Support Herrig Center for the Arts
We are grateful to the following foundations, businesses and individuals who have contributed to our campaign. We would love to add your name to the list!
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2025-2026 Exhibition Season
September 2 – October 10, 2025 – 1 Exhibition
All Galleries
Herrig Center for the Arts’s annual season opening exhibition, features higher award monies for winners.
Online Submission Dates: July 31 – August 15, 4 pm
Online Notifications: August 19, by 4 pm
In Person Receiving/Drop off: August 27, 9-12 pm
Opening Reception: September 4, 5 – 7 pm
Pick Up: October 11, 9 – 12 pm
October 14 – November 14, 2025 – 2 Exhibitions Morning Tea – Gary Green
Home At Last, an All Media Open Juried Show
Home is more than just a structure, its meaning is more precious than just bricks and mortar, it’s where one feels safe, comforted, and loved. Home can also be found in a place or even a person. Artists are asked to share their vision of the feeling of being home at last.
Online Submission Deadline: October 3, 4 pm
Online Notifications: October 7, 5 pm
In Person Receiving/Drop Off: October 11, 9:00-12:00
Opening Reception: October 16, 5:00-7:00 pm
Pick Up: November 15, 9:00-12:00
Juror Committee for Awards: Herrig Center Faculty
Herrig Center for the ARTS Instructor Showcase
Herrig Center is proud to highlight the works of our very talented faculty. All mediums are represented, including silver-smithing, pottery, watercolor, acrylics, oil, sculpture, pastels, scratchboard, paper mache’, mixed media and more.
November 18 – December 26, 2025 – 3 Exhibitions What’s Old Is New, Stephen Brewer
Herrig Center for the ARTS Annual Member Exhibition
An all media open juried exhibit featuring the work of our members. Our members are the strength of what makes the Herrig Center for the Arts, without which we would not exist. With that strength, comes a powerhouse of talent as each year the caliber of work continues to surpass our expectations.
Online Submission Deadline: November 7, 4 pm
Online Notifications: November 11, 5 pm
In Person Receiving/Drop Off: November 15, 9:00-12:00
Opening Reception: November 20, 5:00-7:00
Pick Up: December 27, 9:00-12:00
Emergence: In Solitude & Passage
Natasha Dikareva, Curated Exhibition
Emergence: In Solitude & Passage explores the evolution that arises from quiet contemplation and movement through life’s transitions. Drawing from stories of my motherland Ukraine, I create sculptures as symbols of resilience and enduring spirit – mythical creatures that carry a people’s dreams of renewal and transformation.
These beings emerge from clay in moments of deep stillness, existing in perpetual passage between chaos and creation. Clouds flow through my forms while sculpted hands reach across voids, seeking connection. Birds manifest throughout ceramic landscapes, and all-seeing eyes watch with protective wisdom. I deliberately use holes and negative spaces as passages for light, creating interplay between solid and void that mirrors existence’s duality. Crawling glazes and stains create ash-like textures speaking to cycles of destruction and revival, while blue faces appear as serene countenances longing for Ukrainian sky.
This work celebrates the transformative power found in quietude and passage. Through my art, I highlight resilience and beauty emerging within turmoil. Each fantastical creature becomes a vessel for human longing – hopes given form, defiant acts of creation rising from destruction. My ceramic guardians stand watch, holding space for healing and bearing witness to unbreakable spirit that refuses to surrender its dreams.
Herrig Center Holiday Extravaganza
Back and bigger than before, Herrig Center is proud to present the 2025 Holiday Extravaganza, featuring holiday trees decked to their fullest with thousands of handmade ornaments, handmade holiday décor, gifts and more.
December 30 – January 23, 2026 – 3 Exhibitions Patio Flower Garden, Marjorie Crawford
12 x 12, All Media Open Juried Show
A fan favorite, 12 x 12 returns to the Herrig. There is no general theme to this exhibition, only the requirement is all finished entries are no larger than 12” x 12”.
Online Submission Deadline: December 12, 4 pm
Online Notifications: December 16, by 5 pm
In Person Receiving/Drop Off: December 27, 9:00-12:00
Opening Reception: January 8, 5:00-7:00
Pick Up: January 24, 9:00-12:00 pm
Endangered Species, Lynn Mann-Hallmark, Curated Exhibition
My work is a celebration of emotion—raw, radiant, and unapologetically alive. Through vivid color and bold brushwork, I explore the intimate connection between nature, women, and animals, weaving them into visual narratives that speak to the soul. Each painting is a dialogue between feeling and form, where the wildness of the natural world meets the quiet strength of feminine energy.
I am drawn to moments that pulse with life: the curve of a wave, the gaze of a cat, the resilience in a woman’s stance. These subjects are not just muses—they are mirrors reflecting the emotional landscapes we all traverse. My palette is instinctive, often fiery or serene, depending on the story I’m telling. Whether it’s a stormy sky or a tranquil jungle, I aim to evoke a visceral response, inviting viewers to feel deeply and connect personally. I paint because I care—about the Earth, its beauty, people and our role in protecting it. Painting is my way of honoring the beauty and complexity of the planet and our existence. It’s not just what we see, it’s what we feel. I celebrate the feminine as strong, nurturing, and emotionally honest, qualities I believe the world needs more of. Through childlike wonder and bold vulnerability, I aim to remind us of what’s worth saving. My art is both a tribute and a call to action: to live with gratitude, to feel deeply, and to care fiercely. My work reflects a deep love for the planet and a sense of responsibility to be a good steward for all we’ve been given.
