Art of the Spectacle

This exhibition explores the intersection of fashion, circus, and stagecraft, capturing the drama, elegance, and eccentricity of the performing arts. Art of the Spectacle creates a visual celebration of performance, where costume, movement, and theatrics take center stage.

Artists are invited to submit works that embrace the bold, the theatrical, and the extraordinary. Whether inspired by vintage vaudeville, avant-garde fashion, or the magic of the circus, this show seeks artwork that transforms the gallery into a stage, where every piece tells a story.

Meet the Juror, Maria Schaedler-Luera

Maria Schaedler-Luera is a Brazilian-born educator, artist, and cultural strategist working at the intersection of theater, mindfulness, and community engagement. Her work blends performance, storytelling, and healing practices to foster connection, expression, and collective transformation. Maria is a certified meditation teacher, an Ayurvedic Health Counselor, and a facilitator of applied theater techniques including Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed. She has worked with institutions such as Harvard Art Museums, the Sarasota Performing Arts Center Foundation, and The Patterson Foundation. Maria is currently the Co-Executive Director of Lifeline Productions and the Program Officer at the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County, where she leads initiatives rooted in civic engagement, arts education, and creative wellness. She is passionate about supporting artists and communities in telling their stories with authenticity, imagination, and purpose.