The international outdoor art exhibit, “Embracing Our Differences 2026,” opened in Sarasota’s Bayfront Park, showcasing global entries until April 19.

SARASOTA, Fla. — A free art event just kicked off in Sarasota and will make its way to St. Pete in March.

Embracing Our Differences‘ 2026, an international outdoor art exhibit, held its grand opening on Saturday, Jan. 17, at Sarasota’s Bayfront Park.

The exhibit will run from Jan. 17 to April 19 at Bayfront Park, and will also showcase art in Poynter Park in St. Pete from March 7 to April 12. 

Visitors at Bayfront Park will be able to see the exhibit from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and admission is free.

“Every year, this exhibition reminds us that art has the power to bring people together in ways that feel both hopeful and deeply human. In a world that can feel divided, moments like this—standing side by side, experiencing these stories—matter more than ever,” Sarah Wertheimer, CEO of Embracing Our Differences, said.

Wertheimer added that Embracing Our Differences will offer free Saturday tours through April 18 at 10 a.m.

According to organizers of the exhibition, 14,904 people applied to enter. Applications came from 125 countries and 48 states.

The art exhibit also received entries from 574 schools from around the world.

Embracing our Differences gave awards for “Best-in-Show Adult,” “Best-in-Show Student,” and “People’s Choice” categories, with the last chosen by visitors to the exhibition. 

Embracing our Differences said the awards were as follows:

Best-in-Show Adult Artwork Award: To Istanbul-based artist Eda Uzunoğlu for “The Power of Love.”Best-in-Show Student Artwork Award: To the artwork named “Equal Booths” by Siwon Jung, an 11th-grade student at Seoul Scholars International Art & Design in Seoul, Korea.Best-in-Show Adult Quotation Award: “Kindness is the language we all understand, even when our stories are written in different alphabets,” submitted by Yuliya Mitskevich of Warsaw, Poland.Best-in-Show Student Quotation Award: “Dulling someone else’s pencil will not make yours any sharper,” by Ingrid Cushman, a 10th-grade student at Pine View School in Osprey, Fla.

Each adult winner received $2,000, and awarded students got $2,000 each to split with their art program in school. Inspirational quotations were also awarded to adults and students with prizes of $2,000, with students also sharing with their school’s language arts programs.

If you want to see all the works in the exhibit for 2026, you can visit the online gallery.