Much Ado about Nothing: A new venue for Sarasota

It’s an experience musicians know all too well.

As the house music fades, the band takes the stage and starts performing, only to look out on the crowd and find an audience that’s more interested in what’s on tap than what’s on stage.

Somehow, at local concerts, music often ends up being the secondary attraction.

For local musician Jil An, it’s important for artists to have a space in which they can perform to an engaged audience. Equally important, she says, is a space where everyone can comfortably enjoy the show.

Engagement and inclusivity — these are the main tenets behind Nothing Arts Center, the new music venue and community arts center she helped found this June.

A Safer Space

As the sun sets on a late September evening, an unsuspecting North Trail parking lot begins to come alive with activity.

People show up by the carload, gathering near the warehouse garage door while the band runs through sound check.

Inside, An is fine-tuning some visual components for the night’s singer/songwriter showcase, and a handful of volunteers are there to help.

“You’ve heard of DIY venues before,” says An, as she fiddles with a projector. “We’re a do-it-together venue. We find that we accomplish more together than individually.”

An, who is transgender, says  there aren’t many venues in town where she feels comfortable playing her experimental electronic music, so she and a group of several New College graduates founded the venue out of a need they saw to provide both a platform for alternative music and what she calls a “safer space.”

“People aren’t used to performing in a space like this. It’s kind
of surprising to see that many people watching so carefully.
One touring musician told me he’d been on the road for months, and this was his favorite show he’d played.”

– Jil An, Nothing Arts event organize

The venue is open for all ages, offers substance-free shows and has an emphasis on producing 

shows free of any kind of discrimination.

“We needed something like this in Sarasota,” says An. “But something like this is necessary everywhere. There’s always a demand for a safe place. We want to foster an environment that’s free of hate, and where the LGBTQ community can feel welcome.”

Since opening June 17, Nothing Arts has hosted close to 20 shows featuring local and touring bands, and its core group of volunteers has grown to about 30 people. 

An says the response has been refreshing. On a good night, she says it’s not uncommon for a show to draw a crowd of 80 to 100 people, all intently watching the performance.

“People aren’t used to performing in a space like this,” she says. “A lot of times, half the audience is outside smoking, or not really paying attention. It’s kind of surprising to see that many people watching so carefully. One touring musician told me he’d been on the road for months, and this was his favorite show he’d played.”

Fostering a Community

Inspired by similar venues in New York City, An and fellow organizers operate as a horizontal organization, with everyone equally contributing to decisions.

In addition to music, the venue also hosts workshops, art exhibitions and offers monthly memberships that include options to rent the space for rehearsal or other art projects.

An says she hopes to establish Nothing Arts Center as a certified nonprofit organization and offer artistic mentorship programs to area high school students. But most importantly, An says she wants to do what she can to help foster a socially conscious community.

“We want to show people that there are alternative spaces and communities here, where you can belong and feel at home,” she says. “And there’s a place where people are genuinely interested in the art itself.”