Places & Faces, Jane Keeling & Susan Covert, Curated Exhibition
Featuring the work of Jane Keeling and Susan Covert, Places & Faces is a vast array of landscapes and portraits. Scenes from Florida, from the artists’ travels as well as interesting portraits, many of which are painting from life or in Plein Air.
January 27 – February 27 – 2 Exhibitions
Thru My Eyes, Nicholas James Bath, Curated Exhibition
Journey through breathtaking landscapes and get lost inside captivating macros that invite you to pause and appreciate the exquisite complexity of even the smallest wonders. Thru My Eyes offers a distinctive photographic journey, capturing Nicholas’s enduring passion for flowers, nature, travel, and his cherished home of Sarasota.
Combining vibrant photo creations, original music, and an orchestrated light display, Thru My Eyes ignites your senses and inspires a deeper connection to the world we share. Immerse yourself in the interplay of art, technology, and imagination, where each piece invites you to explore new perspectives and spark your own creativity.
Opening Reception: January 29, 5:00-7:00
Picture This, A Photography Open Juried Exhibition
More Details to follow
Online Submission Deadline: January 16, 4 pm
Online Notifications: January 20, by 5 pm
In Person Receiving/Drop Off: January 24, 9:00-12:00
Opening Reception: January 29, 5:00-7:00
Pick Up: February 28, 9:00-12:00 pm
March 3 – March 20, 2026 – 1 Exhibition Castle Landscape, Megan, 3rd Grade
Manatee County School District Annual K-12 Exhibition
Herrig Center joins with the School District of Manatee County to showcase the work of K-12 visual arts students. In Manatee County, we’re fortunate to have a Board of Education that has made a continued commitment to teaching the visual arts in its elementary, middle and high schools. By partnering with the Herrig Center, that commitment is furthered by giving these young artists a ‘voice’ – one museum-quality gallery – where their work can be professionally displayed and where the artists can receive positive recognition by a wider audience.
Opening Reception: March 5, 5:00-7:00 pm
March 24 – April 17, 2026 – 2 Exhibitions Rice Dreams, Muffy Clark Gill
National Association of Women Artists, Florida Division, Curated Exhibition
The National Association of Women Artists (NAWA), the first women’s fine art organization in the country, is a vibrant community of professional women artists that strives to support its members and women artists at large through exhibitions, programs and education. The history of NAWA is a testament to the strength and resilience of a group of strong women who would not accept being shut out of the art salons, galleries and art exhibitions open to male artists during the 19th century. In 1889 their founding of the organization that subsequently became the National Association of Women Artists, Inc. proves that, despite adversity and discrimination – which many feel extends to this day – women are an integral and valuable part of the arts community. NAWA members represent all areas of the visual arts including painting, sculpture, photography, print-making, encaustic, video art, installations and mixed media.
The Florida Chapter carries out the mission of the NAWA, Inc., in Florida. The Chapter has an active program of regional exhibitions, seminars, and other educational activities, as well as sponsoring annual scholarships for talented and needy art students. Most of the Chapter’s activities occur during the seasonal period between November and May, with occasional exhibitions outside of this period.
Opening Reception: March 26, 5:00-7:00
Reflecting On Koi, Gail White
Florida Suncoast Watercolor Society Annual Aqueous Exhibition, Curated Exhibition
The Florida Suncoast Watercolor Society was founded in 1983 with 17 Charter members and 24 Associate members. The original purpose to foster the advancement of and promote excellence in the art of watermedia painting remains their focus today. FSWS has grown to about 200 members spanning from Pasco county to Collier county.
Opening Reception: March 26, 5:00-7:00
April 21 – May 15, 2026 – 2 Exhibitions Reflections from Chinatown, David Stickel AWS
American Watercolor Society 158th International Traveling Exhibition
The American Watercolor Society began as a group of eleven painters who gathered in New York City in 1866 and began to hold exhibitions of their work. Their annual exhibitions have continued from that day. The annual juried exhibition of the AWS is open to all artists worldwide. The traveling exhibition features 40 paintings from the original 160+ exhibitors each year and travels to three to six locations each year. Admission: $10
Opening Reception: April 23, 5 – 7 pm
A 15 Year Journey in Watercolor, Kathy Simon-McDonald, Curated Exhibition
Until 2011, I had never painted or had taken any lessons in watercolor. After retiring from 35 years of teaching special education at the middle school level, I started attending local watercolor workshops in 2011 and was encouraged to compete.
Since that time, my work has been juried into Splash 21, 22, and 26-The Best of Watercolor, the 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, and the 14th National Biennial Art Shows held in Punta Gorda, Florida, National Watercolor Society International Show, San Diego Watercolor Society International Show, Annual Signature American International Watermedia Exhibition, and has received awards in Southern Watercolor Society Annual Exhibition, Watercolor Society of Houston International Show, Georgia Watercolor Society International Show, Philadelphia Watercolor Society International Works on Paper, Louisiana Watercolor Society International Show, International Watercolor Society, and the American Watercolor Society International Show.
Some of my awards include the Susan Lattner Lloyd Gold Award for best in show in the Florida Watercolor Society 2015 annual show and the Winslow Homer Award in 2025, 2019 American Watercolor Society Best-in-Show Award, 2020 Transparent Watercolor Society of America Dorothy Dreihaus Mellin Watercolor Award, and the International Works on Paper (Philadelphia Watercolor Society) vonDuyke Award for Transparent Watercolor in addition to over 100 awards in local, regional, national and international juried competitions. I have earned signature or master signature status in ten watercolor societies. My work has also been featured several times in ‘Watercolor Artist’ and ‘The Art of Watercolour’ magazines.
Follow us on