Arts Advocates Announces May 2025 Events Including Annual Scholarship Awards Luncheon

Arts Advocates has announced its schedule of May events, which includes the annual scholarship awards luncheon, an exhibit by the Petticoat Painters, a silk painting class at and tour of Island Gallery in Bradenton, an art talk with David X. Tejada, a creative portraits playshop, and the final Van Wezel tour of the season. Unless otherwise indicated, registration is required at ArtsAdvocates.org.

The Arts Advocates Gallery, located in the Crossings at Siesta Key mall, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail in Sarasota, hosts monthly exhibits by member artists. Shows run from the first Saturday to the last Saturday of each month. “Petticoats Are Showing,” featuring members of Sarasota's Petticoat Painters, runs from May 3-31, Saturdays only from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Formed in 1953, the Petticoat Painters is among the oldest continuously exhibiting women's art collectives in the U.S. Although Petticoat members have traditionally been painters, many now embrace other media of expression including sculpture, fiber, and photography.Admission is free; registration not required.

On May 10 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Arts Advocates offers a silk painting class at and tour of Island Gallery in Bradenton. Registrants will paint a one-of-a-kind silk eyeglass case, and then tour the gallery which has unique art, photography, silk paintings, and other works by local artists. $30 for Arts Advocates members, $35 for non-members; registration is limited to 10.

Arts Advocates presents luncheon programs at the Sarasota Yacht Club, 1100 John Ringling Blvd. in Sarasota. The annual scholarship award luncheon takes place on May 15, 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The scholarship committee selected eight young scholars from Sarasota and Manatee counties to receive $5,000 each for the 2025-2026 academic year. The guest speaker is Courtney Smith, visual and performing arts director at Booker High School. Smith was named 2023 Teacher of the Year, and she is a former Fine Arts Society/Arts Advocates scholarship winner. Tickets range from $45 to $150. Lunch is included.

On May 17 from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., in the Arts Advocates Gallery, Suzanne Havens presents a creative portraits playshop. Attendees will learn how to make creative portraits with their digital cameras, experiment with various types of lighting, and take turns being the model, posing the model, dressing the set, and more. $100 per person.

The final Behind the Curtain: Exploring the Van Wezel from the Art to the Stage tour of the season takes place on May 19 from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. The art in the Van Wezel, 777 N. Tamiami Trail in Sarasota, was created by noted Florida artists and is part of the Arts Advocates collection. A docent leads a tour of paintings and sculptures by Robert Chase, William Hartman, Eugene White, BEN STAHL, Thornton Utz, Frank Colson, and others. Participants then step onto the stage where a Van Wezel guide shares stories and anecdotes about the colorful world of show business. Tickets are $15 per person and can be purchased at the Van Wezel box office or by calling (941) 263-6799. Presented in partnership with the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, proceeds benefit the education/outreach programs of Arts Advocates and the Van Wezel.

David X. Tejada presents the art talk “The Art of Seeing and Developing a Creative Eye – David Tejada's Photography Journey” on May 27 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. in the Arts Advocates Gallery. Tejada will share stories about his life as a professional photographer, from corporate and industrial assignments for Fortune 500 companies to leading travel workshops around the world for Popular Photography Magazine, where he guided photographers to capture unique landscapes and cultures. Free for Arts Advocates members, $5 for non-members.

The Arts Advocates' collection of Sarasota Art Colony and Florida Highwaymen works is on permanent display in the Arts Advocates Gallery, which is open every Saturday from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. “Skimmers” by Judy Axe (1922-2013), a founding member of the Petticoat Painters, is part of the collection, as well as pieces by other notable Florida artists. Admission is free. Free docent-guided tours are available for gallery visitors who wish to learn more about the art and written information is available for self-guided tours.

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