Masterpiece Sponsors
Bank of America
W. G. Mills, Inc.
Herald-Tribune Media Group
Maestro Sponsors
Jim & Shirley Ritchey
Connoisseur Sponsors
Advanced Masonry Systems
HRH - Hilb Rogal & Hobbs
Jon F. Swift, Inc.
Kraft Construction Company, Inc.
Questar Construction, Inc.
Ridgewood Building and Development Company
Virtuoso Sponsors
The ADP Group
BMK Architects, Inc.
Clark, DeMay, Fara & Froman, P.A.
Fawley Bryant Architects, Inc.
Gold Bank
Michael Saunders & Company
Norton, Hammersley, Lopez & Skokos, P.A.
Northern Trust
Dr. Kenneth and Christina Pfahler
Ringling School of Art and Design
Seibert Architects, P.A.
Sweetbay Supermarket
Verizon
Wachovia Bank
Williams, Parker, Harrison, Dietz & Getzen
Willis A. Smith Construction, Inc.
Artiste Sponsors
Florida Power & Light
Johnson, Browning, & Clayton
Law Offices of George Mazzarantani, P.A.
SunTrust
TRO/The Ritchie Organization
WilsonMiller Inc.
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The
Education Foundation of Sarasota County, Inc., produces Evening of
Excellence, a uniquely popular and successful showcase of student
art. Both fundraiser and program, it is a colorful multi-faceted
event that celebrates art in our schools and encourages the talents
of aspiring young student artists. The Evening of Excellence is not
your average affair. It is a distinctive Sarasota County tradition
that, year after year, draws support for our schools from the entire
community.
Each year since 1995, art teachers from all of the area's public
high schools are invited to submit their best student artwork for
the Evening of Excellence. The two hundred or more pieces are juried
by a distinguished panel of art professionals and displayed to the
public at the imposing Crossley Gallery of the Ringling School of
Art and Design for a week. The closing reception for students, their
teachers and families, Evening of Excellence sponsors, and other
invited guests is an opportunity to view the impressive collection
of submitted works, mingle with the student artists and their
instructors, and learn which student artworks have been selected as
the Best of the Best.
The twenty - five Best of the Best artworks, donated to the
Education Foundation by the student artists, are framed by generous
area galleries, professionally photographed, and featured in a full
- color full page in the Sarasota Herald - Tribune. Ringling School
of Art and Design hosts a VIP campus tour and art workshop for the
winning students. Evening of Excellence sponsors preview the art at
an exclusive private Sponsor Party before the artwork is revealed to
the public in the Virtual Art Gallery located on the Education
Foundation's website,
EdFoundation.net.
Ultimately, art patrons and business and community leaders gather
for the Evening of Excellence - a hugely popular and almost always
sold-out event with a lively social hour, gourmet dinner and brisk
auction at Michael's On East. Guests may purchase the artwork during
the live auction - always a hit when led by Jimmy Dean, auctioneer
extraordinaire. As our guests of honor that evening, the Best of the
Best student artists and teachers are recognized for their talents
and contributions.
The Evening of Excellence benefits the children in Sarasota County
public schools through the work of the Education Foundation. But it
is more than a fundraiser. It is a recognized component of Sarasota
County high school art program, it reaffirms the importance of the
arts curriculum in our schools, and it funds scholarships to student
artists and monetary awards to the high school art departments. Each
participating art department receives a W. G. Mills, Inc. Art
Department Award. The participating students benefit as they
showcase their work in a professional setting and vie for the Bank
of America Best of the Best scholarships and art awards from
generous sponsors. The advantage continues when they apply for other
collage scholarships from the Education Foundation that reward their
talent .The students' self-confidence is boosted and a quality
experience is added to their resume/portfolio while they use their
artistic talent to benefit public education and help create
community awareness of the excellence of art education in our
schools. |
