ALSO Art Exhibit 2026
- September 12, 2026
- Sarasota, FL
ALSO Art Exhibit 2026 arrives at the end of a hot Florida summer when the days are still long and the community is ready to gather again. People who attended the 2025 edition still talk about the moment when a shy high school student from Bradenton hung her first canvas and had to work her way through a crowd of parents and friends just to see it. The paintings and sculptures lined the walls of the Fogartyville Community and Media Center, a funky performance space a few blocks south of downtown Sarasota, and visitors spilled onto the patio with sketchbooks and chalk, adding to the spontaneous art happening outside. It was the first time in years that many older gay and lesbian residents had sat alongside transgender teens and their families to celebrate creativity rather than crisis. That feeling – messy, joyful, a little chaotic – is what organisers hope to capture again this September.
ALSO Youth has been around for over three decades, quietly offering a lifeline to young people coming out in Sarasota and Manatee Counties. They host weekly peer support groups, provide scholarships, coordinate safe‑place training for schools and businesses and run a drop in centre filled with books and beanbags. Their annual art show started out as a small fundraiser and has now grown into a signature community event that allows the organisation to merge fundraising with self‑expression. The name changed a few years ago from the rather formal 'Expressions Exhibition' to the simpler 'ALSO Art Exhibit', and that shift reflects the heart of the program. It is less about polished perfection and more about giving young people who might not feel they belong anywhere else a place to tell their story with paints, photographs, songs and spoken‑word pieces.
For 2026 the show is scheduled for Saturday, September 12, from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m., once again at Fogartyville. Admission is free, but donations are encouraged and there will be plenty of chances to support the cause through a silent auction and direct gifts. The two‑hour window may seem short, but those who remember previous years know to arrive early. On the patio there will be easels where anyone can add a brushstroke to a collaborative mural that will hang later in the ALSO centre. Inside, tables will be covered with paintings, sculpture, ceramics and mixed media pieces created by artists aged ten to twenty‑four. Some are professionals in the making; others are kids who only recently discovered that drawing can calm anxiety or that writing spoken‑word poetry can turn pain into power. Above the art displays a loop of short films will play, created by young queer filmmakers and accompanied by live commentary from the directors. All the art is up for silent auction, with bidding beginning as soon as the doors open and continuing until about fifteen minutes before closing, when winners are announced over the din.
In the weeks leading up to the event, ALSO Youth accepts submissions from anyone in the region within the age bracket, and there is no fee to participate. Some artists come from the organisation’s own support groups; others hear about the show from school art teachers and join the community for the first time. Each submission comes with a short statement in the artist’s own words about what inspired it. In 2025 those statements ranged from feelings of isolation during the pandemic to the freedom of painting by a river. Organisers plan to display these statements again in 2026 to remind viewers that behind every colourful canvas is a person with a story. There will also be a spoken‑word open mic portion of the evening, so if you have a poem or story to share you can sign up on the night. Musical guests include a youth jazz trio from Booker High School and a drag king who will perform a lip‑sync tribute to queer icons from the 1990s.
The silent auction is more than a fundraiser; it is a way for local businesses to show up for lgbtq+Q+ youth in a tangible way. Restaurants donate gift certificates, bookstores offer limited edition prints and artisans contribute ceramics and handmade jewellery. Last year one of the most coveted items was a dinner for four with a local chef who is herself a trans woman and uses her platform to mentor queer teens interested in culinary arts. The 2026 auction is shaping up to be even bigger, with experiences such as sailing lessons, theatre tickets and cooking classes filling the list. You can bid with paper forms or via a QR code on your phone, and winners do not have to be present to collect their prizes; staff will coordinate pick up after the event. Proceeds go directly into ALSO Youth’s programs, covering everything from scholarships for students heading to college to groceries and bus passes for clients in need. If you cannot attend, there will be an option to bid online or make a donation through the ALSO website.
One of the things that sets this event apart is the atmosphere. Fogartyville is not a sterile gallery; it is a community space with mismatched chairs, colourful murals on the walls and a stage built from reclaimed wood. Children who attended in previous years ended up sprawled on the floor with crayons, while grandparents leaned against the bar sipping iced tea and debating whether to bid on an abstract piece made of metal scraps. Volunteers greet attendees at the door and hand out programs; they are also available to answer questions about the organisation’s other services, including counselling sessions, internships and the Rainbow Library that provides free books with lgbtq+Q+ themes to schools and youth groups. For accessibility there will be sign language interpreters during the speeches, and the organisers have added more seating and an accessible restroom. Parking is limited around the venue, so carpooling or using public transit is recommended; there will be secure bike racks for those who ride.
Behind the scenes, dozens of people contribute to the success of the event. Board members spend months reaching out to sponsors and reviewing art submissions. Local queer‑owned businesses donate food and beverage supplies; last year a bakery provided rainbow cupcakes that were gone within minutes and a coffee shop donated cold brew for the volunteers. Volunteers include parents who have watched their children grow up through ALSO’s programs, high school students looking for community service hours and professional artists who mentor the younger creators. There is a sense of intergenerational solidarity when a retired teacher helps a nervous teenager hang her canvas or when a drag performer adjusts the microphone for a young poet. If you are interested in helping, you can sign up through the ALSO Youth website; there are positions available for set‑up on the morning of the event, hospitality during the exhibit and clean‑up afterwards.
While the evening is anchored by art, it is ultimately about building and sustaining a safe space. Many of the teens and young adults who walk through the doors have faced bullying, rejection from family or mental health struggles. ALSO Youth provides not just a drop-in centre but a network of peers and adults who listen and believe them. The art exhibit celebrates the resilience of these young people and offers the wider community a chance to come together in support. You might see parents wiping away tears as they read the description of a painting that describes a teenager’s journey to self-acceptance, or you might find yourself laughing during the impromptu drag performance that always seems to break out near the end of the night. When the final bids are tallied and the last painting is taken down, there is a feeling of connection that lingers. Visitors often leave with a new piece of art under their arm and the knowledge that they have helped sustain an organisation that saves lives. If you have never attended before, mark your calendar for September 12, 2026. If you are a returning supporter, expect some surprises and new faces along with the familiar warmth that has made this evening a highlight of the lgbtq+Q+ calendar in Southwest Florida.