Historic Return & Record Funds: Hermitage Artist Retreat Raises $450K+ at 2025 Artful Lobster Fundraiser

The Hermitage Artist Retreat in Sarasota County, Florida, celebrated a triumphant return to its beachfront campus and raised over $450,000 at the sold-out 17th annual Artful Lobster fundraiser on Saturday, November 8. The event supports the Hermitage’s internationally-recognized artist residency program, which invites talented creators in music, theatre, visual art, literature, dance and other disciplines to its campus on Manasota Key for multi-week residencies.

After displacement in 2024 due to major hurricanes, this year’s luncheon marked the Hermitage’s return to its historic gulf-front site. More than 200 guests gathered under a festive tent for an inspiring afternoon, with Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg serving as master of ceremonies.

Highlights of the program included performances by Broadway star Betsy Wolfe (Tony-nominated for & Juliet and Waitress), Latvian guitarist and Hermitage Fellow Matīss Čudars (2023 Hermitage Prize in Composition recipient), and 2024 Cross Arts Collaborative Fellow Raleigh Mosely II. Raleigh opened with a moving rendition of “The Only One,” written by late Hermitage Fellow and Tony Award-winner Gavin Creel, whose musical Walk on Through was developed in part at the Hermitage. Betsy Wolfe followed with selections from new musicals including “The Shape of Things” from Joy, composed by Hermitage finalist AnnMarie Milazzo. After lunch, Čudars performed his original “Vilcienā” and a stirring version of the Beatles’ “Let It Be.” A video presentation chronicled the Hermitage’s hurricane recovery efforts, and Wolfe returned to deliver a poignant “Landslide” in tribute. The afternoon’s lively paddle raise—led by Sandberg and the event mascot “Artsy” the Artful Lobster—helped drive the total fundraising past the $450K milestone. Wolfe closed the program with the anthem “Domino,” featured in & Juliet. Local musician Joseph Holt joined Wolfe and Mosely on keyboards throughout the show. Combined sponsorships and the paddle raise propelled the event to this record-breaking level in support of the Hermitage’s mission: to inspire and foster the most influential and culturally consequential art and artists of our time.

“This year’s Artful Lobster was an event to remember and an especially meaningful celebration of resilience as we returned to the Hermitage campus,” said Andy Sandberg. “We are thankful to all who attended and supported this year’s festivities. The generous outpouring of support for the work we are doing at the Hermitage is a demonstration of our community’s extraordinary commitment to the arts and the creative process.”

The 2025 Artful Lobster was co-chaired by Sondra & Gerald Biller and Michael & Carol Clark. Key sponsors and partners included Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Key Agency, Herald‑Tribune / Local IQ, and SRQ Media. A full list of supporters appears at HermitageArtistRetreat.org/ArtfulLobster2025.

As a leading national arts incubator, the Hermitage is the only major arts organization on Florida’s Gulf Coast dedicated exclusively to supporting the development and creation of new work across multiple artistic disciplines. Located on a nine-acre Manasota Key campus, the Hermitage hosts distinguished artists from around the globe for residencies in theatre, music, visual art, literature, dance, film and more. These Hermitage Fellows take part in free, year-round community programs, giving audiences in the region rare access to works in progress by world-leading artists before their final presentations in major galleries, concert halls, theatres and museums.

For more information about the Hermitage or to make a tax-deductible contribution, please visit www.HermitageArtistRetreat.org.

Photo from Hermitage Artist Retreat