Two exhibitions in Sarasota trace the origins of the Sarasota Artist Colony, which flourished between 1945 and 1965. One is at Ringling College of Art and Design, titled “Origins: Sarasota Artist Colony, 1945-1965,” co-curated by Tim Jaeger and Bill Hartman. The other is at the downtown offices of Michael Saunders & Co. The Ringling College show features 36 works by colony artists, including Jon Corbino, Ben Stahl, Syd Solomon, and Craig Rubadoux, and places them in the context of post-World War II America, when the GI Bill and cheap rents attracted hundreds of artists to the small beach community.
This exhibition matters because it documents a little-known chapter in American art history, showing how a small town became a vibrant arts hub—at its peak, one in every 15 Sarasotans was a working artist. By highlighting the colony’s individualistic, non-regional style and the supportive community that fostered it, the show offers a corrective to the dominant narratives of mid-century American art, which often focus on New York and the Abstract Expressionists. It also underscores the role of art schools and local institutions in nurturing creative ecosystems.