Sarasota Performing Arts Center Committee Architect Task Force Chosen

SARASOTA, FL — Members of the Architect Selection Task Force for the Sarasota Performing Arts Center have been chosen by the city and the Van Wezel Foundation.

A request for proposals for the new performing arts center to be built in Bay Park will be issued by the city of Sarasota through its BidSync public system.

The city hopes to attract national interest “from a broad and diverse number of respondents” for the project, which will replace the existing Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, according to a news release.

The architect selection process should take about six months and will be funded through an appropriation from the state of Florida.

• Also Read: New Performing Arts Venue Moves Forward With City Approval

The meetings of the task force will be open to the public and the selection process will end with the creation of a list of finalists, who will come to Sarasota to present their qualifications, the news release said.

The task force will be chaired by Dr. Jenne K. Britell, vice chair of the Van Wezel Foundation Board of Directors. She has been a director and trustee of public companies and private organizations for more than 20 years, following an international career as a senior officer of several financial institutions, including GE Capital and chairman of United Rentals.

“The arts have the magic and the power to transform lives and communities at every level. I have seen this power as a participant in similar large scale cultural projects elsewhere. Now I am honored to bring this experience home --to Sarasota,” Brittell said.

The task force also includes:

• Mary Bensel, executive director of the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and member of the Broadway League and Florida Presenters
• Mark Famiglio, co-founder of Sarasota Film Festival, a 50-year Sarasotan, and investor in the development and growth of many of Sarasota’s neighborhoods
• Michele Hooper, CEO of the Directors Council and governance expert and business leader recently named to Forbes 50/50 Women Making an Impact
• Dr. Larry R. Thompson, long-time president of Ringling College of Art and Design who led the creation of the Sarasota Art Museum and served as the founding executive director of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum

“This is a once-in-a-generation project for the City of Sarasota and as such, the most accomplished and experienced professionals were included in the architect selection task force,” Marlon Brown, Sarasota’s city manager, said. “This group understands how important a new performing arts center is to the legacy of Sarasota. I’m looking forward to working closely with them as we move through the proposal process.”