POLISCOPE
Back to feed
NewsSarasota MagazineOctober 28, 2026Sarasota County

Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition Hosts Black JoyFest Expo and Art Exhibition

Photo: Sarasota Magazine

The Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition is organizing a juried art exhibition and the Black JoyFest Expo on November 14 to celebrate Black culture and history at the historic Leonard Reid House. The organization is also planning a $5 million expansion project to grow into a 10,000-square-foot facility on adjacent city-owned land.

Arts and CultureLocal HistoryCommunity EventsHistoric PreservationReal Estate Development
Read the full story at Sarasota Magazine

Why It Matters

Residents gain access to cultural events celebrating local Black history while a historic site prepares for a $5 million campus expansion.

Key Facts

  • The Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition (SAACC) is hosting a juried art exhibition opening November 4 and running through March 31.
  • The Black JoyFest Expo is scheduled for November 14 featuring live music, soul food, dancing, and artist talks.
  • Events take place at the grounds of the historic Leonard Reid House located in Newtown.
  • SAACC is in the pre-capital campaign phase to purchase adjacent city-owned land for a 10,000-square-foot facility expansion.
  • Phase 1 of the expansion project is estimated to cost $5 million.
  • The Leonard Reid House marks its centennial this November, having been built in 1926 in Overtown (now the Rosemary District).
  • The historic house was relocated from Seventh Street to Newtown in 2022 to accommodate construction of The Sarasota Modern hotel.
  • Leonard Reid arrived in Sarasota in 1900 after missing a departure on a boat bound for Cuba, subsequently working for Sarasota's first mayor, Col. John Hamilton Gillespie.

Who's Mentioned

PersonJohn Hamilton Gillespie“Sarasota's first mayor who employed Leonard Reid”PersonEddye Reid“Wife of Leonard Reid”OrganizationSarasota African American Cultural Coalition“Organizer of the Black Joy events and the Leonard Reid House site”locationSavannah“City Leonard Reid moved from to Sarasota”PersonEthel Reid“Daughter of Leonard Reid”PersonVickie Oldham“President and CEO of the Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition”locationOvertown“Former name of the area now known as the Rosemary District”OrganizationLeonard Reid House“Historic home and home of the SAACC in Newtown”locationCuba“Destination of the boat Leonard Reid originally boarded”locationRosemary District“Current name for the original site of the Leonard Reid House”locationSouth Carolina“Birthplace of Leonard Reid”locationNewtown“Current location of the Leonard Reid House”PersonLeonard Reid“Early settler in Sarasota and original homeowner of the Leonard Reid House”