Community Calendar

La Grande Illusion is a major exhibition of works by internationally acclaimed artist, Brian Maguire. The exhibition spans two decades of work that spotlights the artist’s lifelong quest to draw attention to global injustices, war, and human rights. One of Ireland's leading cultural figures, Maguire has turned the practice and tradition of painting into acts of visual testimony. Maguire’s paintings are global in scope and are derived from projects undertaken between 2007 and 2024 in Mexico, the Mediterranean, Syria, Sudan, the United States, and the Amazon. Maguire's artworks are painted from direct experience and involve the artist spending extensive time on the ground with the communities that welcome him. The results are, plainly put, paintings that visualize the commonality of human suffering and dramatize the plight of people in need.

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.

New works by Selina Román blend photography, abstraction, and self-portraiture to explore themes of beauty and the politics of size in Selina Román: Abstract Corpulence. Roman’s photographs feature tightly cropped images of the artist’s own body, boldly occupying the full composition and extending past the boundaries of each frame. Pastel bodysuits and tights transform the artist’s flesh into new, gently rolling landscapes as amorphous shapes converge to create modernist-inspired compositions. At this scale, Roman’s tightly cropped portrayals of stomachs, thighs, and hips become formal studies of line, shape and color, asking viewers to consider the human form from a point of true abstraction. The softly hued palette created by the artist’s bodysuits lends itself to narratives around the aesthetics of femininity. Displayed as a colorful never-before-seen installation, Roman’s photographs transform the gallery into a space of quiet resistance, subverting traditional ideas of feminine beauty.

Selina Román: Abstract Corpulence 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: Selina Román (American, 1978). Blockhead 1, 2025. Dye sublimation on aluminum, 40 x 50 in. Courtesy of the artist.

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.

USF’s world-renowned print atelier proudly presents a temporary exhibition in its main gallery celebrating the rich legacy of women artists who have collaborated with Graphicstudio over the decades. Showcasing the work of ten influential artists from the studio’s history—Diana Al-Hadid, Trisha Brown, Elisabeth Condon, Lesley Dill, Nancy Graves, Iva Gueorguieva, Graciela Iturbide, Mernet Larsen, Andrea Modica, and Janina Tschäpe—the exhibition highlights the remarkable diversity and innovation these women bring to the field of contemporary art.

Spanning a wide range of artistic practices, the featured works explore the boundaries of printmaking through experimental techniques that merge photography, sculpture, and mixed media assemblage. Together, they reflect the dynamic and evolving role of women in the printmaking tradition and the enduring creative impact of Graphicstudio’s collaborative model.

Graphicstudio is open to the public Monday through Friday, 10 am to 4 pm. Free parking is easily available for visitors. Closed on the weekends and USF holidays: November 11, 27 and 28, December 22 through January 2, and January 19.

Pangarap: Espero Reimagined transforms The Maitland Art Center gallery into a canvas of speculative storytelling under Filipino artist Isobel Francisco. Inspired by Jules André Smith’s decision to establish an artist colony in Florida, Francisco envisions an alternate reality where this decision leads to 1937 Philippines. The exhibition features fictional artifacts and artworks to encourage viewers to explore the parallels and contrasts between this imagined scenario and the museum’s history. 'Pangarap,' meaning dream or vision in Filipino, invites audiences to reflect on the cultural impact of one artist’s decision in 1937 and beyond.

Want a break from your day to de-stress and enjoy artwork? The Connections: Open Virtual Session 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.

Tampa Bay’s number one family-friendly Halloween event, Creatures of the Night, returns eerier than ever this fall. Perfect for all ages, the frightful, fun-filled event features howling outdoor experiences, amusing shows, spooky characters, creepy culinary treats and much more on thirteen select nights through October 26!
This year’s event features a new colossal adventure, Mesozoic Mayhem, a bone-chilling scare zone where ancient beasts roam once more and chaos ensues after scientists tamper with nature. Guests encounter life-size dinosaurs, creating an atmosphere filled with excitement and just the right amount of fright that proves that eerie fun never goes extinct.

Creatures of the Night takes place on 13 select nights in September and October from 4pm to 10pm.

Event nights are September 26 (members-only night), September 27, Oct. 3-4, Oct. 10-12, Oct. 17-19, and Oct. 24-26.

General admission tickets after 4PM are $29.95 (Friday & Sunday), $34.95 (Saturday), and can be purchased online at zootampa.org.

Swing into an evening of style, swagger, and timeless charm with Feeling Good, a high-energy celebration of modern crooners. From the timeless elegance of Sinatra and the smooth sophistication of Michael Bublé to the sparkle of Bette Midler and Lady Gaga, this show delivers silky vocals, irresistible rhythms, and captivating personality. Savor swingin’ favorites like “Come Fly With Me” and “It Had to Be You,” fresh hits like “Home” and “Moondance,” and delightfully cheeky numbers such as “Stuff Like That There” and “Me and Mrs. Jones.” Equal parts class and sass, Feeling Good will leave you – well – feeling good.

From Billy Joel to Alicia Keys, from Ray Charles to Freddie Mercury, Three Pianos celebrates the piano legends who refused to play by the rules. These aren’t your cookie-cutter rock stars: they’re the rebels, romantics, and risk-takers who turned 88 keys into pure magic. Enjoy timeless favorites like “Crocodile Rock,” “Just the Way You Are,” “Great Balls of Fire,” “I’m Still Standing,” and “Beautiful.” From the soulful sway of Fats Domino to the anthemic joy of Elton John, this high-energy musical revue proves that when you follow your own tune, the music never stops.