Category: Events

The Hermitage Artist Retreat’s popular series, “Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens,” continues into its fifth anniversary as part of the Hermitage’s 2024-2025 season. The outdoor series — a celebrated collaboration between the Hermitage 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. 

The first of these events, “Let the Music Set You Free,” features Broadway veteran, Tony Award-winning co-founder of Broadway Advocacy Coalition, and 2024 Hermitage Greenfield Prize finalist Britton Smith. As the bandleader for the alternative soul band Britton and the Sting, this visionary artist and advocate is a force of nature determined to unite the world through a passion for music and theater. Britton’s vibrant work bears witness to the inspiration that can be found within and around us all. Catch this dynamic performer like never before in a stripped-down presentation surrounded by the beautiful sanctuary of Selby Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota campus on Thursday October 17^th at 5:30pm. 

The second of these events is “Solo Flute — Destiny of Density,” where award-winning flutist, composer, and returning Hermitage Fellow Claire Chase will share selections of her genre-defining work and discuss her innovative approach to music. This event will take place on Thursday, December 5^th at 5:30pm, at Selby Gardens’ Historic Spanish Point campus in Osprey. Chase is a world-renowned musician and composer who was also one of the inaugural artists in the “Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens” series, in addition to performing at two past Hermitage Artful Lobster events. A soloist, collaborative artist, curator, and advocate for new and experimental music, she has been described by The New York Times as “the most important flutist of our time.” Chase was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2012, and in 2017 was the first flutist to be awarded the Avery Fisher Prize from Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. A professor of music at Harvard University, she recently concluded her term as a member of the Hermitage National Curatorial Council. 

Confirmed dates for this fifth season of “Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens” include:

• Thursday, October 17, 2024, at 5:30pm, Downtown Sarasota Campus
• Thursday December 5, 2024, at 5:30pm, Historic Spanish Point 
• Thursday January 30, 2025, at 5:30pm, Downtown Sarasota Campus
• Thursday February 20, 2025, at 5:30pm, Historic Spanish Point 
• Thursday, March 6, 2025, at 5:30pm, Downtown Sarasota Campus
• Thursday, May 1, 2025, at 6:30pm, Historic Spanish Point 

Admission for these events has no ticket cost, though availability is subject to capacity limitations; 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 celebrated mime and storyteller Bill Bowers, who shared the stage with internationally renowned composer and singer Kavita Shah; Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg, fresh from his production of Operation Epsilon in London; Hermitage Curatorial Council member Nataki Garrett, Tony Award-winning Broadway producer Tom Kirdahy, and Manasota ASALH President David Wilkins, who offered an enlightening panel discussion about the State of the Arts in Florida; and award-winning flutist Emi Ferguson with classical composer Jim Stephenson, who delighted audiences with an original performance. Previous seasons of “Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens” have included Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner Michael R. Jackson, award-winning Chicago playwright Terry Guest; Kleban Prize winner César Alvarez, world-renowned violinist and Beyoncé collaborator Lady Jess; acclaimed classical harpist Ashley Jackson; interdisciplinary performance artist Ni’Ja Whitson, opera singer and Sarasota native Thea Lobo, composer Sofía Rocha, winner of the 2022 Hermitage Prize in Composition at the Aspen Music Festival; 2022 Hermitage Major Theater Award Winner Shariffa Ali; celebrated cellist Karen Patterson, and more.

“This fifth anniversary season of ‘Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens’ promises to be an unforgettable one,” says Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg. “Claire Chase and Britton Smith are two of the most dynamic artists and performers of their generation, and we are thrilled to invite audiences to share a magical evening with these Hermitage artists and more against the beautiful backdrop of these 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 these extraordinary talents.” 

“We are so excited to celebrate five years of this wonderful collaboration with the Hermitage Artist Retreat,” says Selby Gardens President & CEO Jennifer Rominiecki. “Welcoming world-class Hermitage artists to our newly revitalized bayfront sanctuary in downtown Sarasota and our vibrant Historic Spanish Point campus in Osprey 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 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 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. 

