Nineteen paintings that hung in Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport's main terminal for decades are on free public display at City Hall and the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, with a formal opening reception set for Thursday, Sept. 17.

'Echoes of Sarasota' traces local history

The exhibit, "Echoes of Sarasota," went on view in June and runs through May 2027. It traces more than a thousand years of local history through large-scale works by artists with deep ties to the community. Sixteen paintings hang at City Hall, 1565 1st Street; three more are displayed at the Van Wezel, 777 N. Tamiami Trail.

Collection saved from storage after airport renovations

The works were originally commissioned in the 1980s for the airport terminal. When renovations began in mid-2021, the pieces went into storage. Collector Colin Thomsen of Thomsen Fine Art, on South Palm Avenue in the historic arts district, acquired the collection and donated it to the city. Thomsen first envisioned returning the works to public view back in 2004.

City ties exhibit to America's 250th anniversary

City public art administrator Ciera Coleman told Sarasota Magazine in a July 23 feature that Thomsen approached the city because he wanted the historically significant artworks returned to a civic setting. The exhibit is timed to America's 250th anniversary, and Coleman described it as an effort to connect local heritage with a national moment of reflection.

Dunnick painting depicts Seminole Wars era

Among the featured artists is Regan Dunnick, an internationally recognized illustrator and longtime faculty member at Ringling College of Art and Design. His "Myakka River," one of the first pieces he created for the airport, depicts two Indigenous people alongside drawings of Fort Armistead, Gen. Zachary Taylor and Isaac Alderman Redd, one of Sarasota's earliest pioneers. The painting represents the Seminole Wars of the mid-19th to early 20th century.

Hopper works reflect circus heritage

Frank Hopper (1924-2022), an acclaimed American realist painter who worked from a studio in Siesta Key Village starting in the 1970s, contributed "Centennial Celebration" (1986) and "Trunks and More Trunks" (1990). Hopper also designed the wagon wheel medallion used for the Circus Ring of Fame plaques at St. Armands Circle. His "Trunks and More Trunks" shows a clown pushing his trunk to Clown Alley while an elephant uses its trunk to push the famous "Five Graces" circus wagon, with a circus poodle in a musketeer hat watching.

Other artists include Wilfred Berg, whose "Converted" (circa 1950) depicts the post-World War II area that would become the airport, and Loran Wilford, whose "Land's End" shows the natural bayfront before the Van Wezel was built. William Hartman's "Service Station" captures an everyday gas station at Old Bradenton Road and 27th Street.

A digital America 250 collage flag quilt made by students from Sarasota School of Arts + Sciences is also on temporary display at City Hall.

Partnership plans expanded docent tours

The exhibit is a partnership between the city's Public Art Program and Historic Preservation Division, with Thomsen Fine Art and the nonprofit Arts Advocates. According to the city's exhibit page, the city plans to expand free docent-led tours and is considering an additional display at a partner facility.

"Even longtime residents may encounter topics, people or places they have not seen depicted before," Coleman said.

Coming up

  • Opening reception: Thursday, Sept. 17, 4-6 p.m., City Hall, 1565 1st Street
  • On view: Through May 2027 at City Hall and the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
  • Admission: Free