Sarasota Review

Janet Echelman’s work will be the focus of a major exhibition at Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College of Art and Design, running from November 16, 2025 to April 26, 2026. The show, titled “Janet Echelman: Radical Softness,” spans more than four decades of the artist’s career and includes drawings, paintings, textiles, large-scale netted sculptures, and sculptural dance performances. New cyanotypes made from 3D models and photographs during her design process will also debut in this exhibition.

“Radical Softness invites visitors to experience art that transcends genre and fosters shared moments of wonder,” said Virginia Shearer, Sarasota Art Museum’s executive director. “As Sarasota Art Museum encourages visitors to explore new ideas, Janet Echelman’s work illustrates art’s ability to reshape our perceptions of physical space and interpersonal connection.”

Echelman is recognized for her large aerial sculptures that combine elements of design, architecture, and engineering. Her installations are often shaped by wind currents and highlight themes of interconnectedness.

“Radical Softness contextualizes Janet Echelman’s practice, revealing the narratives, influences, and processes that drive her work. At its core, the exhibition highlights Echelman’s use of softness as a powerful tool — not only in material but as a philosophy,” said Lacie Barbour, associate curator at Sarasota Art Museum.

The exhibition features early works from the 1980s and 1990s using batik dye on canvas and linen alongside painted quilts and small-scale net models. It also presents recent maquettes such as “Study (Butterfly Rest Stop 1/9 scale)” (2022), “Remembering the Future” (2025), “Expanding Club” (2007), as well as a new series of cyanotypes created in 2025.

A key moment in Echelman's career occurred during a Fulbright Lectureship in India in 1997 when delayed supplies led her to collaborate with local net-makers. This experience influenced her shift toward three-dimensional works using knotted nets—a method she continues today.

“That was my pivot point from two to three dimensions. That moment catapulted my trajectory of going into cities and landscapes and meeting people where they are — in the middle of their lives — with contemplation of resilience, fluidity and interconnectedness,” Echelman said.

Echelman has longstanding ties to Florida; she is a fourth-generation Floridian who spent time vacationing in Sarasota as a child. She was among the first visiting artists at Sarasota Art Museum before it opened in 2019.

“Sarasota has been a part of my entire life. It’s like coming home, so it is a very special place to launch my first mid-career retrospective,” said Echelman. “When you see someone’s life trajectory, it’s more than just looking at their art. You get a fuller story of the ideas which drew them, their practice, and mission.”

An accompanying publication titled *Radical Softness: The Responsive Art of Janet Echelman*, edited by Gloria Sutton with contributions from international figures across several disciplines—including engineering—will be published by Chronicle Books and Princeton Architectural Press on September 16.

Echelman's public commissions appear worldwide including projects for MIT Museum (2025), Frisco Texas (2024), Columbus Ohio (2023), St. Pete Pier in Florida (2020), Korea (2020), The Gates Foundation in Seattle (2015), Smithsonian American Art Museum (2015), and San Francisco International Airport Terminal 2 (2011). Her aerial performance project Noli Timere merges dance with installation art.

The exhibition is organized by Sarasota Art Museum with curation by Lacie Barbour. Funding comes partly from Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax revenues; media sponsors include Sarasota Magazine, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, and WUSF 89.7 FM.

Sarasota Art Museum operates within Ringling College's historic former high school building since opening publicly in 2019. It offers exhibitions focused on contemporary artists along with educational programs for all ages through initiatives such as The Studios at SAM studio arts program and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute courses for adults.