The Hermitage Artist Retreat (Sarasota County, Florida) announced today that five Florida public school arts teachers will spend part of their summer on Manasota Key while working on their own artistic endeavors. They are the recipients of the 2024 State Teachers Artist Residency program (STARs) – now in its fourteenth year – presented by the Hermitage Artist Retreat in partnership with the Florida Alliance for Arts Education (FAAE). This year’s recipients were selected from dozens of impressive applicants, and the five teachers selected from across the State of Florida include three visual arts educators working in various mediums, a musician who leads the steel band at their high school, and a theater teacher recognized for his playwriting talents. The five receive a residency at the nationally renowned Hermitage Artist Retreat, where they can focus on their own work as creative artists. These five teaching artists will present a family-friendly showcase of their work on Friday, July 12 starting at 2pm. This special event will be held throughout the Hermitage’s beachfront campus on Manasota Key; entrance at 6660 Manasota Key Road, Englewood, FL 34223. 

The program is presented in partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of Sarasota and Desoto Counties and the Englewood YMCA. In addition to the students and families attending from the YMCA, this Hermitage community program will be free and open to the public with a $5/person registration fee. Due to capacity limitations, registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org.

“These exceptional educators are also talented artists and creative minds in their own right,” says Andy Sandberg, Artistic Director and CEO of the Hermitage. “During the academic year, their attention is devoted to their students, and this has been a particularly challenging few years for educators throughout the State of Florida. The STARs program offers five distinguished teachers the opportunity to experience what leading artists from around the world have come to the Hermitage for – to focus on their craft and their creative process. Over the years, the STARs have created some stunning works of art, music, theater, dance, and literature during their time at the Hermitage. Many Hermitage teaching artist alumni have shared that this program enables them to return to their students with a new fire and passion for arts education.” 

The five recipients of this honor, selected among dozens of impressive applicants, include: Greg Burdick, a theater arts educator, director, and playwright in Central Florida (Polk County); Dealey Dansby, a sculpture and ceramics visual artist currently teaching elementary and middle school art at Carrollwood K8 in Tampa (Hillsborough County); Shaun Fergus, a passionate art instructor at Fort White Middle School (Columbia County); Dr. Kayleen Justus, Director of Steel Bands at Leon High School in the Tallahassee area (Leon County); and Vanessa Watkins, a distinguished glass artist with a focus on restoration art at Markham Woods Middle School (Seminole County). Full bios are included below.

Since the start of the Hermitage STARs program in 2011, 67 teachers have represented over 30Florida counties. These prestigious residencies culminate with a free community program, this year hosted in partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of Sarasota and Desoto Counties and the Englewood YMCA. 

The STARs program is one of the only Hermitage residency programs open to application; arts educators from schools throughout the State of Florida are eligible, including music, theater, visual art, dance, and creative writing teachers. For more information about the Hermitage STARs program and how to apply, Florida arts educators are encouraged to visit FAAE.org/STAR.

The Hermitage Artist Retreat today announced new programs throughout the months of June, July, and August. Continuing its commitment to innovative year-round arts programming, these events will be presented throughout Sarasota County, from the Hermitage’s beautiful beachfront campus on Manasota Key to the heart of Sarasota’s vibrant downtown arts scene. Hermitage programs introduce world-renowned artists to Florida’s Gulf Coast community for candid and engaging conversations, open rehearsals, play readings, and film screenings. 

Fresh from her 2024 Tony Award, Drama Desk, Drama League, and Outer Critics Circle nominations, Hermitage Fellow Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer returns to Manasota Key for “Stealing the Show: Broadway, Beach, and Beyond” on Wednesday, June 26 at 6:30pm on the Hermitage Beach. Leslie previously performed as part of the Hermitage’s 20^th Anniversary Celebration alongside Andy Sandberg at the Van Wezel, then again at the 2023 Hermitage Greenfield Prize Dinner. Kritzer is a 2024 Tony Award nomineefor her showstopping performance in Spamalot, where the New York Times noted that “she steals the show.”Broadway audiences have celebrated Kritzer for years thanks to her powerhouse voice, her pitch-perfect comic timing, and her iconic roles in Broadway’s Beetlejuice, Something Rotten!, Legally Blonde, The Robber Bridegroom, and more. TV audiences have also come to know her, notably through her memorable turn as Carol Burnett on the series finale of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” Now, Hermitage audiences will get to know Leslie as a gifted writer, composer, and lyricist who has been developing her own original projects right here along the inspirational shores of the Hermitage. In this special beach program, this quadruple-plus threat will share some of her own original work as well as some of Broadway’s greatest hits.

