Sarasota Orchestra Reveals 2023-2024 Harmony Gallery Exhibitions

Sarasota Orchestra has revealed the four exhibitions that will take place at the Orchestra's Harmony Gallery during the 2023-2024 season, including a special collaboration with Booker High School featuring works by students from the school's venerated Visual and Performing Arts program.

The Harmony Gallery features local artists showcasing their work in solo exhibitions throughout the Orchestra's season. These juried exhibitions feature artists with mediums ranging from painting to pastels to mixed media. Twenty-five percent of all proceeds from the sale of the artwork benefit Sarasota Orchestra. The exhibits invite patrons to explore the collaboration between the visual and performing arts.

2023 - 2024 Harmony Gallery Schedule

JoAnn Golenia

Exhibition Titled: Take a Hike!

Medium: Acrylic painting

About: JoAnn Golenia is an avid painter and has exhibited in international venues including the International Festival in Houston, Texas, the Carnegie Center for Art and History in New Albany, Indiana, and the Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center in Auburn, New York. Locally, she has exhibited at Art Center Sarasota, Lighthouse Center for the Arts, Tequesta, FL, and the Venice Art Center. She was a teacher for sixteen years before devoting herself full time to her art.

Exhibit Dates: September 26 – December 11

Public Reception: Wednesday, October 18, from 5:00 - 6:30 pm

Booker High School

Exhibition Titled: VPA Student Exhibition

Medium: Various

About: Booker High School, a comprehensive learning facility, is home to the Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) program, which offers rigorous, pre-professional training in the arts in five disciplines: Dance, Digital Film & Motion Design, Music, Theatre, and Visual Art. In collaboration with Sarasota Orchestra, Booker VPA visual art students will present a collection of two-dimensional artwork from various genres.

Exhibit Dates: December 14 – January 25

Public Reception: Wednesday, January 24, from 5:00 - 6:30 pm

Marco Bell and Monica Spain

Exhibition Titled: Pas de Deux

Medium: Acrylic painting and pastels

About: Mark "Marco" Bell was born and raised in Sarasota, FL and received his BFA in 1976 from the esteemed Ringling College of Art and Design. Post-graduation Marco became an art director in product manufacturing until a freelance mural job made him realize how much he missed painting. Monica Spain grew up in South Florida and received her BFA from Atlanta College of Art in 1978, after which she worked in advertising. Yearning to expand her painting skills, an opportunity to paint murals in Sarasota presented itself in 1997. The move led to meeting and marrying fellow artist and muralist Marco Bell in 2000. Together, the pair created Bella Arte Studio in 2005.

Exhibit Dates: February 1 – March 14

Public Reception: Thursday, February 8, from 5:00 - 6:30 pm

Emma Seaworthy

Exhibition Titled: Water

Medium: Mixed media

About: Designer, artist, wavemaker, and Ringling College alumna, Emma Seaworthy, creates artwork influenced by the Florida wilds. Her mixed media work features environmentalist themes and offers a deep appreciation for our local ecosystems. Her work has been featured at both environmental and art venues, enticing viewers to ask questions and think critically about our perceptions of nature.

Exhibit Dates: March 19 – May 9

Public Reception: Wednesday, March 20, from 5:00 - 6:30 pm

About Sarasota Orchestra:

Sarasota Orchestra is celebrating 75 years of performances that move, delight, and inspire music-lovers across the region and visitors from around the world. Each year, the 76-member Orchestra performs more than 100 classical, pops, chamber music, and community outreach concerts. Sarasota Orchestra's mission also extends to music education, including its acclaimed Sarasota Youth Orchestra programs and the world-renowned Sarasota Music Festival. For further information, please visit www.SarasotaOrchestra.org.

Images Available:

•    Harmony Gallery artist head shots and sample artwork images available here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/1gpucu2ovd493xz24zco1/h?rlkey=hg3m9kc0qgty63cm7jx9wfiyc&dl=0

•    Additional high-resolution photography is available at www.sarasotaorchestra.org/download

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