Sat, February 28, 2026 I 10:00-11:30AM | Admission: Members $10 Not-yet-members $20
SPAACES is pleased to present a special morning event featuring a creative breakfast and a thought-provoking panel discussion inspired by Subterranean Voices, the exhibition by artist-in-residence Sabrina Small. Moderated by SPAACES founder Marianne Chapel, the conversation will include Sabrina Small, Louise Converse (Artisan Cheese Company, Sarasota), David Wong (co-founder of FRIEDA and FRIEDA Community), and artist Nathan Skiles, exploring themes at the intersection of artificial intelligence, digital culture, meditation, reflection, and the connective power of food. The event also marks the beginning of a partnership between SPAACES and Philadelphia-based FRIEDA, an organization dedicated to bringing people together through curated cultural experiences.
Panelists: Sabrina Small, Louise Converse (Artisan Cheese Company), David Wong (FRIEDA), Nathan Skiles.
Wed, April 15, 2026 | 5:00-9:00PM | Admission: Free
#GivingChallenge2026Squeeze
A one-night-only, immersive Sarasota art event that doubles as a community fundraiser
On April 15, 2026, SPAACES comes alive for SQUEEZE and the Giving Challenge. A high-energy, one-night-only immersive art event created to ignite community connection and power the Giving Challenge 2026.
SQUEEZE | Program Highlights
5:00–5:30 Doors open · Party ignites · Gallery comes alive
5:30–6:00 Live performances by Artist Series Concerts & Sarasota Contemporary Dance with beat boxing by Karim Manning
6:00–6:30 DJ grooves · Social energy · Bar & gallery buzzing
6:30–7:00 Second wave of live performances by Artist Series Concerts & Sarasota Contemporary Dance with beat boxing by Karim Manning
7:00–7:30 Dance floor warm-up · Drinks · Art · Movement everywhere
7:30–8:00 Fabulous Arts Foundation Drag Performance
8:00–10:00 ’80s-inspired disco DJ dance party with Karim Manning
SQUEEZE is designed to build momentum during this critical 24-hour fundraising moment—amplifying visibility, inspiring participation, and generating essential support for Sarasota’s contemporary arts ecosystem.
While hosted at SPAACES, SQUEEZE is a true community collaboration, presented by five partners:
SPAACES, Artist Series Concerts, Sarasota Contemporary Dance, Karim Manning, and Fabulous Arts Foundation. Together, these collaborators transform the gallery into a shared platform for experimentation, accessibility, and collective impact.
Running alongside the event is the exhibition
Sat, January 17, 2026 I 5:00-6:00PM | Admission: Members $10 Not-yet-members $20
Narrative Constructs – Storytelling in Art and Life brings together four speakers—two visual artists, one author, and one psychologist—for a wide-ranging exploration of the importance of storytelling. Storytelling is a fundamental aspect of human connection and culture, serving multiple purposes from education and emotional development to fostering empathy and cultural understanding. It helps us understand ourselves and others, learn from experiences, and remember information more effectively. Stories can also inspire, motivate, and even change behavior.
Featured Speakers:
Marika Lindholm – Sociologist, author, and founder of ESME (Empowering Solo Moms Everywhere),
Andy Blanch – Trauma-informed psychologist and advocate with SRQ Strong,
Alicia Brown – Visual artist whose paintings examine history, culture, and identity
Aaron Board – Visual artist working in realism and narrative figuration
Fri, October 3, 2025 | 6:00-6:30PM | Free
People Trippin is an artistic collaboration between musician Tihda Vongkoth of Modern Marimba and acclaimed Spoken Word artist Melanie Lavender. Together, they have created a genre-blurring “sonopoetic” experience—a fusion of rhythm, melody, and spoken word that takes audiences on a poetic and musical journey. This original production merges the rich timbres of percussion with Lavender’s powerful voice and lyrical storytelling, offering a deeply personal exploration of identity, resilience, and spirit.
Modern Marimba, led by Tihda Vongkoth, presents inclusive, forward-thinking performances that reimagine the role of marimba and percussion in contemporary music. Through innovative programming and community-rooted collaborations, the organization uplifts underrepresented voices and expands access to the arts.
Melanie Lavender is a Sarasota-based Spoken Word artist whose work bridges healing, heritage, and identity. A Hermitage Fellow and featured speaker on PBS and TEDx, Lavender’s performances center cultural storytelling and spiritual reflection through the power of language.
This event is free to the public thanks to the generous support of the Music Performance Trust Fund (MPTF) and AFM Local 427-721 (Gulf Coast Musicians Union).
Apr 19, 2025, 5:00PM
Apr 9, 2024, 6:00PM
August 26, 2023, 10AM-12PM
September 23, 2023, 10AM-12PM
October 14, 2023, 10AM-12PM
February 7, 2023
In celebration of Black History Month, SPAACES gallery and studios will be hosting a panel discussion as a companion event to our monthly Art Walk and gallery opening on February 4th.
Jessica Mowery is a practicing contemporary artist with a SPAACES studio. She has a varied professional background that has included selling vehicular armor, running an accomplished interior architecture studio and is currently a cryptocurrency analyst. Jessica is also the co-founder of a private NFT investment fund launching in 2022. The fund is committed to bringing together unique talent and licensing opportunities for artists, creators and investors. Jessica will provide a broad overview of the NFT market. She will break things down in layman’s terms explaining the technical basics, why NFT’s are important to the art market and how to comfortably purchase your first NFT.
Sarasolo members will attend Ian North’s exhibition on opening night and choose an artwork of their choice. They will then have one week to create a solo performance based on their chosen piece, and on performance night, will then translate what it means to them through interpretive acting.
Marianne Chapel, Director of SPAACES, interviews Ian North. Visitors will be able to hear, first hand, about his creative endeavors in both art and music.
Visitors will be able to see Lowndes work in progress during this open studio. Lowndes will discuss her work and practice, which includes meditation and the pursuit of spirituality and artistic methodologies.
SPAACES is excited to collaborate with five Booker High School VPA students to produce socially distant solo performances integrated with the exhibition Wholly Fool.