Fifteenth Season of Hermitage STARs Announced for 2025

The Hermitage Artist Retreat in Sarasota County, Florida, has announced the recipients of its 2025 State Teachers Artist Residency (STARs) program. Now in its fifteenth year, the initiative honors Florida public school arts educators by providing them with a summer residency at the Hermitage, where they can pursue their own artistic projects.

This year’s STARs—selected from a competitive pool of applicants from across the state—include Jennifer Bennett (Seminole County), a theater arts educator, actor, director, and playwright; Abbey Kish (Orange County), a drawing instructor specializing in printmaking, photography, and drawing; and Emma Olivia Chandler (Hillsborough County), a metalsmith and visual arts educator at Blake High School.

As part of the program, the three recipients will present a family-friendly showcase of their work on Friday, July 11 at 11:30 a.m. at the Englewood YMCA. This special program is offered in partnership with the YMCA and is open by invitation to students in the community.

“These exceptional educators are also talented artists and creative minds in their own right,” said Andy Sandberg, Artistic Director and CEO of the Hermitage. “The STARs program gives them the opportunity to step away from the classroom and reconnect with their own creativity. We are proud to support their work and to help inspire their return to teaching with renewed passion.”

Launched in 2011, the Hermitage STARs program is presented in partnership with the Florida Alliance for Arts Education (FAAE) and is one of the only Hermitage residency programs open to public application. Since its inception, the program has welcomed 70 teachers from over 30 Florida counties, representing disciplines including music, theater, dance, creative writing, and visual arts.

For more information about the STARs program and how to apply, Florida arts educators can visit faae.org/star.

Sarasota Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. CABARET (The Sarasota Players)

23.3% of votes

2. SYNCOPATED AVENUE (Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe)

21.6% of votes

3. CHORUS LINE (Ovation Theatre Inc.)

11.9% of votes

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