designed to give performing and generative artists who call local arts institutions their creative home a chance to expand their artistic practice from ‘performer’ to ‘creator.’ Recipients receive two weeks of uninterrupted time at the Hermitage Artist Retreat to develop a new project and present a free public program for the greater Sarasota community. The Cross Arts Collaborative recipients from 2026 will share a public program of their work-in-process as part of the Hermitage’s 2026-2027 season. 

Additional community program support comes from The Exchange, which awarded a grant to support the Hermitage’s north Sarasota County programming initiatives, introducing patrons in Sarasota to some of the world’s leading artists, while the Frank E. Duckwall Foundation’s grant supports the Hermitage with a focus on the enhancement and refurbishment of the Hermitage Englewood Art Center. A grant from the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation will support the world-renowned Hermitage Residency program. The Manatee Community Foundationis providing support in recognition of the Hermitage’s programming and impact in Manatee County, while a grant from the Aaron Copland Fund for Music will provide support for the organization’s ongoing commitment to music residencies and initiatives.

The Hermitage is nationally and globally recognized for its acclaimed artist residency program and its rapidly expanding community programming, introducing Gulf Coast audiences to some of the world’s leading artists across all disciplines. “As our programs and collaborations continue to evolve and expand, we are excited to see the impact on audiences throughout our region and beyond,” says Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg. “We are deeply appreciative for these generous grants from both new and longtime supporters, all of which will provide invaluable support and resources to the diverse and accomplished Hermitage artists who are making a meaningful impact in our community and with audiences around the world.” 

Hermitage Welcomes Trustees for 2026-2027

The Hermitage Artist Retreat (Sarasota County, Florida) announced today that Jonathan Coleman (Sarasota), Larry Haspel (Sarasota), Helen Morrison (Sarasota / Washington, DC), and Maria Wynne(Sarasota / Chicago) have been elected to the Hermitage Board of Trustees, commencing their terms on July 1, 2026. Longtime Hermitage supporters and Sarasota arts philanthropists Carol White Bold, Beverly Koski, Adeleine Morrison, and Pauline Wamsler have been elected as Honorary Trustees. In addition, longstanding Hermitage trustee Marletta Darnall has been recognized with the distinguished honor of Emeritus Trustee.Carole Crosby will continue as President, with Peter Offringa newly stepping into the role of Vice President alongside Stephanie Jones who continues in her role as Vice President. Steve Adler and Sondra Biller will continue as Hermitage Board Treasurer and Secretary, respectively. 

These additions to the Hermitage Board follow a remarkable season that has included dozens of memorable programs and events; new and expanded collaborations and arts education partnerships throughout the community; multiple successful commission premieres, including a workshop at London’s National Theatre with Olivier Award winner and Hermitage Major Theater Award recipient Chris Bush; and another record-breaking fiscal year. This season also was marked by the transformative $12,000,000 gift of land and property from the Morrison and Steans family on Manasota Key; the addition of the Hermitage Englewood Art Center, newly acquired from Ringling College of Art and Design; multiple Hermitage alumni artist accomplishments including a Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for Bess Wohl’s play Liberation, an Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, and a Grammy Award for Mark Sonnenblick’s song “Golden,” and the celebrated film debut of writer, director, and Hermitage Greenfield Prize winner Aleshea Harris with her screen adaptation of Is God Is.

“We are incredibly excited to be welcoming these distinguished individuals to the Hermitage Board,” says Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg. “These are some of the Hermitage’s most vibrant champions, and their passion for the mission and future of the organization is truly inspiring. Their experience, intelligence, and thoughtful creativity will be invaluable to the organization’s continued growth and success.”

“It is truly an honor to welcome Jonathan, Larry, Helen, and Maria to our Board, as well as our distinguished new Honorary and Emeritus Trustees,” says Hermitage Board President Carole Crosby. “Andy’s vision for the Hermitage and the passionate team he has assembled are elevating the organization to new heights. I look forward to working with our new trustees to ensure a bright future for the organization, creating a lasting impact in our community and our culture.”

