Leadership

Board of Directors

Staff

Katherine Ceaser
Executive Director

Katherine Ceaser, a Sarasota native, has a strong foundation in arts education and community engagement with a career rooted in the nonprofit and educational sectors. Before joining ACS as education director in 2023, Ceaser served as an adjunct faculty member, education advisor, and assistant director of career advising at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee. She also worked as an ESE teacher with Sarasota County Schools, gaining valuable experience in higher education and K-12 environments.
Ceaser holds an Ed.M. in International Education Policy from Harvard University, an MAT in Elementary Education from American University, and a BA in International Studies from the University of South Florida.

Holly Flaig
Youth Education Coordinator

Holly Flaig is excited to spread the joy of art-making to kids of all ages as the Youth Education Coordinator at Art Center Sarasota. She has a B.A. in Psychology and Art Therapy from Miami University, where she explored the positive impact that the arts have on mental well-being. She dedicates much of her free time to creativity through various mediums such as ceramics, photography, and crochet, and incorporates her love of nature into her work.
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Izzy Stark
Exhibitions & Digital Media Coordinator

Izzy received a foundational art education within the Visual and Performing Arts program at Sarasota’s own Booker High School, graduating with honors in 2020. In 2024, Stark earned their Bachelor of Fine Arts and a minor in Art History from Florida International University in Miami.
Returning to Sarasota, FL, Izzy worked within the Department of Academic Affairs at Ringling College of Art and Design, where she supported the administration of three academic majors.
Izzy now works as the Exhibitions and Digital Media Coordinator at Art Center Sarasota.
Izzy is also a member of SartQ, a well-known Sarasota-based collective of accomplished local artists committed to community collaboration and curating local exhibitions. Izzy sits on the Collective’s exhibitions committee, organizing group exhibitions, community outreach, and collaborative efforts between artists within the Sarasota region.

Christina Baril
Curator & Director of Exhibitions

Christina joined the ACS team in January 2022 and serves as our Curator & Director of Exhibitions. Prior to joining ACS, she has held positions at State College of Florida, New Bedford Art Museum (MA), National September 11 Memorial & Museum (NYC), and the Newseum (Washington D.C.). Christina was born & raised in NYC and received her MFA in Ceramics from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and her BBA in Marketing & Art/Art History from the College of William and Mary.
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Peg Shanley
Program Assistant

Rachel Denton
Administrative Coordinator

Rachel Denton joined Art Center Sarasota in May 2025 and finds joy in serving the Art Center Sarasota community. She is continually inspired by the creativity and meaningful connections that are made every day.
Prior to joining the art center, Rachel served as Marketing and Public Relations Associate at Gulf Coast Community Foundation. She previously held roles as Communications Manager and Voter Outreach Coordinator for the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections and as Communications Manager for the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County.
With more than a decade of experience in communications, media relations, branding, and storytelling, Rachel is passionate about connecting people to purpose-driven, community-centric organizations. A Sarasota native, she is deeply rooted in the community and is a former board member and longtime member of the Central West Coast Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association.
Rachel was honored as Young Professional of the Year in 2018 by the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce and received the Award of Appreciation in 2019 from the Central West Coast Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association for her board service. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Humanities with an emphasis in Communication from Florida State University.

