The Sarasota Art Museum (SAM) is currently hosting vibrant and impactful exhibitions featuring contemporary Black artists through Summer and Autumn 2025.

Personal to Political: Celebrating the African American Artists of Paulson Fontaine Press

Running from May 4 to August 10, this nationally touring exhibition presents works by 17 celebrated artists, including Martin Puryear, Kerry James Marshall, and the Gee’s Bend Quilters. It encompasses fine art prints, quilts, sculptures, and a large-scale basketball pyramid installation by David Huffman. Following the exhibition, the basketballs will be donated to school and community groups across Sarasota County.

Lillian Blades: Through the Veil

Opened June 1, the first solo museum exhibition by Bahamian-born mixed-media artist Lillian Blades, featuring an immersive labyrinth of shimmering veils. Suspended from the ceiling, these radiant tapestries reflect light and memory through assemblages of found materials, small mirrors, and found objects—inviting visitors into meditative spaces of cultural identity and reflection.

Additional exhibitions such as Chris Friday: Where We Never Grow Old and Jillian Mayer: Slumpies further enrich the museum’s programming, showcasing themes of sanctuary and the body in relation to technology.

These exhibitions reinforce Sarasota Art Museum’s evolving identity as a vibrant hub for contemporary artistic expression. By foregrounding artists from African-American and Caribbean roots, the museum amplifies voices historically underrepresented and offers visually compelling experiences that connect heritage, craft, and innovation.

Sources

• Official Sarasota Art Museum exhibition pages sarasotaartmuseum.org+1mustdo.com+1

• Observer coverage on Lillian Blades exhibition details instagram.com+6yourobserver.com+6sarasotaartmuseum.org+6