Sarasota’s first contemporary art museum is a dynamic center for exhibiting innovative and compelling visual art of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College is a contemporary art museum (known as a kunsthalle, an art museum without a permanent collection).
The Sarasota Art Museum interweaves exhibitions, educational programs, and community outreach initiatives to engage a diverse audience. It serves as a destination for creative discovery and discourse.
The Museum is housed in the beautifully renovated and transformed 1927-built Sarasota High School building designed to preserve the past while showcasing the future.
Sarasota Art Museum features 15,000 square feet of dedicated exhibition gallery space, a restaurant, museum shop, and sculpture courtyard. Plus, an auditorium for educational events, performance and film, and extensive grounds and facilities where visitors can engage with site-specific and site-responsive art experiences.
Museum Exhibition Gallery Hours:
Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Tuesdays. Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Bistro, Museum Shop, and Grounds are open on Tuesdays, Galleries are closed.
Museum Free Day is the second Sunday of every month.
Sarasota Art Museum is closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
Kids and Family Programs at Sarasota Art Museum
Your Wednesday Playdate Program each Wednesday from 10 a.m. to Noon.
Sarasota Art Museum’s Your Wednesday Playdate program is for early learners with an adult. Wednesday Playdates deliver an art project led by a professional teaching artist, interactive story times, and guided tours.
Peggy A. Hall Classroom, 134. Free for members, free with Museum admission. No registration required.
Highlights Tour each Wednesday and Friday at 11 a.m.
Join in lively conversations and engaging activities, facilitated by Museum Guides, that offer insightful ways to engage with the current exhibitions. Learn about the themes and ideas that guide each exhibition, as well as the connection point between them.
Meet in the Wendy G. Surkis & Peppi Elona Lobby. Free for members, free with Museum admission. No registration required.
Saturday Studios Family Program each Saturday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Saturday Studios at SAM are inspired by works of art in Sarasota Art Museum’s special exhibitions. These drop-in studio workshops are designed for children and their families and caregivers and are open to all ages.
Peggy A. Hall Classroom, 134. Free for members, free with Museum admission. No registration required.
Free Second Sundays 2nd Sunday of each Month
Enjoy a day of art and family fun at Sarasota Art Museum on the second Sunday of each month. Features special performances and art-making activities for the whole family.
Free admission for all visitors on the second Sunday of each month.
Sarasota Art Museum Bistro
The Bistro offers a delicious selection of gourmet light fares, including sandwiches, tartines, salads, and soups inspired by Florida’s regional fruit stands and farmer’s markets, emphasizing local produce and healthy proteins and artisanal specialty items.
The Bistro menu also offers specialty coffees and desserts, a Kids Menu, and Weekend Brunch featuring Bloody Marys and Mimosas.
Dine indoors or outside on the patio.
The Bistro is open daily from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Sarasota Art Museum Gift Shop
Bring home a piece of Sarasota from the gift shop! Your store purchase supports the Museums programs and exhibitions.
The Shop offers an eclectic collection of Museum exhibition-inspired merchandise, art and architecture books, contemporary jewelry, and gifts.
The Museum Shop is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sarasota Art Museum Admission
General Admission – $15
Museum Members* – Free
Under 17, accompanied by an adult – Free
Ringling College Alumni (Under 30) – Free with ID
Cross College Alliance Students – Free with ID
Veterans / Active Military – Free with ID
Tickets are available for purchase up until 4:30 pm on the day you would like to attend.
Parking is free.
*Sarasota Art Museum Members receive free admission and a 10% discount in the Museum Shop and Bistro, as well as invitations to special Members-only events.
The Sarasota Art Museum is accessible for visitors with limited mobility via the elevator and ramps. Wheelchairs are available for visitors with limited mobility on a first come, first served basis.
American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation is available for guided tours by contacting the Museum two weeks in advance of your visit.
Sarasota Art Museum is a proud participant of the Blue Star Museums program, which offers free admission to active-duty military personnel, including National Guard and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Blue Star Museums is a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and museums across America.
The 2022 Blue Star Museums program begins on Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 21, 2022 and ends on Labor Day, Monday, September 5, 2022.
Sarasota Art Museum Mission Statement: The Sarasota Art Museum is a catalyst for appreciation and understanding of the art of our time. As a platform for education, exposure, and experimentation, the Museum inspires new ideas and new ways of being through an endless rotation of transformative, relevant, and pioneering exhibitions and programs designed to elevate and empower all by cultivating discerning visual thinkers and ethical citizens.
