Photos: The Hermitage Raises Over $450,000 At 17TH ANNUAL ARTFUL LOBSTER

The Hermitage Artist Retreat announced that its 2025 Artful Lobster fundraiser generated more than $450,000 in support of the organization’s artist residency program. The 17th annual event took place on Saturday, November 8, at the Hermitage’s beachfront campus on Manasota Key, drawing more than 200 guests to a sold-out luncheon.

The afternoon was hosted by Andy Sandberg, Artistic Director and CEO of the Hermitage, who reflected on the organization’s resilience and thanked attendees for their continued support. This year’s program featured performances by Tony Award nominee Betsy Wolfe (Death Becomes Her, Waitress, & Juliet), Latvian guitarist and Hermitage Fellow Matīss Čudars, and Hermitage Cross Arts Collaborative Fellow Raleigh Mosely II.

Mosely opened the program with “The Only One,” written by late Tony Award-winning Hermitage Fellow Gavin Creel as part of Walk on Through, a musical developed at the Hermitage. Wolfe followed with two original songs from musicals she has helped to develop, including “The Shape of Things” from Joy, with music and lyrics by AnnMarie Milazzo, a finalist for the Hermitage Major Theater Award. After lunch, Čudars performed his composition “Vilcienā” and a rendition of The Beatles’ “Let It Be.” Wolfe later returned with Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide,” acknowledging the Hermitage’s recovery from the 2024 hurricanes, before closing the event with “Domino” from & Juliet.

The event’s fundraising segment, led by Sandberg with the help of “Artsy” the Artful Lobster, contributed to the record-breaking total. Sarasota musician Joseph Holt accompanied both Wolfe and Mosely on piano.

“This year’s Artful Lobster was an event to remember and an especially meaningful celebration of resilience as we returned to the Hermitage campus,” said Andy Sandberg. “The generous outpouring of support for the work we are doing at the Hermitage is a demonstration of our community’s extraordinary commitment to the arts and the creative process.”

The 2025 event was co-chaired by Sondra and Gerald Biller and Michael and Carol Clark, with support from Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Key Agency, Herald-Tribune / Local IQ, and SRQ Media.

Founded as a national arts incubator, the Hermitage Artist Retreat hosts artists from around the world for multi-week residencies on its Gulf Coast campus, fostering the creation of new works across disciplines including theater, music, visual art, literature, dance, and film. In addition to its residency program, the Hermitage presents free public events and community programs throughout the year.

More information about the Hermitage and its programs is available at HermitageArtistRetreat.org.

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