Sarasota Art Museum (SAM) has opened a new exhibition titled "Something Borrowed, Something New," featuring works from private collectors across Southwest Florida. The show includes pieces by renowned artists such as Chuck Close, KAWS, Richard Serra, Yoko Ono, Ai Weiwei, and Louise Bourgeois, spanning paintings, prints, sculptures, and mixed media from the 20th and 21st centuries. The exhibition was inspired by a museum trip program, during which executive director Virginia Shearer noticed that local collectors owned significant works by artists featured in major institutions like the Renwick Gallery and Glenstone.
The exhibition matters because it highlights the depth of private art collections in the Sarasota region and connects local collectors to world-class contemporary art. By assembling works from multiple collectors, SAM demonstrates how regional museums can leverage community resources to create meaningful, curated experiences that rival those of larger institutions. It also underscores the growing trend of museums engaging with private collectors to build exhibitions that reflect both local pride and global artistic movements.