The Grammy Award-winning string quartet ETHEL – featuring composer-performers Ralph Farris (viola), Kip Jones (violin), Dorothy Lawson (cello), and Corin Lee (violin), all Hermitage alumni – will headline the 15th annual Artful Lobster benefit, following the 20th Anniversary Season of the Hermitage. The event will also feature a performance by Hermitage Fellow Emi Ferguson, a widely celebrated flutist and composer. This popular gala on the Hermitage’s Manasota Key campus raises valuable funds for the Hermitage’s nationally renowned artist residency program.
October 10, 2023 (Sarasota County, Florida) — The Hermitage Artist Retreat announces today that world-renowned and Grammy Award-winning string quartet ETHEL will headline the Hermitage’s signature fall fundraising event, “The Artful Lobster: An Outdoor Celebration!” on Saturday, November 11th from 11:30am to 2pm at the Hermitage campus on Manasota Key. This is the first time in many years that all four members of ETHEL – Ralph Farris, Kip Jones, Dorothy Lawson, and Corin Lee – will be reuniting at the Hermitage to celebrate this milestone anniversary of the event. This year’s Artful Lobster will also feature a performance by new Hermitage Fellow Emi Ferguson, a celebrated flutist and performer.
Now in its 15th year and following the 20th anniversary season of the Hermitage, the Artful Lobster raises valuable funds for the Hermitage’s nationally renowned artist residency program, supporting the creative process of artists from around the world in the fields of music, theater, visual art, literature, dance, and more. This popular event, which takes place outdoors beneath a large tent on the Hermitage’s beachfront campus, features a lobster feast catered by Michael’s On East, in addition to live performances from renowned Hermitage Fellows. The co-chairs for the 2023 Artful Lobster are Terry Brackett and Suzette & Tim Flood.