“This year’s Hermitage summer season promises to be a memorable one,” notes Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg. “Year-round Gulf Coast residents have been growing rapidly, and we are excited to be presenting some truly one-of-a-kind offerings throughout the summer. Pulitzer Prize winners, Tony Award nominees, and more are well worth a little summer heat!”

On Friday, June 28 at 6pm, celebrated author and Hermitage Fellow Kimberly King Parsons will read selections from her novel and dive into conversation about the writing process in Bookstore1’s intimate loft space. Her short story collection Black Light was long-listed for the National Book Award, and this Hermitage program will shed light on her highly anticipated debut novel, We Were the Universe. Parsons’ remarkable style has readers turning pages and discovering entirely new frames of mind; from trips to Oregon to acid trips, life, death, and rock ’n roll, Sarasota audiences will get to experience this exemplary writer’s work from the author herself. 

The “2024 Hermitage STARs” initiative continues into its fourteenth season with a culminating program on the Historic Hermitage campus on Friday, July 12 at 2pm. The State Teaching Artist Residencies (STARs) at the Hermitage Artist Retreat is designed to nourish the artist within Florida’s dedicated arts teachers and proudly serves educators from across the state in partnership with the Florida Alliance for Arts Education (FAAE). The STARs program is one of only a few programs in the United States that offers five educators an inspirational residency opportunity that culminates in a free public sharing with the Gulf Coast community. This public program is presented in partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of Sarasota and Desoto Counties as well as the Englewood YMCA. The selected teachers span multiple artistic disciplines and will be announced at a later date; this year’s STARs recipients will offer insights into their creative practice to an audience of all ages, in a program presented in partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of Sarasota & Desoto Counties and the Englewood YMCA.

On Thursday, July 25 at 6:30pm, Hermitage Fellows Jeffery Renard Allen and Yasi Alipour both work on paper to create narrative, but Allen uses letters while Alipour prefers lines and intricately folded patterns. In the original works created by these innovative Hermitage artists, time collapses and worlds expand; the future is present, and history is interrupted. Splitting time between New York and Johannesburg, Allen is an award-winning author of six books, including the critically acclaimed debut Song of the Shank. His latest work “Fat Time and Other Stories” is a collection of short works described by The New York Timesas a “fierce itching dazzle.” Alipour, a celebrated visual artist interested in paper, politics, and performance, explores systems of math and history in her work. Informed by her time studying at the University of Tehran, intricately folded pages take on three-dimensional presence when imbued with her intuitive and highly technical art. Hear from both artists about why they make the work they make, and what they hope an audience will see and hear when they encounter it with “Interrupted History” on the Hermitage Beach.

Hermitage programs continue into August with Hermitage Fellow Mónica Lavín and translator-collaborator D.P. Snyder for “Translation-Traducción” on the Hermitage Beach on Friday August 9 at 6:30pm presented in partnership with UnidosNow. When done right, two writers’ literary DNA recombine to create not mere reproductions but wholly new works. What is the alchemy by which this literary magic takes place? How does such an interchange enrich the work and its readers? In this age of A.I. and ever more present translation technology, these gifted writers offer audiences a chance to explore the Spanish-English literary dynamic and the deeply human activity of understanding another person’s voice as they share insight into the intimate, generous, and empathetic act of literary translation.

On Friday August 23 at 6:30pm, audiences will experience a truly dynamic duo as 2024 Hermitage Greenfield Prize finalists Daniel & Patrick Lazour present “The Lazour Brothers: A Lifelong Collabrotion.” Musical theater has a long history of storied collaborators: Rodgers & Hammerstein, Kander & Ebb, Ahrens & Flaherty, Pasek & Paul, and now Daniel & Patrick Lazour. The Lazour Brothers are already Jonathan Larson Grant and Richard Rodgers Award recipients, and their works have been recognized by such prestigious institutions as American Repertory Theater and Lincoln Center. Blending cultures and weaving stories as eloquently as they meld musical styles, the Lazour Brothers are two of the most innovative and evocative musical storytellers working in the American theater today. Hear selections of past and upcoming works and learn what’s next for this energetic duo on the Hermitage Beach.

