Saturday, April 8; 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Creative Liberties’ three locations join members of the Sarasota Studio Artists Association in a community-wide open studio event. Plus, artisan vendors, free beer by local homebrewers Ray and Patti Spicochi, and live music. This is the final Saturday Art Market of the season. Second Saturday Open Studios continue all year.
Creative Liberties at Gaze Gallery
Meet the Artists: Opening Reception
Thursday, April 13, 5-7 p.m.
This is a chance to meet the artists who will be in residence in the studio during 2023 and get a sneak peek of their work. There will also be information about the Gaze Gallery exhibition that will run July and August.
Free!
Creative Liberties Family Art Day
Saturday, April 22, 9 a.m.-noon
Bring the whole family and participate in free art projects led by professional artists.
This month, enjoy creating art with mosaic/assemblage/acrylic artist, Traci Kegerreis.
(March 31, 2023) Creative Liberties Artist Studios and Gallery, based on a foundation of artists helping artists, continues its season’s offerings with an all-packed April. It starts with a Second Saturday Open Studio and “Love the Planet” Art Market, Saturday, April 8; 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. During this event, Creative Liberties’ three locations (see location information at end of release) join members of the Sarasota Studio Artists Association in a community-wide open studio event. There will also be artisan vendors, free beer by local homebrewers Ray and Patti Spicochi, and live music.
Creative Liberties presents Creative Liberties at Gaze Gallery: Meet the Artists: Opening Reception on Thursday, April 13, 5-7 p.m. This is a chance to meet the artists who will be in residence in the studio during 2023 and get a sneak peek of their work. There will also be information about the Gaze Gallery exhibition that will run July and August.
Finally, bring the whole family for Family Art Day, Saturday, April 22, 9 a.m.-noon. These free monthly events feature interactive art-creating sessions led by professional artists. This month, enjoy creating art with mosaic/assemblage/acrylic artist, Traci Kegerreis.
Creative Liberties Artist Studios and Gallery was founded in November 2021 by Barbara Gerdeman and Elizabeth Goodwill, both artists and art educators. Goodwill explains that they launched this venture “to empower regional artists with a variety of business services and studio and exhibition opportunities.” Creative Liberties is a collective, communal space that provides work and display space for local artists. There are also display walls available for non-studio artists to rent.
The enterprise recently celebrated the openings of two more locations at 927 N Lime Avenue that features 10 new studio artists, additional gallery walls and the Creative Academy classroom/ community space; and at 340 Central Avenue, which offers limited-time artist residencies for work and display space.
“We are overwhelmed in the best way possible by how quickly Creative Liberties has been able to grow. We are extremely grateful for the incredible support we have received from the community, including from the public, the artists, the arts advocates and the media. This support is the catalyst to the rapid growth we’ve experienced,” says Gerdeman. Goodwill adds that “we are responding to feedback, requests and the needs that are presented to us. Seeing how this has developed in a short time adds excitement to the thoughts of where we can go in the future!”
Twenty artists have made Creative Liberties Artist Studios and Gallery their artistic workspace. These include: Elizabeth Goodwill (book art, fiber art and mixed media); Barbara Gerdeman (photography, acrylic painting, and mixed media); Donna Bergman (collage and mixed media); Lisa DiFranza (acrylic painting, gouache, and mixed media); Drita Dawn Hajroja (painting and mixed media); Traci Kegerreis (acrylic painting, collage and mosaics); Mayer Kersun (acrylic painting, mixed media, and collage); Sandy Koolkin (acrylic fluid painting, watercolor and fiber art); Gary LaParl (oil painting); Judy Levine (jewelry design, collage and photography); Jay Li (portraiture pastel, charcoal portraiture and plein air oil painting); Henry Martin (photography and mixed media); Lee Oberlander (watercolor, acrylic paint and mixed media); David Sigel (oil painting and mixed media); Steve Schwartz (acrylic paint, mixed media); Swirly Painter (painting, canvas and mural); Cheryl Taub (acrylic paint, pastel and collage); Adrienne Watts (abstract painting); Sandra Wix (illustration, portraits and photography); and Jeff Vasington (landscape oil painting).
Creative Liberties Artist Studios and Gallery is now at two locations in Sarasota’s Limelight District: 901-B Apricot Avenue and 927 N. Lime Avenue. Its third location, Creative Liberties Artist Residencies at Gaze Modern, is located in the ARCOS Apartments, 340 Central Ave., Sarasota.
For more information about Creative Liberties, visit www.creativeliberties.net; call 941-799-6634 or email info@creativeliberties.net. The Limelight studios are open to the public, Thursday to Saturday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., and Sunday to Wednesday by appointment. The Rosemary artists residency at Gaze Gallery is open Monday – Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.