By Savannah Whaley

The award-winning arts incubator ArtServe closes out its 2024 – 2025 season with a dynamic members only exhibition that encourages its visual artists to go for more, lots more.

 “The very big, brash, and bold type of visuals of the Gilded Age in Florida are my vision and intention for the show,” said ArtServe Gallery Manager and External Curator Finn Casson.

 “Florida Opulence” will be on view October 17 – December 12, 2025. Like the gallery itself, the opening night reception from 6:00 – 8:30 PM is free and open to the public and will feature the jazz band Totem Cave.

 “When I’m thinking of the words Florida Opulence, I think of the late 19th century, very early 20th century architecture that can be found in Florida such as Vizcaya, the Ringling Museum or some of the Flagler buildings up in North Florida,” Casson explained. 

In fact, Casson confessed their love of that architecture is one of the reasons they chose to go to Flagler College in St. Augustine with its grand centerpiece of Henry Flagler’s Ponce de Leon Hotel. ArtServe’s much more modest footprint is the only thing limiting ArtServe members’ creativity as they deliver their takes on the beauty, wealth, and historical significance of Florida’s past.

“There are no restrictions on what type of medium people can submit for the show,” Casson previewed. “I’m anticipating around 20 to 30 pieces, if not more. I’m expecting to see a mixture of standard two-dimensional pieces, three-dimensional sculptural pieces, and everything in between.”

ArtServe visitors will also be able to enjoy two concurrent solo exhibitions awarded through the Broward County Cultural Division. Casson described “Please Touch” by interdisciplinary fiber artist  Cary Dunlap Daley as a multimedia exhibition touching on topics that are quite personal to the artist. “Marking the Moments” by LuRu will be another multimedia show that will use specialized lighting to create an immersive experience in a space within blacked out windows and doors.

ArtServe’s new season opens January 23, 2026 with “Journey to Mount Athos,” a traveling exhibition that incorporates works by ArtServe members. It will be followed by “I’m Still Here: Exploring Mental Wellness” beginning March 27, “The Art of Language: Celebrating the Aesthetic and Intellectual Beauty of Words” opening June 26 and “Member’s Only: In Memory Of” that wraps up the season and begins October 2. The non-profit’s Fourth Annual Impact Awards and gala will be held on April 17.

“Florida Opulence” crowns a successful season of increased attendance, which resulted in the gallery capping opening night reservations for two exhibitions for fear of exceeding its stated capacity.

“I will continue to make the opening receptions more interesting and enticing,” Casson said. “I want to be a destination with programming that people seek out. We are really focused on building our community and getting people immersed in the arts in whatever way that looks like for them.”

 Reservations for the opening reception of “Florida Opulence are recommended. ArtServe is open to the public weekdays from 9 AM – 6 PM and 10 AM – 6 PM on Saturday. Parking is free and no appointments are necessary.