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. Due to capacity limitations, registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org.

The Hermitage Artist Retreat is pleased to announce “Visualizing Culture” on Thursday, May 23 at 6:30pm, presented on the Hermitage Beach. This special program features returning Hermitage Fellow and internationally acclaimed visual artist Diana Al-Hadid, whose work is currently on display at the Sarasota Art Museum as part of Impact: Contemporary Artists at the Hermitage Artist Retreat. She will be joined by Pulitzer Prize-winning Hermitage Fellow Raven Chacon, a celebrated composer, performer, and installation artist from Fort Defiance, Navajo Nation, alongside Candice Hopkins, a citizen of Carcross/Tagish First Nation whose curated exhibitions have traveled across the country and around the world. All three of these impressive creators will share insights into their groundbreaking processes and perspectives on the contemporary arts landscape.  

Diana Al-Hadid‘s art “is a masterclass in duality… both ancient and modern, fierce and delicate, simultaneously growing and disintegrating — reminding us there is no such thing as a fixed state.” (Vogue) ­A Syrian-born American artist, Al–Hadid examines the historical frameworks and perspectives that continue to shape discourse on culture and materials today. With a practice spanning sculpture, wall reliefs, and works on paper, Al-Hadid weaves together enigmatic narratives that draw inspiration from both ancient and modern civilizations. Her work is currently on view through July 7 at the Sarasota Art Museum as part ofImpact: Contemporary Artists at the Hermitage Artist Retreat, featuring ten Hermitage Fellows, including Hermitage Greenfield Prize winners Sanford Biggers and Trenton Doyle Hancock, and curated by Hermitage National Curatorial Council member Dan Cameron. Impact is one of two Hermitage alumni exhibitions on display at the museum, with Hermitage collaborators Anne Patterson and Patrick Harlin’s The Truth of the Night Sky on view through September 29.

As a solo performer, collaborator, and a member of Postcommodity from 2009 to 2018, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and Hermitage Fellow Raven Chacon has exhibited, performed, or had works performed at venues, museums, and galleries around the world, including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Borealis Festival in Seattle, Vancouver Art Gallery, Haus der Kulturen der Welt in Berlin, and the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. Adding insight and nuance to the conversation is Hermitage Fellow Candice Hopkins, whose curated exhibitions have been on view in such prestigious venues as the Venice Biennale, Toronto Biennial, and the National Gallery of Canada.          

“Visualizing Culture” is a special hour-long program being offered in addition to the Hermitage’s existing May line-up. Engaging directly with this idea through her creative expression, Diana Al-Hadid discusses her work alongside Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Raven Chacon, whose unique graphic scores capture “a concentrated and powerful musical expression with a haunting visceral impact.” (The New York Times) Candice Hopkins bridges the visual and sonic elements of the program with her celebrated insights and personal experiences. Join these three remarkable Hermitage Fellows as they offer insight into their work as the sun sets on the Hermitage Beach. 

Hermitage programs like this one 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. Due to capacity limitations, registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org.

The Hermitage Artist Retreat (Sarasota County, Florida) today announced new programs in April and May. Continuing its commitment to innovative year-round arts programming, these events will be presented throughout the Gulf Coast region, from the Hermitage’s beautiful beachfront campus on Manasota Key to the heart of Sarasota’s vibrant downtown arts scene in collaborations with Selby Gardens, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Oak Street Stage, and more. Frequently only an hour in length, Hermitage programs introduce world-renowned artists to Florida’s Gulf Coast community and invite audiences across the country to experience candid and engaging conversations, music performances, play readings, open studios, film screenings, and more. 

Newly announced April programs begin with a presentation from Pulitzer Prize finalist and New York Times bestselling author Xochitl Gonzalez(Olga Dies Dreaming), alongside award-winning playwright and librettist Julia Jordan (Murder Ballad). These two Hermitage Fellows make work that speaks for itself; they also advocate for equity among their fellow artists and citizens who are deserving of recognition. On Friday, April 5^th at 6:30pm on the Hermitage Beach, hear how these two trailblazing women are shaping our future through art and action during the program “Stage, Page, and Useful Rage.” Julia Jordan’s Hermitage Residency generously sponsored by Gerald & Sondra Biller. Xochitl Gonzalez’s Hermitage Residency generously sponsored by Liz & Duncan Richardson.

