Friend, Celebrating Women's History Month

Art Avenue is an international art gallery with three locations: Siesta Key Mall, Downtown Sarasota, and Beverly Hills.

We host a variety of cultural experiences: Artist Openings, Exhibitions, Workshops, Monthly Art Auctions (Every First Friday of the Month at our Downtown Sarasota location), Annual Fundraisers, Milonga Dance Classes, Meditations (every Wednesday at 3:00 pm), Paint Bar Classes, and more!

When you attend one of our live events or purchase art from Art Avenue, you invest in more than just beautiful decor for your walls. You contribute to making a meaningful change in our community, from supporting Sarasota's local talent to raising funds for some of our favorite non-profit organizations.

Just in time for Women's History Month, we are thrilled to showcase one of our favorite local artists, Vicki Chelf, and her incredible portrait painting series turned full-blown theatrical performance, Women Of Resistance.

Upcoming WOR Performances

New Tampa Performing Arts Center

March 25-26

About The Show

Women of Resistance (WOR) tells the amazing, little-known stories of seven heroic women who helped the Allies defeat Fascism during WWII. They came from diverse cultures and backgrounds, but they all saw the horror of Nazism and vowed to do everything in their power to stop it. Told through an interconnected series of short vignettes, these stories inspire and empower.

WOR began as a series of portrait paintings by Art Avenue Artist, Vicki Chelf, who decided to pay homage to these brave women. The paintings then became a one-person gallery show, and viewers were intrigued, but they still wanted to know the stories behind the images.

The idea of a full stage production, complete with music, storytelling, and dance, came to Vicki in a meditation. Since 2021, Vicki and her friend, Warren Slim Williams, have created a non-profit, brought on eight accomplished choreographers, workshopped their ideas, and built the show from scratch, starting with early performances in the art gallery.

Visit WomenOfResistance.org to learn more.

"Finding a trove of beautifully illustrated vintage newspapers in the basement of my friend’s home in central France was like discovering a creative goldmine. I knew they would somehow be used in my art, but I didn’t know how until I visited a Museum of the Resistance in the small town where I was staying. Within 3 minutes of entering the museum, I was sobbing. The museum was founded and run by a local woman whose mother had been a resistance fighter. After a conversation with her, I realized how important women were to defeating fascism, and I wanted to pay homage to these brave and beautiful women."

-Vicki Chelf, Artist, Writer, & Co-Producer of WOR

Upcoming Events & Collaborations

Sunday, March 15, 2026 - Cook & Connect with Don Luigi: Italian Favorites, Music, & Community

Cook & Connect is designed for all learners, including neurodivergent adults who want a relaxed space to meet new people. Join Chef Luigi in our life-skills kitchen as he guides you through making fresh, handmade gnocchi, simple, hands-on, and sensory-friendly.

After cooking, we’ll sit down and enjoy the meal together, creating space for easy conversation, social interaction, and building new friendships while practicing independent life skills around food, sharing, and community.

As we cook and eat, enjoy live music from Art Avenue owner, Paul's son, Alex Sykes, an autistic pianist, setting a warm atmosphere that’s perfect for gentle connection and the possibility of new friendships—or something a little more—at your own pace.

Tickets: $50

Don Luigi Gourmet Italian Kitchen

1272 N Palm

Sarasota, FL 34236

11:30 am to 1:30 pm

Visit TheSpectrumSpeaks.com to learn more.

Purchase tickets here.

Images courtesy of Behavioral Teaching Solutions

and BTS Creative Collective Team

Friday, March 20, 2026 through Sunday, March 22, 2026 - The Wheel of Life by Lama Yeshe

The Sarasota Meditation and Art Gallery was established to provide support in the discovery of one’s innate goodness and wisdom. This discovery creates intelligent and skillful actions that further benefit all who interact with us: family, friends, community and world. It provides the impetus to appreciate the world we live in, and help create harmony and happiness.

All SMAG activities are donation-based.

Art Avenue (Sarasota Meditation Art Gallery)

3501 S Tamiami Trail

Sarasota, FL 34239

Multiple Times

View the full calendar of SMAG events: MeditationArtGallery.com.

Sunday, March 22, 2026 - Milonga "El Arte"

Every fourth Sunday of the month, Art Avenue hosts a pre-Milonga class from 3:00 to 4:00 pm led by professional dance instructors Victor and Aksana. All levels welcome. Walk in and dance out.

Tickets: $20

Art Avenue (Siesta Mall Location)

3501 S Tamiami Trail

Sarasota, FL 34239

Pre-Milonga Class: 3:00 to 4:00 pm

Milonga: 4:00 to 7:00 pm

For more information, visit VATango.com.

For private lessons, email info@vatango.com

Wednesday, March 25, 2026 & Thursday, March 26, 2026 - Women Of Resistance LIVE Performance

Art Avenue Artist, Vicki Chelf, combines art, dance, and music to share the amazing, little-known stories of seven heroic women who helped the Allies defeat Fascism during WWII.

Women of Resistance is a Sarasota based 501C3 that celebrates the heroic women who defeated the Nazis during WWII. Through storytelling, music, and dance, WOR inspires positive civic action in Sarasota, Tampa, and around the world. Your support will take us from WOR to WOW!

Tickets: $30-70

New Tampa Performing Arts Center

8550 Hunters Village Road

Tampa, FL 33647

8:00 pm to 9:30 pm

Visit WomenOfResistance.org to learn more.

To purchase tickets for March 25, click here.

To purchase tickets for March 26, click here.

Tuesday, April 7, 2026 - Meditative Writing Workshop with The Princess Poetess, Kaileia Suvannamaccha

Join Ringling College graduate and writing coach, Kaileia, every first Tuesday of the month for an Art Avenue special offering: Meditative Writing Workshops!

Each session begins with a guided meditation followed by expressive writing exercises designed to lead you from inner awareness to outer expression.

All ages welcome. No experience required. All writing materials provided. Private sessions available upon request.

Tickets: $35

Art Avenue (Sarasota Meditation Art Gallery)

3501 Tamiami Trail

Sarasota, FL 34239

6:30 pm to 7:30 pm

Visit HeartfulEvolution.com to learn more.

Purchase tickets here.

Meet The Owner

One for Art, Art for All: Meet Paul Sykes at Art Avenue | Sarasota SCENE Magazine

By Kaileia Suvannamaccha | Photo by Holly Elmore

Before he was a seasoned art dealer representing investment-level works by Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Peter Max, Paul Sykes was a classically trained violinist. "The violin saved my life as a child," he says.