Education & Community
Engage. Inspire. Educate.
Engagement in the Arts is essential to every student, teacher, and community member. With this belief is at its core, the Van Wezel is committed to assuring each student receives a well-rounded education, each teacher has tools and resources to reach every student, and every community member has access to meaningful arts experiences.
The Van Wezel teaches in, through, and about the arts. We accomplish this by:
Engaging Student Learning inside and outside the classroom. Van Wezel Schooltime Performances bring the best national and international artists to area students. Each performance connects arts from multiple disciplines to Florida Standards based curriculum. Student learning continues through opportunities for Art Works for Schooltime in-classroom workshops and special initiatives. See our upcoming performances .
Providing Arts Integrated Professional Development for teachers. The Van Wezel has accomplished this in collaboration with the School Board of Sarasota County through the John F. Kennedy Center's Partners in Education program since 1997. Currently, the Arts Integration League and the Van Wezel's Art Works for Schooltime initiative provide opportunities educators from all counties who wish to learn strategies and best-practices to bring the arts into their classrooms. Learn more about our offerings .
Engaging Community Members in the arts. Through Van Wezel Family Nights featuring artist talk backs, Access to the Arts Programs, free Summer Friday Fests, master classes, open rehearsals, and opportunities to perform on stage with visiting artists, the Van Wezel fosters connections to the arts for our community at large. Learn More about Engaging Community Members in the arts .
Meeting the Needs of Our Community through special projects. This includes work with students with disabilities, early learners, 2 Generation Activities, and more. Learn about Special Projects and Other Programs. Delight children of all ages and bring your family to our Boar's Head Family Series which includes Family Nights and other mainstage performances.
Advocating for the arts in our community to assure the Gulf Coast region remains an arts capital for arts patrons of all ages. This is accomplished with partnerships and collaborations with the Sarasota County School Board, the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County, Any Given Child Sarasota, Florida Alliance for Arts Education, EdExplore SRQ, The Kennedy Center VSA Program and Partners in Education, Early Learning Coalition, Manatee County Schools, Sarasota County Schools, Charlotte County Schools and DeSoto County Schools, Girls Inc., Boys and Girls Clubs, Pace Center for Girls, The Haven, Easterseals of SW Florida, The United Way, The Harnisch Foundation, The Patterson Foundation, Laurel Civic and the Van Wezel Foundation and its generous donors: StarTech.com, Publix Super Market Charities, The Harry Sudakoff Foundation, The Cordelia Lee Beattie Foundation, The Seth Bonder Foundation, Suzanne and David Arch, and The Gulf Coast Community Foundation.