Art Ovation Hotel Opens 2 Art Exhibits, Unveils Outdoor Sculpture

SARASOTA, FL -- Art Ovation Hotel has unveiled its newest art exhibitions as well as a permanent exterior sculpture.

The art exhibits will be on display throughout the Ovation's public spaces through Nov. 18.

The first, titled “Reimagining Georgia O’Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz: 2018,” was inspired by two of the most influential American art figures in the 20th century. O'Keeffe was one of the most important painters in America in the 1920s and Stieglitz fought to have critics recognize photography as "artistic."

Co-curated by Art Ovation’s senior curator Francine Birbragher and Alfstadb& Contemporary Gallery in Sarasota, the exhibition features artists Betsy Cameron, Robert Doyon, Kevin Hern and Roberto Trevino as well as work created by a collaborative of artists at Alfstad & Contemporary. The 30-piece collection poses the question: If O’Keeffe and Stieglitz were alive today with access to contemporary technology, what would they create?

The second exhibit, titled “Transparencies,” will feature portrait, still-life and landscape watercolor pieces inspired by Florida’s West Coast. Separated from other painting mediums by its transparency, the area’s flora and fauna is represented in alluring watercolor works. “Transparencies” features award-winning artists Jerome Chesley, Terry Denson, Kathleen Durdin, Libit Jones, Donna Morrison and Mary Louise Ringers who are distinguished members of the state’s oldest and most respectable arts organizations, the Florida Watercolor Society.

The hotel is also showcasing its newly installed exterior sculpture, “Untitled” (Shifting Landscape) by Austrian-born, New York-based artist Alois Kronschlaeger.

The 21-foot geometric structure crafted with 64 multicolored carbon steel rods and enamel paint sits on the corner of Palm Avenue and Coconut Avenue. The sculpture invites downtown Sarasota patrons to reconsider the interplay between art and architecture, giving a different visual perception of the piece as the viewer's vantage point changes.

Opened this year, Art Ovation Hotel is committed to promoting, celebrating and supporting Florida's creative culture. The hotel collaborates with area artists and organizations to showcase their work in its public spaces, presenting a new, curated installation every four months.

“We are proud of how much the creative community has taken part in Art Ovation’s identity. Our inaugural exhibit, featuring faculty and alumni of the Ringling College of Art & Design, was widely admired by guests and local patrons at Art Ovation,” said Larry Abbo, CEO of Prime Hospitality Group, partner in Art Ovation Hotel’s development. “We look forward to further displaying and celebrating the arts-centric culture that exists in our community with these new carefully curated pieces by local artists, further supporting our commitment to connecting our visitors with the arts centric destination.”

Art Ovation Hotel is located at 1255 N Palm Ave, Sarasota.

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Images via Art Ovation Hotel

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