Building Community Through Art with Venice Art Center CEO Mary Moscatelli

About this episode

Mary Moscatelli discusses building a thriving community arts hub at the Venice Art Center.

In this episode of Sarasota’s Behind the Masterpiece, host Jeffery Kin sits down with Mary Moscatelli, CEO of the Venice Art Center, to explore what it really takes to build a thriving community arts hub. Mary shares how her background in mental health shaped her leadership style, why community energy matters as much as the art itself, and how the Venice Art Center has grown into a cultural destination with hundreds of classes, exhibitions, and artists each year. From supporting local creatives to hosting beloved events like the Martini Art Party, this conversation offers an inside look at how art can connect, heal, and inspire an entire region. https://veniceartcenter.com/ Timestamps: (00:00) Introducing Mary Moscatelli, Chief Executive Director of Venice Art Center (01:05) What is the Venice Art Center? (02:00) When did Mary join the Art Center? (03:00) Art Center Store (04:30) Organizational culture (05:20) How did art come into Mary’s life? (07:30) Artini Event and restaurant support (09:40) Come take a class at Venice Art Center (12:25) What does Mary do for fun? (14:04) What is coming up for Venice Art Center? For more information and to listen to all the episodes, go to…

People in this episode

Host: Jeffery Kin

Guest: Mary Moscatelli

Topics covered

• community arts
• leadership
• cultural destination
• local creatives
• art events

Keywords

• Venice Art Center
• community arts
• Jeffery Kin
• Mary Moscatelli
• art events
• cultural destination
• local creatives

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Venice Art Center

Places: Florida

More episodes of Behind the Masterpiece on Florida’s Cultural Coast

• Sarasota Art Museum’s Something Borrowed, Something New · May 19, 2026 · 29 min
• White Plume Productions Brings Naga-Mandala to Life · March 3, 2026 · 20 min
• Why This Sarasota Artist Makes His Own Paints and Teaches Like It’s 1800 · January 27, 2026 · 20 min
• Melissa Rummel on Dancing Joan of Arc at Sarasota Contemporary Dance · January 13, 2026 · 17 min
• Inside Wonderland Circus: How Nik Wallenda Inspires Through Spectacle · November 4, 2025 · 16 min
• Celebrating 81 Years: The Legacy and Future of Sarasota’s Classical Scene · October 21, 2025 · 29 min