Community Calendar

Sarasota Art Museum shines a spotlight on Art Deco as the artform celebrates its centennial anniversary. Art Deco: The Golden Age of Illustration showcases 100 rare posters from the Crouse Collection created by some of the world’s earliest master graphic designers during the 1920s and 1930s.

During the 1920s, a bold new artistic style roared to life: Art Deco. This exciting, dramatic, and glamorous new genre bid farewell to the soft, organic forms of Art Nouveau and soon took the world by storm. One of Art Deco’s most significant contributions was the art of printed graphics, giving birth to the disciplines of illustration and typography that permeate our world today.

Featuring subjects ranging from automobiles, airlines, and ocean liners to drinks and tobacco, the works represented in Art Deco: The Golden Age of Illustration celebrate modernity, dynamism, and luxury—the dreams and desires of the turbulent early twentieth century.

In addition to the iconic posters, Art Deco: The Golden Age of Illustration conjures the era’s design aesthetic with selected sculptural works and cocktail shakers from the Crouse Collection, and Art Deco furniture pieces on loan from the Wolfsonian Museum at Florida International University in Miami.

Art Deco: The Golden Age of Illustration is organized by Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College of Art and Design and curated by Rangsook Yoon, senior curator at Sarasota Art Museum.

Image credit: Installation view of Art Deco: The Golden Age of Illustration at Sarasota Art Museum, Sarasota, Florida, 2025. Photo: Ryan Gamma.

Award-winning and internationally recognized artist Janet Echelman (American) is renowned for her soaring installations that merge ancient craft with cutting-edge technology. Using centuries-old fishing net knotting techniques, Echelman transforms humble materials into ethereal sculptures that visualize natural phenomena and the interconnectedness of humanity and the environment.
Radical Softness offers a rare, intimate look at Echelman’s artistic evolution, tracing her journey from early explorations in drawing, painting, and textiles to the monumental, netted sculptures that have redefined public spaces around the world. This exhibition contextualizes the artist’s practice, revealing the narratives, influences, and processes that drive her work. At its core, the exhibition highlights Echelman’s use of softness as a powerful tool—not only in material but as a philosophy. Showcasing a selection of works from across all four decades of the artist’s path-breaking career, along with a series of never-before-seen cyanotypes, Radical Softness reveals how an artist’s work can bring people together and carve out space for reflection in an ever-changing world.
Founded in New York City and based in Boston, Studio Echelman’s impact is global. A recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship, Harvard Loeb Fellowship, Smithsonian American Ingenuity Award, Aspen Institute Henry Crown Fellowship, and Fulbright Lectureship, her monumental sculptures span five continents. Recent commissions include Remembering the Future at the MIT Museum (2025), Butterfly Rest Stop in Frisco, Texas (2024), Current in Columbus, Ohio (2023), Bending Arc at the St. Pete Pier in Florida (2020), Earthtime Korea (2020), Impatient Optimist at The Gates Foundation in Seattle (2015), and 1.8 Renwick at the Smithsonian American Art Museum (2015), among others.
Janet Echelman: Radical Softness is organized by Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College of Art and Design and curated by Lacie Barbour, associate curator of exhibitions at Sarasota Art Museum.

Image: Janet Echelman (American). Study (Butterfly Rest Stop 1/9 scale), Rome, Italy, 2022. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Giovanni DeAngelis.

MAACM Art Deco Glass Class NEW DESIGN
Friday, February 20 and 27, 2026; 10am-1pm
Bring home the iconic international style of Art Deco in the form of a beautiful leaded glass panel. Now in a new design! Defined by its bold, geometric shapes and opulence, this Level I class is a great way to learn the craft of leaded glass. Registration for this class includes two 3-hr glass sessions. Closed-toed shoes are required to participate in class. Class fee: Non-members: $125, Members $110.

Imagine Museum proudly participates in Museums for All — simply present your SNAP Benefit card and photo ID to one of our associates upon arrival and enjoy $3.00 admission to the museum. Children ages 6 and under are free.

