Southwest Florida museums are hosting 31 exhibitions in December, including three new openings and two closings. Highlights include "Art Deco: The Golden Age of Illustration" at Sarasota Art Museum, featuring 100 rare posters from the Crouse Collection celebrating the Art Deco centennial; "Selina Roman: Abstract Corpulence," a photo-based installation exploring body politics and femininity; and Molly Hatch's site-specific ceramic installation "Amalgam" (2023-24), commissioned for the museum's "Inside Out" program. Other venues from Sarasota to Naples continue ongoing shows from their permanent collections and traveling exhibitions.
This roundup matters because it showcases the cultural vitality of Southwest Florida's museum scene during the holiday season, drawing attention to both historic design movements and contemporary artistic voices. The diversity of exhibitions—from vintage advertising posters to self-portraiture challenging beauty standards—reflects how regional museums balance historical scholarship with socially relevant contemporary art, making art accessible to local audiences and tourists alike.