Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County

09/16/2026

Something new is about to hit the stage.

Urbanite Theatre ’s Modern Works Festival opens Thursday with two weeks of brand-new plays by women, staged readings, conversations with the writers, and the delicious thrill of seeing a script before the rest of the world does.

📅 Sep 17–27

Grab a festival pass and come for the whole ride. Small room. Big ideas. Every seat close to the action.

And yes, it’s worth the drive from anywhere on the coast. Come curious. Leave inspired.

All this weeke's events and details can be found here:
https://sarasotaarts.org/event/?utm_source=meta&utm_medium=organic-social&utm_campaign=cultural-coast-summer-2026&utm_content=w9-spotlight-urbanite-0916

09/15/2026

What if every child had a place to create, imagine, perform, and be heard?

That’s the power of arts education.

It helps students find their voice, see the world from new perspectives, build confidence, and discover possibilities they didn’t know were there.

During National Arts in Education Week, we’re celebrating the educators, teaching artists, schools, cultural organizations, and community champions making the arts part of every child’s experience.

Because arts education isn’t an extra and it's not a luxury.

It’s part of how we help young people imagine what’s possible — for themselves and for their communities.

🎨 🎭 🎶 💃

Together, we can keep the arts thriving in every classroom and every community across Sarasota County.

09/14/2026

How much can one week hold?

Thursday, Urbanite Theatre opens the Modern Works Festival: two weeks of brand-new plays by women, staged while the ink is still wet, Sep 17–27.

The same night, As You Like It opens at The Sarasota Players and runs through Sep 27.

And if you prefer a quieter wow, Thursday at sunset, 7:10, the Skyspace at The Ringling does what it always does.

Friday, blues guitarist Tinsley Ellis plugs in at Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center.

Saturday, Sarasota Contemporary Dance performs Shifting Ecologies at 3:00 and 7:00, and Out of Bounds improv plays its finale at Studio Theatre at 7:30.

Sunday asks you to choose: Harriet the Spy closes her case at Venice Theatre at 2:00, and Don Quixote rides across the Sarasota Opera House screen in HD at 1:30.

The whole week is at the link:
https://sarasotaarts.org/event/?utm_source=meta&utm_medium=organic-social&utm_campaign=cultural-coast-summer-2026&utm_content=w9-roundup-0914

09/11/2026

A property tax amendment is headed to Florida's November ballot. What could it mean for Sarasota County? And where do the arts fit in?

Join us at Florida Studio Theatre on Monday, October 5 for Arts & Taxes. One hour, plain language, real numbers. You'll hear what's on the ballot, how state and county arts funding actually works, and how quickly that funding can change.

Doors 5:30 p.m. Program 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. Free, registration required. Stay for a drink after.

Reserve your free seat:

Public funding for the arts changes faster than most people realize. A property tax amendment and a night at the theatre may seem like separate worlds. In Sarasota County, they’re closer than you’d think. Spend one hour with us and you’ll understand the connection, in plain language, with real...

09/11/2026

A notebook, a dance floor, and a little photographic history... Your weekend has plans.

Tonight, Harriet the Spy opens at Venice Theatre: secret notes, curious minds, and all the delicious complications of being a kid who notices everything.

Sunday, the Thalhe Inclusive Dance Gala takes the stage at the Sarasota Opera House.

And it’s your last chance to catch Lynn Goldsmith: Flowers and Friendship at Selby Gardens: a gorgeous summer of rock ’n’ roll portraits, closing Sunday.

Three stops. One very good weekend.

Plan the whole route in one tap, right here:
https://sarasotaarts.org/event/?utm_source=meta&utm_medium=organic-social&utm_campaign=cultural-coast-summer-2026&utm_content=w8-playbook-0911

Selby Gardens - Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

09/09/2026

When was the last time you walked into the gallery you drive past every week?

September is Sarasota's best-kept secret. The out-of-state plates thin out, the wait at your favorite spot shrinks, and the stages and galleries keep right on going. Our CEO Brian Hersh has a suggestion for the quiet month: be a tourist in your own town. Look up what's playing. Catch a Monday night set. Take the class.

Read Brian's column in the link, then pick one evening this month and go see what just opened.

https://www.srqmagazine.com/srq-daily/2026-09-05

Photo c/o Jazz Club of Sarasota, Danielle LaSenna

09/09/2026

Harriet is taking notes. You might want to take a seat.

This Friday, Harriet the Spy comes to Venice Theatre — secret routes, big questions, best-friend drama, and the particular thrill of being the kid who notices everything.

Bring the curious ones. And maybe hide your notebook.

Details and all the events:
https://sarasotaarts.org/event/?utm_source=meta&utm_medium=organic-social&utm_campaign=cultural-coast-summer-2026&utm_content=w8-spotlight-harriet-0909

09/07/2026

September’s second act opens south, and Thursday evening is already making a case for getting out.

At sunset, Joseph Turrell’s Skyspace at The Ringling gives the sky its own little performance. No stage required.

Friday, Venice Theatre brings back Harriet the Spy, the classic for every kid who kept a notebook, noticed everything, and had questions about absolutely everyone.

At Florida Studio Theatre, Legacy: Motown and More has been extended — because apparently Sarasota isn’t quite ready to let those songs go. And frankly, we understand.

Sunday brings the Thalhe Inclusive Dance Gala to the Sarasota Opera House.

And one last nudge before the week slips away: Lynn Goldsmith: Flowers and Friendship at Selby Gardens is in its final days, closing Sunday.

A little theater. A little music. A little sky. A little art.

September, we see what you’re doing.

All the details, here:
https://sarasotaarts.org/event/?utm_source=meta&utm_medium=organic-social&utm_campaign=cultural-coast-summer-2026&utm_content=w8-roundup-0907

Selby Gardens - Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

09/04/2026

As you wish, Sarasota.

The long weekend runs four days deep. Friday night, The Princess Bride fills the 1926 Sarasota Opera House screen. Saturday and Sunday are last call for Bat Boy at The Players [18+]. Songbirds of the Seventies, meanwhile, got an encore: Florida Studio Theatre just extended it through Sep 20, so the songbook stays open two more weeks.

And Labor Day closes Monday evening with Overjoyed, a Stevie Wonder songbook presented by Jazz Club of Sarasota in FST's cabaret. How lovely.

All the details and this month's events:
https://sarasotaarts.org/event/?utm_source=meta&utm_medium=organic-social&utm_campaign=cultural-coast-summer-2026&utm_content=w7-playbook-0904