Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation

What a joyful morning at Mr. Stevey & Friends: Building Community at The Ringling! 💛

Thank you to all the families who joined us for a day filled with creativity, mindfulness, music, movement, storytelling, and connection. We loved seeing children and caregivers explore, learn, and create together.

A huge thank you to Mr. Stevey Meditates and our incredible teaching artists for helping build community through mindfulness activities, hands-on art experiences, and meaningful moments of joy and imagination.

We’re also grateful to our partners at The Ringling for hosting us and helping make these free arts experiences accessible for families across our community.

Today, we honor and remember the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. May we carry their legacy forward through acts of unity and compassion.

Wishing you a meaningful Memorial Day. 🇺🇸

Artist Credit: Southhampton Artists Association

Every day, the arts create opportunities for learning, connection, creativity, and community across Sarasota and Manatee counties. 💜

Through performances, residencies, workshops, wellness initiatives, and family programs, the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation works alongside teaching artists, educators, and community partners to make the arts more accessible for people of all ages and backgrounds.

We’re grateful to everyone who helps make this work possible.

Did you know? 💜

100% of educators who participated in a Gulf Coast Florida Wolf Trap Residency reported that they plan to continue using the arts-integration strategies they learned during their residency.

Through Gulf Coast Florida Wolf Trap, the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation partners teaching artists with early childhood educators to bring music, movement, storytelling, and creative exploration into classrooms for children ages 3–6. These joyful, hands-on experiences support early literacy, pre-math skills, social-emotional learning, and active classroom engagement while equipping educators with lifelong teaching strategies they can continue using long after the residency ends.

Learn more here: performingartsfoundation.org/wolf-trap

✨ Relax, reflect, and create with us at ArtSELF: Arts for Wellness ✨

Join us for a free “No Rules Art Journaling” workshop on Saturday, May 30. Through mixed-media journaling and creative exploration, participants will have space to reflect, express themselves, and unwind. No experience needed and all materials will be provided.

🗓 Saturday, May 30
⏰ 2:30 PM–4:00 PM
📍 Bayfront Community Center | 803 N Tamiami Trail
🎟 Free to attend

Reserve your spot today: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/artself-arts-for-wellness-series-no-rules-art-journaling-tickets-1986837041074

Congratulations to our Chief Development Officer, Kelly Addington, and the entire Leadership Sarasota Class of 2025–2026! 🎓✨ We’re grateful for all you do to strengthen our community through leadership, connection, and impact.

✨ Heartbeats: Estrella Minor ✨

Meet Estrella Minor, a volunteer whose journey with Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation began after attending a Mr. Stevey Meditates & Friends event with her daughter. What started as a single experience quickly became a meaningful connection to a community rooted in creativity, belonging, and care.

Today, Estrella helps support programs and events that bring families together through the arts and create spaces where children can feel inspired, included, and celebrated.

Watch Estrella’s story and read more:

From Attendee to Volunteer: Estrella Minor’s Story  — Performing Arts Foundation Our community is the heartbeat behind everything the Foundation does. Every free arts program, family event, and…

Smiles like these are made possible because of our generous community. 💜

There’s something incredibly special about watching a child experience the performing arts for the first time. The curiosity, the excitement, the confidence, the joy. You can see it happen in real time.

Every day, we’re reminded that meaningful arts access is not just about showing up. It’s about building trust, creating belonging, and opening the door to possibilities for children to see themselves reflected in the arts.

We’re grateful to be part of moments like these throughout Sarasota and the Suncoast region.

We’re excited to share that our Marketing Manager, Kassidy Gardner, has been selected for the 2026 Gulf Coast Leadership Institute class! 🎉

Hosted by Gulf Coast Community Foundation in partnership with Eckerd College’s Leadership Development Institute, the program brings together emerging leaders from across the region to strengthen leadership skills, build community connections, and inspire civic impact.

We’re proud to see Kassidy recognized among this year’s incredible cohort and grateful for the creativity, care, and passion she brings to our mission every day at Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation.

Learn more about the 2026 Gulf Coast Leadership Institute class: https://gulfcoastcf.org/article/gulf-coast-announces-2026-gulf-coast-leadership-institute-class

Today, we’re celebrating the moms, grandmothers, and caregivers who make space for creativity to grow.

For the long days, the early mornings, and the quiet moments in between, we see you.

To those who show up, create, and explore alongside their children, thank you for nurturing curiosity, connection, and imagination every day.

Happy Mother’s Day.