Proceeds from the Muse Luncheon go to the endowment fund at the Hermitage Artist Retreat on Manasota Key near Englewood
The Hermitage Artist Retreat will welcome Bill T. Jones — the acclaimed choreographer and director who won Tony Awards for “Spring Awakening” and “FELA!” — to Sarasota on Jan. 16.
He will be the guest speaker for the Hermitage's second annual Muse Luncheon, which highlights a well-known American artist who has been an inspiration to others.
“The only problem having esteemed Public Theater Artistic Director Oskar Eustis as our inaugural speaker last year is who can possibly come next,” said Bruce Rodgers, Hermitage executive director. “Believe it or not, we’ve got him! Bill T. Jones is one of the most exciting and inspiring performance professionals working today. We know he has been a muse to many and we look forward to being awed and enthused by all that he has to share with us on Jan. 16.”
The Muse Luncheon will be from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Michael’s On East restaurant in Sarasota. Ticket prices begin at $125.
Proceeds from the event go to the endowment fund at the Hermitage, a not-for-profit artist retreat on Manasota Key near Englewood. Each year, the retreat invites prominent painters, sculptors, writers, playwrights, composers and other artists for residences at its beachfront campus.
“The Hermitage is host to some of the most creative and exciting working artists in America,” Rodgers said. “Having someone like Bill T. Jones join us to speak about his contributions to inspiring artistry, which is the mission of artist retreats, is a testament to the importance of what we do.”
Jones, 65, was born in Bunnell, north of Daytona Beach. His family moved to New York State and he attended Binghamton University.
He became a dancer, choreographer and founder of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company. He is now artistic director of New York Live Arts, home of the dance company.
Besides his Tony Awards, Jones has won a MacArthur “Genius” Award, along with Kennedy Center Honors and a National Medal of Arts, along with honorary doctorates from a half-dozen major universities.
In 2017, Jones directed an opera called “We Shall Not Be Moved,” which was created by librettist Marc Bamuthi Joseph and composer Daniel Bernard Roumain. Roumain was a resident artist at the Hermitage in 2006.