Next up in April is the previously announced Hermitage Greenfield Prize Celebration – with four events spanning April 13 to 15.

Then on Wednesday, April 24^th at 3:30pm, hear from an Obie Award-winning playwright whose work has been produced at some of the country’s leading theaters. Hermitage Fellow Sarah Gancher is no stranger to writing for the stage. Her works include the recent Off-Broadway play Russian Troll Farm, as well as musical projects like Hundred Days and The Lucky Ones in collaborationwith The Bengsons. In this special program made possible by the Annette Dignam State College of Florida Residency in Literature at the Hermitage, Gancher will share excerpts of her original work and offer insight into how she approaches a range of theatrical writing projects. “Writing for the Stage” is the first public presentation of this longstanding endowed literature residency, which has previously only been open to students. This program is presented in partnership with the State College of Florida on their Venice campus. 

Hermitage programming in May kicks off at Spanish Point with one of the nation’s greatest mimes and storytellers Bill Bowers, who was trained by the legendary Marcel Marceau, and Kavita Shah, an award-winning vocalist and composer who has performed all over the world. A celebrated mime by training and a master of physical theater techniques, Bill Bowers has been hailed as “the great American mime.” He is also a charismatic storyteller who is currently writing his remarkable life story in a memoir about making theater all over the world. A Sarasota favorite, Bowers returns to the Hermitage after his previous waitlist-only appearances. Hailed for her “amazing dexterity for musical languages” (NPR), Kavita Shah speaks severallanguages and sings amazingly in them all. These two Hermitage Fellows embrace both the sounds and the silences surrounding them. “Sound and Silence” is part of the Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens series on May 2^nd at 6:30pm at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens Historic Spanish Point.

Floridians are no strangers to the sand and sun, but that familiar environment can be transformed into an inspirational environment by the creativity of artists like Tony Award-nominated playwright Bess Wohl and violinist Rebecca Crenshaw. Bess Wohl is familiar to Hermitage audiences from the development and early sharing of her play Camp Siegfried on the Hermitage Beach prior its successful Off-Broadway run; her Broadway and Off-Broadway plays like Grand Horizons and Small Mouth Sounds are praised by audiences and critics alike for their poignant humor, smart characterizations, and inventive theatricality. RebeccaCrenshaw is a New Orleans-based artist, educator, and violinist; her practice is shaped by the soundwaves she creates with bands like Grammy Award-winners Arcade Fire and Mumford & Sons. These two innovative Hermitage Fellows present “Waves: Movements that Shape Us” on the Hermitage Beach as the sun sets into the Gulf of Mexico on Friday, May 10^th at 6:30pm. 

Not only are the arts for people of all backgrounds and identities, but they have the power to shape the world in which we live. An Obie Award-winning Hermitage Fellow, playwright, and director, Shayok Misha Chowdhury’s work crosses continents, encompassing different languages, peoples, cultures, identities, and beliefs. Fresh from Soho Rep’s critically acclaimed production of Public Obscenities and its subsequent transfer to Theater for a New Audience (NY Times Critic’s Pick), this Relentless Award Winner shares work and talks process in a candid and empowering program. “Seeing Oneself & Celebrating Identity” is presented at the Koski Center on Friday, May 15^th at 6:30pm. This program is presented in partnership with ALSO Youthand Asolo Repertory Theatre; “Seeing Oneself & Celebrating Identity” is funded in part by a grant from South Arts in partnership with National Endowment for the Arts and the Florida Department of State Division of Arts and Culture.         

Returning Hermitage Fellow and composer Robert Pound’soriginal piano piece “Sonata in Memoriam Lloyd Arriola” will be performed at Oak Street Stage in Sarasota on Friday, May 24^th at 5:30pm. Pound was commissioned to create this composition after a chance encounter at the Metropolitan Opera in 2015 with Lloyd Arriola, a friend and Juilliard-trained pianist. After Arriola suddenly passed away in 2016 at the age of 43, this solo piano composition took on an entirely new dimension, which Pound used his residency at the Hermitage to create. Hear insights from the composer and the sweeping, complex piece performed by a close friend and fellow Juilliard-trained pianist, Charles Hulin IV.

All of 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. Due to capacity limitations, registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org.