The following article appeared in Sarasota Magazine on March 26, 2026:
The echoing footsteps of an actor’s walk across a stage; the hush that falls just before a powerful aria; the sweeping arc of a dancer’s limbs gliding through the air – these are the moments when the arts come alive. Those moments are more than performances; they are shared experiences shaped by the artists who create them and the place that inspires them. Creatives in our region draw inspiration from the rhythm of the coast, taking cues from their own journeys and weaving them into our region's collective narrative.
Creativity is not only a reflection of who we are, but also a springboard for ideas that continue to shape who we become.”
It is with that creativity, fueled by the support of a community that believes in the power of the arts, that these visionaries transform inspiration into experiences that resonate far beyond the studio or stage. Through the eyes of three local creatives, we see how philanthropic support shapes their work, their growth, and the performances they bring to the people of Sarasota. Our donors plant trees whose shade they may never sit under, just as those who came before them nurtured the roots that encouraged this vibrant arts community to flourish.
Leymis Bolaños Wilmott
Leymis Bolaños Wilmott is the Founder & Artistic Director of Sarasota Contemporary Dance (SCD). Growing up in Miami, Florida, she calls her father her “first dance teacher” and recalls family gatherings as her earliest training ground. After college, she earned the University of Florida’s first Arts in Healing certificate and realized her purpose extended beyond inspiring awe through movement – she wanted to foster healing and personal growth through dance. She moved to Sarasota in 2003 and founded SCD in 2006, where she prioritizes her dancers as both artists and individuals, hiring them as members of SCD’s administrative staff and helping them discover their own paths in life. She is also a passionate advocate for arts education in public schools, crediting those early experiences shaping her journey as an artist who heals through her craft.
“Sarasota feels like fertile ground for artists. When I walk into the studio and see dancers, musicians, visual artists, and set designers all sharing the same space, it opens up such a larger palette for creativity. There’s always a sense of discovery. It’s never the same canvas, never the same painting. That’s what makes this region so exciting—we truly have a melting pot of seasoned artists creating and inspiring one another.”
Joey Panek
Joey Panek is a freelance creative producer, local actor, and television host known for his tenure on ABC7’s “Suncoast View.” Over a 25-year career in the region, he has become a familiar face across Sarasota’s stages, screens, and creative spaces, collaborating with countless artists, organizations, and venues. Originally from Syracuse, New York, Panek moved to New York City in his youth to pursue a professional acting career. But a fateful trip to star in a show at Sarasota’s iconic Golden Apple Dinner Theater sparked a curiosity that brought him back year after year – before eventually settling here for good in 2006. Once a self-professed “city mouse” looking for skyscrapers and urban pulse, Panek now thrives on our coastal community’s energy, championing the collaborative projects and evolving creative spaces that give artists room to explore and grow.
“For a long time, I thought I would have to choose one artistic path. Early in my career it was the stage. Then my work shifted into video and digital media, and eventually into television. One of the things I love about living here is that I don’t feel like I have to choose just one lane. Sarasota has allowed me to move organically between different creative art forms. I can work in theater, improv, television, video production and new creative technologies while still feeling connected to the same artistic community.”
Ariel Blue
Ariel Blue is an actor, writer, and recording artist primarily seen locally with Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe (WBTT) and Urbanite Theatre. Although she sang in her church choir growing up and attended area arts camps as a child, the Sarasota native initially planned to pursue communications as a career. Later, she discovered that performance was more than a hobby, and she has since expanded her artistic boundaries through music, drama, and contemporary works. Her work with WBTT has even taken her abroad – performing with Circus Conelli in Switzerland – where she experienced a new level of performance that continues to shape the boundary-pushing work she pursues today.
“There was no space for black artists. Westcoast has definitely pushed the needle and has shown not just diversity, but that there’s another side to art. There was a missing component and Westcoast filled that need and still continues to. All of this art here helps people release but also escape. Having moments to do something and not have to think about the world that’s burning around me? Art does that. To come in and see a comedy and laugh a bit? That could spark a conversation. Art is helping different people in their own way.”
Across their disciplines, Sarasota’s artists inspire growth, spark curiosity, and invite audiences to see the world in new ways. It is this ongoing partnership between creators and our generous community that keeps the regions’ cultural scene vibrant and ever-evolving. “There’s still a lot of work to be done,” Bolaños Wilmott reflects. “But there’s room for all of us in this beautiful landscape of art and culture here in Sarasota.”
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