The cultural capital of Southwest Florida, Sarasota is a mecca for artists, musicians, writers and patrons of the arts.  The county's cultural attractions put those of much larger cities to shame with two symphonies, an opera house, a world-class ballet company, numerous playhouses and a plethora of art galleries. 

John and Mable Ringling bequeathed to Sarasotans, among other things, one of the most beautiful museums in the United States, with a collection recognized internationally for its Baroque paintings, including John Paul Rubens' Triumph of the Eucharist series.  When the state took over the gift in 1948, it added the exquisite 18^th century Asolo Theater from Asolo, Italy, and the Ringling Museum of the Circus.

Sarasota is not only home to nearly four times as many performing artists as any other part of Florida, but stage actors from around the globe come to train at the Asolo Theater Festival, while the Ringling School of Art and Design turns out numerous sculptors and painters.

ART FILMS

Sarasota Film Society - Burns Court Cinema
Sarasota Film Festival

BALLET

The Sarasota Ballet

LIVE THEATRE

Asolo Theatre
Banyan Theater Company
Florida Studio Theatre
Golden Apple Dinner Theatre
The Players of Sarasota
Venice Little Theater
West Coast Black Theatre Troupe

OPERA

The Sarasota Opera

SYMPHONY/MUSIC

Florida West Coast Symphony
The Gloria Musicae Singers
Jazz Club of Sarasota
Key Chorale
Sarasota Concert Band
Sarasota Folk Club Inc.
Sarasota Pops
La Musica
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
The Venice Symphony

SARASOTA ACCOLADES

PRESS/EVENTS
 

MUSEUMS

John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art
Museum of Asian Art
South Florida Museum, Bishop Planetarium and Parker Manatee Aquarium
Sarasota Classic Car Museum

Part of the Ringlings' generous gift was an impressive array of objects d'art, circus memorabilia, and the palace Ca'd'Zan (House of John), their winter residence, whose garden and extensive grounds overlook Sarasota Bay. When the state took over the gift in 1948, it added the exquisite 18^th century Asolo Theater from Asolo, Italy, and the Ringling Museum of the Circus, establishing an arts infrastructure that attracted artists and art lovers from around the world. Now Sarasota is home to nearly four times as many performing artists as any other part of Florida. Actors come to train at the Asolo Theater Festival, while the Ringling School of Art and Design turns out numerous sculptors and painters.