Art gallery from the MUSE with guests enjoying the art.

OUr History

Established since 2017

The Suncoast Black Arts Collaborative was established in the Spring of 2017 in Sarasota, Florida. In April 2020, the organization received its 501c3 non-profit status.

The organization was started with a small group of like-minded friends interested in advocating greater exposure of African American arts, artists and art collectors throughout the Suncoast Arts community. We also collaborated to provide educational forums/symposia to expose students and art patrons to the work of African American artists. Our goals have been to ignite a greater interest in African American arts in this and our neighboring Suncoast communities.

We began a program that introduced to our community: Exhibitions, Salons for guest artists, educators, auction houses and collectors. Through our programs we nurtured an interest in artists of color. Our hope has been to bring attention to fresh information about new, exciting African American artists to meet and follow their careers. Novice and established artists of color have been introduced and asked to relay their paths to success in the art world and their struggles as well. This organization hopes to provide a cultural and educational service to our Suncoast Community as a whole. Suncoast Black Arts Collaborative is the only supportive African American arts organization in the Suncoast area.

Our Intent

Our intent is to join with local museums, art centers and galleries like: Art Center Sarasota, The Ringling Museum, The Sarasota Art Museum, St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Art, Polk Museum of Art, The Hermitage Artist Retreat, the Sarasota Board of Education and others, to pursue joint projects and collaborations to expand the horizons for African American artists and collectors.

Our mission

Past Sponsored or Co-Sponsored Events

The following are programs and efforts we have already sponsored or co-sponsored:

Art Salon with Victoria L. Valentine, Founder and Editor of Culture Type (culturetype.com); a very innovative and important website supporting the works of African American artists.
Reception for photographic artist, Carrie Mae Weems;
Primary sponsor for the reception and exhibition of works by the artist Charles Williams, February 2, 2019 at The Polk Museum in Lakeland, Florida;
Co-sponsored the reception and talk by visionary artist Bill T. Jones, in conjunction with The Hermitage Artist Retreat;
Art Salon with speaker Nigel Freeman, Director of Swann Auction Galleries, New York - the largest auction house for African American Fine Art;
Suncoast Black Arts Collaborative was credited with bringing together Pamela Joyner, ‘activist’ collector and champion of African American art and Nigel Freeman, Director of Swann Auction Galleries for a collaborative Art Salon held by the Sarasota Art Museum;
Lead sponsor for Atlanta artist Horace Impotem with Art Center Sarasota. Collaborated with The Association for the Study of African American Life and History )ASALH);
Co-sponsored the 2020 ASALH Black MUSE hosting an evening for twelve seasoned artists in a juried exhibition. The event attracted over 300 guests. Arranged for four of the artists to visit Sarasota high schools;
Talks by Michele Parchment, Director of Public Community Engagement at the Sarasota Art Museum; Bruce Rodgers, Executive Director of The Hermitage Artist Retreat, Manasota, Key; Ann-Marie Russell, Executive Director of the Sarasota Art Museum; and Lisa Berger, Executive Director of the Art Center Sarasota;

Our members have enjoyed visiting the homes of fellow members and viewing their collections of art and engaging in collecting histories and conversations. The Collaborative hopes to provide an atmosphere of fellowship and an exchange of ideas and mutual support in the field of visual arts to a wide and diverse audience. We have much to look forward to in the near future.