- September 5, 2026
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You never know where lightning is going to strike next. That’s been particularly true in recent days around Southwest Florida, where there have been thousands of lightning strikes. But one of the most electrifying events in town lately was the Aug. 20 opening for Art Center Sarasota’s juried exhibition, “Icons.”
More than 350 patrons packed the gallery in The Bay on South Tamiami Trail, prompting artist John Pirman, the juror for the exhibition, to declare it was the biggest opening he’s attended at Art Center Sarasota since moving to Sarasota in 2008.
A longtime New Yorker whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Time, Fortune and other national publications, Pirman produced an iconic image for the last page of Sarasota Magazine for 13 years. He was the subject of his own show, “John Pirman: Diving into Nature,” at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, in 2023.
Christina Baril, curator and director of exhibitions at Art Center Sarasota, said she and Executive Director Katherine Ceaser came up with the idea of having Pirman judge the exhibition because he’s “a Sarasota icon.” He’s also become a fashion icon, thanks to the classic apparel retailer J. McLaughlin, which invited him to model for the 2024 spring catalog.
It wasn’t just the size of the crowd at the opening of “Icons,” it was the quality of the artworks that impressed Pirman. The exhibition drew more than 320 entries from all over the country, including the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, from artists whose ages ran from their 20s to their 90s.
The call for entries asked for artworks of “figures, symbols and moments that shape culture, influence society, and transcend time." But nearly all of the pieces in the “Icons” exhibition were of legendary figures in history, sports and entertainment, ranging from Jesus Christ to Babe Ruth to Marilyn Monroe.
Tina Turner once sang, “We don’t need another hero,” but maybe we do after all.
What also brought joy to Pirman at the jam-packed opening was “seeing so many red dots” around the gallery. These signified that the artworks had been sold.
Founded more than 100 years ago as the Sarasota Art Association by Marcia Rader, the art superintendent of the Sarasota school system, Art Center doesn’t charge admission to its galleries at 707 N. Tamiami Trail.
It allows artists to exhibit and sell their work and it offers art education to the public. Those who buy annual memberships enjoy reduced rates for classes, workshops, discussions and entry fees for open call juried shows.
This has been a banner year for Art Center Sarasota. As part of its centennial celebration, it revived its famed Beaux Arts Ball to great fanfare at the Municipal Auditorium on March 21.
Once a highly anticipated part of the Sarasota social calendar, the bash was at its height during the heyday of the Sarasota Art Colony (1945-65). It had been dormant since 1979.
With its March date, revival of the Beaux Arts Ball brought out the Black Tie faithful during the height of season. That wasn’t a slam dunk, but it wasn’t unexpected given the timing of the event.
What surprised Pirman and others was that “Icons” drew so many people during the dog days of summer. “It was a packed event,” he says. “I saw so many friends and met so many of the artists.”
In addition to narrowing down the submissions to about 85 pieces, Pirman’s job was to award first, second and third prize as well as an honorable mention to the artwork in the juried exhibition.
First place went to “Steveland,” Steven Williams’ painting of singer/songwriter Stevie Wonder wearing his signature braids decorated with beads. “Did you know that Stevland is Stevie Wonder’s real name?” Pirman asked. (No, we did not and it's spelled differently than one might expect.)
J. Stacey Grayson’s pen-and-ink drawing of civil rights leader and U.S. Representative for Georgia John Lewis, “Good Trouble,” was awarded second place in the show. Hugh Whyte’s digital print of rock star Little Richard brought home third prize.
Jamie Goldenberg received a merit award for “Uncaged Bird,” her artwork of acrylic and gems on canvas depicting Amanda Gorman. While studying at Harvard, Gorman became the first person to be named National Youth Poet Laureate in April 2017. She also recited original poetry at President Joseph Biden’s inauguration.
Those familiar with religious art will know that in addition to being a term for legendary figures, icon refers to a form of painting in the Eastern Orthodox tradition where the Savior, the Virgin Mary or a saint is surrounded by a golden halo. Christina Hales’ “Christ the Redeemer,” a 2026 piece of egg tempura on wood panel accented with gold leaf, fits firmly in this tradition.
Other eye-catching works in the “Icons” show include Edwardo Baldado’s colorful twist on the Mona Lisa, Camille Enkeboll’s Roy Lichtenstein-inspired mixed media work of singer Amy Winehouse and Javi Suárez’s tribute to Sarasota baseball legend John Jordan “Buck” O’Neil.
In addition to “Icons,” Art Center Sarasota’s latest cycle of exhibitions also includes three other shows. The first, “Shaping Sarasota: A Century of Art,” greets visitors when they turn right upon entering the building. It follows the institution’s evolution since 1926 with artworks, photos and archival materials from the artists, volunteers, educators and others who helped make Sarasota one of Florida’s leading arts communities.
The artists whose works are featured include Wells Sawyer, Hilton and Dorothy Sherman Leech, Jimmy Ernst, Martha Hartman, Ben Stahl, Jack Cartlidge, Beth Arthur, Eleanor Merritt and Peppi Elona, among others. Curated by Art Center Sarasota Archivist Alecia Harper, the exhibition is the result of extensive research as well as loans from local collectors.
Patrons who turn left upon entering Art Center Sarasota will discover an immersive installation by St. Petersburg ceramic artist Molly Duff-Clarke, who holds an MFA from the University of South Florida.
Duff-Clarke’s pastel-colored world is a meditation on motherhood. Ordinary objects involved in the care and feeding of infants are transformed into a giant diorama capturing the vital role of a mother’s love and a comfortable home in creating emotional stability.
In your haste to get to the large gallery in the rear housing “Icons,” don’t forget to stop in the middle gallery and take in Antoine Williams’ “Putting Breath in the Body.” The exhibition of mixed-media paintings, drawings and collages incorporates personal history and the African diaspora, with a little Black Southern folklore thrown in for good measure. It’s a heady brew that deserves to be savored, as a chaser to “Icons,” if not an aperitif.
