A Cultural Legacy: Sarasota Performing Arts Center
About this Event
Join Architecture Sarasota in welcoming leaders from the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation!
Tania Castroverde Moskalenko, Chief Executive Officer
Jennifer Jorgensen, Deputy City Manager
Design Team: Sweet Sparkman
Jerry Sparkman, John Bryant, and Todd Sweet
ABOUT THE TALK
In 2022, the City of Sarasota and the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation entered into a partnership to lead the design and construction of a new, world-class Performing Arts Center at the heart of Sarasota. This once-in-a-generation project will elevate the performing arts experience, expand community access, increase opportunities for educational programs, and generate millions of dollars in economic impact, igniting growth throughout the region.
Designed by renowned architect Renzo Piano in collaboration with Sweet Sparkman Architecture, the concept design was formally presented this spring. The new Center will honor our community’s cultural legacy while advancing the future of the performing arts in Sarasota.
ABOUT THE SERIES
Architecture Sarasota believes design has the power to transform communities and shape a more vibrant future. The Future Landmarks series offers an exclusive look at three of the most significant cultural projects currently redefining Sarasota's built environment. Leaders from the Sarasota Orchestra, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, and the Sarasota Performing Arts Center will present the vision, design process, and community impact of their transformative projects, offering audiences a rare opportunity to hear directly from the organizations and design teams behind these landmark investments. Together, these presentations celebrate Sarasota's enduring commitment to architecture, arts, and innovation while exploring how today's bold design decisions will become the defining landmarks of tomorrow.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Tania Castroverde Moskalenko has over 20 years of experience leading complex nonprofit arts and cultural organizations and guiding them through strategic, financial, and operational transformations. As CEO of the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation, she brings a results-driven approach to arts leadership, advancing initiatives that strengthen community vitality, expanding access to the arts, and supporting the development of a new Performing Arts Center. Before joining the Foundation, Tania served as Executive Director of Miami City Ballet (MCB), where she oversaw a $24 million annual operating budget and successfully completed a $65 million capital campaign, surpassing an initial $55 million goal. She launched MCB's first formal DEI strategy and helped establish a public-private partnership with the City of Miami Beach that resulted in the construction of new student housing for the MCB School.
Jennifer Jorgensen joined the City of Sarasota in January 2023 as the Governmental Relations Manager and was promoted to Director of Governmental Affairs in December 2023. In March 2026, the City Commission appointed Jennifer to serve as Interim City Manager, a role carried out through May 29, 2026. City Manager Karie Friling appointed Jennifer as the permanent Deputy City Manager in June 2026. During her time as Director of Governmental Affairs, the City has received over $20 million in federal and state appropriations, she has worked on legislative strategy at the local and state level, led the Procurement, Grants and Special Events teams as well as overseeing the Bay Park and Sarasota Performing Arts Center Projects. With more than 15 years of leadership and legal experience spanning government operations, corporate affairs, and legislative advocacy, Jennifer provides steady, strategic guidance and ensures operational continuity for the City of Sarasota. In addition to Deputy City Manager responsibilities and oversight of multiple departments, Jennifer continues to oversee the federal and state legislative strategy for the City.
Jerry Sparkman, a founding principal of Sweet Sparkman Architecture, has been crafting resilient, thoughtful designs since the firm's inception in 2002. His work reflects a deep understanding of the coastal environment, emphasizing the integration of local culture, history, and long-term community growth. Jerry’s design philosophy—“respect the land and the people, and the rest will follow”—is exemplified in projects like The Bay Park in Sarasota, where he has merged innovative design with environmental stewardship to create vibrant public spaces.
After receiving a degree in music at Grinnell College, John Bryant received his Master of Architecture from the University of Maryland School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation in 2007. At the University of Maryland, he received the Dean's Thesis Award and the 2007 David M. Schwarz Traveling Fellowship, which allowed for thesis research in Japan. His highly effective design and project management skills were instrumental in projects such as the Ringling College of Art + Design's Basch Visual Arts Center, Fruitville Elementary, and the New College Master Plan. His work with the Siesta Key Beach Pavilion has earned two awards: 2015 Florida Association of AIA: Merit Award for an Object for the Siesta Key Beach Pavilion's picnic shelter and a Finalist for the SRQ Magazine: Building of the Year. His work on Fruitville Elementary has earned the firm the coveted national 2017 Brick in Architecture Award K-12 given by the Brick Industry Association. John's prolific body of work during this period compelled the Florida / Caribbean AIA jury to award Sweet Sparkman the 2018 Firm of the Year.
The founder of Sweet Sparkman, Todd Sweet was born and raised in the Northeast, where he received his Bachelor of Architecture degree from Roger Williams University. Todd spent his internship at Arquitectonica in Miami, Florida, where he worked on projects throughout Europe, South America, and the United States. In 2002, Todd started the firm TOTeMS Architecture (the original firm name). In 2004, he partnered with Jerry Sparkman to form Sweet Sparkman Architects. The firm has built a national reputation for design excellence and has been asked to participate in La Venice Biennale, a bi-annual architecture exhibit in Venice, Italy. In his 20 years of practice, Todd has enjoyed the study of simple building volumes and the exploitation of materials in an unconventional fashion. Municipal planning and architecture are Todd's award-winning specialty
PHOTOS courtesy of the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation.
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