Anchoring the Ringling College Museum Campus, the Sarasota Art Museum features 15,000 square feet of dedicated gallery space, a bistro, a museum shop, an auditorium for educational events, as well as performance and film screenings. The museum also includes a sculpture courtyard and expansive grounds designed for inviting and engaging site-specific and site-responsive art experiences.
As the region’s inaugural museum focused on contemporary art, it provides visitors with access to thought-provoking and boundary-pushing exhibitions, along with dynamic educational programming featuring global thought leaders. This facility is a vital resource for exploring global art discourse and enhancing appreciation for 20th and 21st-century art and artists through its seven exhibition galleries, an auditorium, bistro, retail store, and extensive grounds.
Housed in the renovated former Sarasota High School, the museum’s creation was envisioned by a group of 13 local Sarasotians in 2003, aiming to establish a contemporary art museum. Their dream was realized through a partnership with the Ringling College of Art & Design.
During our visit in late February, we enjoyed a diverse array of exhibitions. One standout was “Joe Fig: Contemplating Vermeer,” which featured a series of intimate paintings depicting visitors engaging with artwork at a major exhibition at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam in 2023. By focusing on both the gallery environment and the people admiring the art, the artist invites viewers to reflect on the shared experience of art appreciation.
Sarasota Art Museum / Ringling College of Art & Design
Ringling College Museum Campus
1001 South Tamiami Trail
Sarasota, Florida 34236
941.309.4300