Sarasota resident Jonathan Coleman is a seasoned trial and appellate attorney with more than three decades of experience representing clients in complex commercial litigation, securities disputes, and high-stakes class actions in both state and federal courts across the country. 

Splitting his time between Sarasota and Chicago, Dr. Lawrence Haspel, a longtime cardiologist, medical educator, and hospital administrator, retired in 2008 from a career of more than 35 years in medicine, medical education, and hospital administration. 

Helen H. Morrison is the Benefits Tax Counsel for the Office of Tax Policy, Department of the Treasury. In this role, Helen oversees guidance and policy issues on all aspects of employee benefits, including retirement benefits, health and welfare benefits, executive compensation, and employment tax. 

Maria Wynne is a Fortune 20 C-suite executive and board leader with significant background in governance, business turnarounds, organizational restructuring, and complex mergers. She has experience as a technology leader at Microsoft and Xerox and nearly 20 years of board leadership across corporate and nonprofit sectors. 

Newly elected Honorary Trustees include founder and president of Utility Resources Corporation Carol White Bold; passionate arts, education, and culture philanthropist Beverly Koski; devoted Hermitage champion and Manasota Key Association lifetime member Adeline Morrison; and longtime Sarasota arts and conservation advocate Pauline Wamsler. This designation recognizes distinguished ambassadors and advocates of the Hermitage – individuals who have gone above and beyond in their service to the organization and continue to champion its mission. These four distinguished individuals join Honorary Trustees Charlie Huisking and Flora Major.   Marletta Darnall has been recognized as an Emeritus Trustee, joining Larry Bold, Tom Dignam, David Green, Andy Maass, and Nelda Thompson. This designation was created to recognize long-serving trustees who have gone above and beyond in their service to the organization and who continue to champion its mission. A longtime Manasota Key resident, Darnall served on the Hermitage Board of Trustees for nine years

The Hermitage’s Board Officers for the 2026-2027 season are Carole Crosby, President; Stephanie Jones, Vice President; Peter Offringa, Vice President; Steve Adler, Treasurer; and Sondra Biller, Secretary. The Hermitage Board of Trustees also includes Ellen Berman (Chair of Governance), Christine Boone, Terry Brackett, Maryann Casey, Robyn Citrin (Past President), Jonathan Coleman*, Leslie Dignam (Past President), Tim Flood, Larry Haspel*, Helen Morrison*, Liz Richardson, Ellen Sandor, Edward M. Swan,Jr., Mary Lou Winnick, Doug Wright, Maria Wynne*, and Andy Sandberg, Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO (ex-officio). 

Emeritus Trustees include Larry Bold, Marletta Darnall*, Tom Dignam, David Green, Andy Maass, and Nelda Thompson. Honorary Trustees include Carol White Bold*, Charlie Huisking, Beverly Koski*, Flora Major, Adeline Morrison*, and Pauline Wamsler*. *Indicates New Trustee or New Role

A leading national arts incubator, the Hermitage is the only major arts organization in Florida’s Gulf Coast exclusively committed to supporting the development and creation of new work across all artistic disciplines. The Hermitage hosts artists on its Gulf Coast Manasota Key campus for multi-week residencies, where diverse and accomplished artists from around the world and across multiple disciplines create and develop new works of theater, music, visual art, literature, dance, film, and more. As part of their residencies, Hermitage Fellows participate in free year-round community programs, offering audiences in the region a unique opportunity to engage with some of the world’s leading artists and to get an authentic “sneak peek” into extraordinary projects and artistic minds before their works go on to major galleries, concert halls, theaters, and museums around the world. These free and innovative programs include performances, conversations, readings, music concerts, interactive experiences, open studios, school programs, teacher workshops, and more, serving thousands in our regional community each year.