ArtsBeat Launches as a New Model for Community-Supported Journalism in Sarasota
Led by Jay Handelman and Carrie Seidman, ArtsBeat is designed to provide consistent, authoritative coverage of Sarasota’s performing, visual, and cultural arts.
ArtsBeat aims to provide consistent, authoritative coverage of Sarasota’s performing, visual, and cultural arts while cultivating the next generation of arts writers and critics.
At a time when arts coverage continues to disappear from newsrooms across the country, a new initiative in Sarasota is rebuilding cultural journalism with depth, independence, and long-term intent.
ArtsBeat, a digital-first cultural journalism collaborative, officially launches this month through a partnership between DreamLarge, Gulf Coast Community Foundation and Suncoast Searchlight. The initiative is designed to restore consistent, authoritative coverage of Sarasota’s performing, visual, and cultural arts while cultivating the next generation of arts writers and critics.
Jay Handelman and Carrie Seidman
Image: Barbara Banks
At the heart of the initiative are two of Sarasota’s most trusted cultural critics and reporters:
Jay Handelman, longtime theater critic and former arts editor of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Carrie Seidman, award-winning columnist, arts reporter and dance writer and critic
Together, they will serve as the founding editorial council and lead reporters, bringing decades of institutional knowledge, critical rigor, and community trust to the platform.
“We have all watched as traditional media organizations have had to shrink and reduce coverage in many areas over the years. With ArtsBeat, we have a chance to reinvigorate a conversation about arts and culture in new ways that we hope will be compelling and fun,” says Handelman.
“Our motivation is not only to bring a fresh, creative approach to writing about the arts, but to draw on our experience and expertise to nurture a new generation of knowledgeable and articulate journalists dedicated to ensuring a continued appreciation for Sarasota’s rich cultural landscape,” says Seidman.
Susan Burns, Sarasota Magazine editor in chief, representing DreamLarge, and Emily Le Coz, executive editor in chief of Suncoast Searchlight, a new investigative and watchdog news producer, will serve as advisors and be involved in editorial input, content placement and audience strategy.
In addition to original reporting, reviews, and features, ArtsBeat will publish a weekly newsletter, host public conversations, and launch paid internship and fellowship opportunities in partnership with local schools and universities. All content will be published on ArtsBeat’s website and distributed through partner platforms, including Sarasota Magazine and Suncoast Searchlight. Content will also be made available, free of charge, to other local media outlets to help expand the reach of arts coverage across the region.
“ArtsBeat ensures that Sarasota’s creative excellence doesn’t live only in the moment,” says Anand Pallegar, founder of DreamLarge. “By combining experienced editorial leadership with new voices, we’re building a sustainable model for arts journalism that preserves institutional knowledge, challenges the present, and invests in what comes next.”
Philanthropic support for ArtsBeat is stewarded by the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, which has established a dedicated project fund to receive contributions from individual donors, family foundations, and corporate sponsors.
“This partnership reflects what strong nonprofit journalism can be at its best: collaborative, community-rooted, and aligned around shared purpose,” says Phillip Lanham, President & CEO of Gulf Coast Community Foundation. “A healthy arts community depends on thoughtful and inclusive storytelling. Collaborations like this help bring the right people and ideas together, creating a forum that elevates diverse voices and strengthens the cultural fabric of our region.”
To learn more, sign up for the newsletter or donate, please visit www.artsbeat.org