Public viewing free during facility’s regular business hours
Now You See Us, “a vibrant and popular art display by the Petticoat Painters, has been refreshed” within the Sarasota City Hall, city staff has announced.
The updated exhibit features 46 new artworks throughout the lobby of City Hall, which stands at 1565 First St. in downtown Sarasota, a news release notes.
“The Petticoat Painters, an all-female art group founded in 1953, is one of the oldest continuously exhibiting women’s art groups in the country,” the release explains. The collective was established “at a time when women struggled to find venues” where they could display their art,” the release adds. The group’s goal was “to showcase the talents of female artists despite the challenges of the time,” the release adds.
“From their first show, held at a local Sarasota gallery, through today, the Petticoat Painters provide a platform for women” not only to exhibit their artwork but also to be celebrated for it, the release points out.
The refreshed Now You See Us exhibit is free and open for public viewing at City Hall during regular business hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, the release says.
The City Hall Cultural Heritage Exhibit was “launched in November 2022 to celebrate the City’s many cultural legacies through museum-quality visual arts experiences,” with art pieces on a six-month rotation, the release notes. Previous exhibitors have been the Highwaymen Art Experts Inc., Arts Advocates, The Circus Arts Conservatory, The Sarasota Architecture Center, and the Sarasota County History Center archive, the release adds.
A free reception celebrating the refreshed Petticoat Painters exhibit, including a public lecture, will be held on Thursday, Jan. 8, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at City Hall, the release says.
For more information on the Public Art Program, visit Sarasotafl.gov/PublicArt.