Arts Advocates to Present Special Exhibit and New Art Talk in September

Arts Advocates will present two new events in the Arts Advocates Gallery, located in The Crossings at Siesta Key mall, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail in Sarasota. A special exhibit of Cora Marshall's works, titled "In and Out of Time," runs from September 3 through September 24. Denise Kowal, founder of the Chalk Festival, will present "Chalk Talks: Behind the Scenes of the Chalk Festival" on September 15. More information can be found at ArtsAdvocates.org.

"In and Out of Time" by artist and educator Cora Marshall is a special exhibit in the Arts Advocates Gallery, presented in collaboration with The Suncoast Black Arts Collaborative and funded in part by a grant from the Sarasota Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County. The exhibit opens on Saturday, September 3 and runs through September 24; the gallery is open every Saturday from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Dr. Marshall's current work focuses on contemporary African American artists in particular, and artists who are mixed race: part African American and Native American. She earned a doctorate in art from New York University. Her paintings have been exhibited nationally and internationally including the National Conference of Artists in Ghana; A.I.R. Gallery in New York City; Hammonds House Gallery in Atlanta; Pittsburgh Center for the Arts; and Craftery Gallery in Hartford, Connecticut.

"Chalk Talks: Behind the Scenes of the Chalk Festival," featuring Denise Kowal, continues the Art Talk series on September 15 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Kowal has been a resident, patron, stakeholder, and business owner in Sarasota County for the past 40 years. She founded and manages the Avenida de Colores, the nonprofit umbrella organization for the Chalk Festival and Avenue of Art. She is primarily focused on pavement arts, and has made the Chalk Festival the most important pavement event in the world along with the artists, volunteers, donors and visitors. Cost for this Art Talk is $10 for Arts Advocates members, $12 for non-members. Registration is required at ArtsAdvocates.org.

To learn more about Arts Advocates, visit artsadvocates.org.

Arts Advocates was founded in 1969 as The Fine Arts Society of Sarasota, Inc., a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization whose mission is to inspire creativity, advance education, and connect the community to the arts. Arts Advocates has the foremost collection of works by Sarasota Art Colony artists on public exhibition anywhere. The organization awards scholarships to local students pursuing careers in the arts, and offers arts-related luncheons, workshops, educational tours, and visits to private collections. To learn more, visit artsadvocates.org.