Patriot Plaza is located at The Sarasota National Cemetery, which is a 295-acre United States National Cemetery located 4 miles east of I-75 on State Road 72 (Clark Rd). Administered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, it was the sixth national cemetery developed in Florida.
Patriot Plaza features an outdoor exhibit with documentary photography, sculptures, and mosaics that explore the themes of Honoring Service, Inspiring Patriotism, and Embracing Freedom, as well as a 2,800-seat amphitheater and stage.
The art installations at Patriot Plaza are some of the space’s most inspiring and meaningful features. They are designed to preserve memory through art, honor the men, women (and their families) who serve, and convey their stories of courage, service, and sacrifice to future generations.
The Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County serves as the coordinating organization for student field trips and public and private tours of Patriot Plaza.
The Patterson Foundation funded the design and construction of Patriot Plaza and donated it to our community and the National Cemetery Administration. Patriot Plaza is a space for our community to take pride in hosting veterans-related ceremonies and public events for generations to come.
PatriotPlaza@SarasotaArts.org
https://www.thepattersonfoundation.org/patriot-plaza.html
9810 State Rd 72, Sarasota, FL 34241
941-365-5118 ext. 305
Patriot Plaza is an amphitheater and plaza at the Sarasota National Cemetery featuring large outdoor artworks about the military, family, American history, and one’s own place in the world. Its themes are: HONOR SERVICE, INSPIRE PATRIOTISM, and EMBRACE FREEDOM. Trained Guides will provide a 90-minute tour and learning activity to groups that visit the plaza. All of the Guides at Patriot Plaza are veterans or are the family members of veterans. They will share their own stories, as well as describe and discuss the stories that are in each artwork. The artworks are as diverse as our heroes and include bronze sculptures, large mosaics, marble tablets, a global map etched in granite and documentary photographs in this open air museum.
Grade 7-8 students will focus on Civics content with an emphasis on veterans, citizenship, and the patriotic holidays of Veterans Day and Memorial Day. Additionally, two documentary photographs in the artwork “Witness to Mission” are viewed and analyzed. A Teacher’s Guide provides information and activities for the classroom. A pre-visit PowerPoint provides basic information before the visit and a post-visit PowerPoint provides follow-up photos and questions for discussions and/or writing activities. Parents will be appreciative of the instruction in good citizenship!
This trip is part of the Any Given Child program of Sarasota County. Transportation is paid for by the foundation that built Patriot Plaza, The Patterson Foundation. Each school will order its own buses. Contact Lindsey Mintz, Patriot Plaza Tour Manager, to request a tour reservation form and schedule a tour. Call or email to book your tour today!
Lindsey Mintz
317-402-8499
patriotplaza@sarasotaarts.org
Patriot Plaza at Sarasota National Cemetery