Kelly Jordan
Bookkeeper

Laurie Miller
Director of Education & Community Engagement

Alecia Harper
Donor Relations Coordinator

Alecia joined the ACS team in December 2025 and serves as Donor Relations Coordinator.
Prior to joining ACS full time, she served as Centennial Archivist and Historian and a guest curator for the Centennial exhibition. She has taught art history and humanities at State College of Florida since 2011. Alecia has held roles at the Center for the Study of the American South (UNC) and Duke University Press, where she served as Managing Editor of Southern Cultures.
Her professional experience also includes work at the Harpeth Gallery in Nashville and with Vanderbilt University Creative Services. She is docent emerita at Sarasota's Ringling Museum of Art and has contributed her expertise to the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art, the Art and Culture Center of Hollywood, and the Old Davie School Historical Museum.
Alecia earned her B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, followed by a graduate degree in Applied Art History and a graduate certification in Museum Management from the University of South Carolina at Columbia. Her publications include contributions to European Art in the Columbia Museum of Art, Volume I: The Thirteenth through the Sixteenth Century (USC Press), entries in The Encyclopedia of World History, Volume III (Facts on File), and Telling the Tale: The Role of Epideictic Rhetoric in the Fiction of Vasari’s Lives. Harper’s current speaking topics explore themes such as Sarasota’s Centennial history, historic preservation, Early Modern women's history, Outsider Art, and the impact of popular culture on teaching art history.

Laurie Miller is a creative producer and content creator with a strong background in children’s media, nonprofit collaboration, and educational program development. Before joining Art Center Sarasota in 2025, she worked with The Patterson Foundation and the Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, where she helped design and implement initiatives like This Book is Cool! and Suncoast Remake Learning Days, a regional festival offering hundreds of free, hands-on learning events. Known for transforming bold, inclusive ideas into impactful content and large-scale community programs, Laurie blends storytelling, strategic planning, and collaboration to create accessible, curiosity-driven experiences for learners of all ages. Her creative work has been featured by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Disney XD, Sesame Studios, and Discovery Channel. She was a Juno Award nominee for the children’s music album The Moblees, and has written and directed theatrical productions at venues including LA’s Geffen Playhouse, NYC’s Daryl Roth Theatre, and the White House Easter Egg Roll.

History

As the first visual arts organization in area, we started a movement that has made Sarasota the cultural destination it is today.

1926

The Sarasota Art Association was established in 1926 as the first arts organization in Sarasota. Founder Marcia Rader, Art Supervisor of the Sarasota School System, was the driving force behind the initial meetings of local art supporters who formed the association. In the early years, the group met monthly and sponsored exhibits in rented facilities.

1941

In 1941, the Association incorporated as a not-for-profit organization. At that time, the stated mission was “to promote the educational and cultural advantages of Sarasota in the field of contemporary art." Many renowned local artists like Jerry Farnsworth, Elden Rowland, Syd Solomon and Hilton Leech were instrumental in establishing the center as the focal point for Sarasota's visual arts.

1949

The City of Sarasota provided the Art Association, with a lease of land near the downtown area and in 1948, after the war, the association broke ground for its present building which was designed in the then-popular style of the Sarasota School of Architecture. The building opened in 1949 with only one gallery which is now known as Gallery 3.

1961

The Atrium (Gallery 4) or “Patio Gallery” as it was called was later erected with donations from members and was enclosed in 1961. Several more additions were made to the building adding on the front two galleries, the classroom and the back kitchen and class area.

The association's philosophy during the 1960’s, stated that “while the gallery is important to display the works of local artists, one-man shows and traveling exhibitions, there is a social aspect of the association that bears heavy fruit. It is a meeting place for all who are interested in the many phases of art; it is a place to make friends and see what is going on in Sarasota…” This philosophy is still the inherent mission of Art Center Sarasota today.

2009

The 1950's and 60's were a time of great social involvement of the community in the visual arts. The Art Association would hold their famous Beaux Arts Ball each year. A thousand guests would participate in a grand themed costume party at the Sarasota Municipal Auditorium. Today, the Art Center has brought back some of the excitement of the balls by creating the iconcept event in 2009. Local artists create "fashion" from unconventional materials for a grand runway show.

2025 - 2026

As Art Center Sarasota reflects on a century of creativity, connection, and community, together we honor the lasting legacy behind us while forging an indelible mark on the future. The Art Center’s Centennial Season, beginning in fall 2025 and running through summer 2026, will feature the iconic Beaux Arts Ball, our inaugural Authors & Illustrators Book Fair, inspiring exhibitions, engaging classes, youth and family programs, and recurring, innovative art events. This milestone is a testament to the strength and passion of our incredible arts community. Visual arts continue to flourish in Sarasota, as do the artists who bring them to life.