Longboat Key Center for Arts, Culture and Education Task Force presents plan to locals

The Longboat Key Center for the Arts, Culture and Education is still in the very beginning stages.

As ACE Task Force Chairman Warren Simonds explained, it’s a dream, and it’s one that piggybacks off of John Ringling’s vision for the area.

ACE, what the proposed Longboat Key Center for the Arts, Culture and Education is being called, will be a hub for educational and cultural experiences including a variety of classes in topics on jewelry, woodworking, ceramics, graphics and more in addition to bringing more performances to Longboat Key.

On Feb. 18 ACE Task Force members Bob Nosal and Bob Trisolini hosted an event at Islands West for residents and locals to learn more about the proposed center. Simonds spoke to the crowd and explained that construction on the property will begin once the funds are raised. He also said that the current Longboat Key Center for the Arts, which will close in May, is too far from the center of the Key. The new property will be more centralized and can serve as a gathering place.

The town of Longboat Key and Ringling College of Art and Design have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding, which outlines a proposed operating structure for the center.