Join us for an artistic journey geared toward young artventurers every Saturday! Led by our friendly associates, children ages 4-11 will be guided through our world-class glass art galleries. They will then have the opportunity to unleash their imagination and express themselves with a fun and engaging craft activity.

Mexican sculptor Jacobo Alonso brings a dynamic new body of textile work to Central Florida in this site-specific exhibition. Situated Body reimagines the classical human form through contemporary materials, especially felt, transforming traditional sculpture into colorful, expressive abstraction. Inspired by both pre-Columbian traditions and the Art Center’s Mayan Revival architecture, Alonso’s work, created during his 2025 residency at A&H, challenges assumptions about form, identity, and material.

Enjoy a berry fantastic Friday at the Unlock Tampa Bay Visitors Center!

Join us as we celebrate National Strawberry Day with all things strawberry. Stop by for giveaways, sweet treats, and more with your local favorites including: Keel Farms, Lily's Sweet Treats, Candy's Sweetbreads, The Plant City Chamber, and more!

Want a break from your day to de-stress and enjoy artwork? The Virtual Artful Connections is an art-viewing and discussion program focused on mental well-being and stress reduction. Join us on Zoom for an hour-long experience which includes:

A relaxation exercise

A question of the day

A facilitated discussion about one piece of artwork that is currently on display at the Tampa Museum of Art

Space is limited, and advanced registration is required. An email will be sent with the Zoom link once a ticket is ordered

Sessions Available | 1/30, 2/27, 3/27, 4/24, 5/29
This event is held online via Zoom | Claim your ticket for the link!

Circus magic reaches new heights as the Circus Arts Conservatory announces "Circus Sarasota™ EPIC"—a jaw-dropping assembly of some of the planet's most extraordinary performers, including record-shattering daredevils and beloved "America's Got Talent" stars, coming together for just 23 days. This annual one-of-a-kind production of circus artistry arrives Sat, February 14 to Sun, March 8, 2026, under the iconic Big Top at Nathan Benderson Park.

Circus Sarasota™ EPIC features performers collectively holding more than 18 world records, including juggling phenomenon Danyl Lysenko making his North American debut, hand-balancing virtuoso Quincy Azzario (Gold and Silver Clown winner at Monte Carlo), master of balance Rubel Medini, and the breathtaking aerial straps of Duo Disar. Ringmaster Joseph Dominic Bauer, 15th-generation circus artist, returns to lead audiences through performances that honor Sarasota's rich circus heritage while introducing contemporary acts. The lineup also includes Duo Sirca Marea - Le Cadre, finalists on "America's Got Talent" 2025, performing their heart-stopping blindfolded aerial cradle act, and circus comic Chris Allison, Ringling Bros.' former Boss Clown and AGT alum, who will have the audience doubling over in laughs. The Olate Family Dogs, winners of AGT Season 7, bring their award-winning rescue dog spectacular, while international sensation Florian Blümmel, fresh from "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," delivers his world-famous artistic bike act. Precision, power, and raw courage collide with The Wheel of Steel, performed by The Cardenas Team from Chile, and more!

This family-friendly show is 50% off for opening weekend courtesy of ABC7; tickets are available at CircusArts.org or by calling 941-355-9805.

Experience the sights, sounds and aromas of the electrifying midway with exciting rides and games for all ages and deep-fried treats, sweets and other tasty carnival eats.

Admission and parking are free.

Unlimited ride wristbands (for riders 36" & taller) are $37 on site ($35 cash price) or online before 5 pm Thurs., Feb. 26 for $29 each, 2/$55 or 4/$99.

Ride tickets are also available at the carnival. Online pre-sale special: $45/50 tickets + 1 free ride. (Rides take multiple tickets each.) Visit the website for coupon savings on rides and food.

Midway hours: 5-10 pm Monday - Thursday, 5-11 pm Friday, noon-11 pm Saturday, noon-10 pm Sunday

Guests under 18 must be accompanied by an adult age 21+. Please check the website for event updates before attending.

More information: 866-666-3247 or DreamlandAmusements.com
https://dreamlandamusements.com/upcoming-events-amusement-carnival/lake-wales-carnival-eagle-ridge-mall/