$12 million artist retreat gift from Morrison-Steans family
The Hermitage Artist Retreat has received one of the largest land gifts in nonprofit arts history—a $12 million donation of beachfront property from the Morrison and Steans families.
The gift encompasses 6.5 acres of Gulf-to-bay property on Manasota Key, including five main structures that will form the organization’s “South Residences.” Combined with the recent acquisition of the Hermitage Englewood Art Center from Ringling College of Art & Design, these expansions will more than double the retreat’s capacity to host its celebrated artist-in-residence program.
The transformative gift comes from seven siblings and cousins representing two Chicago-based families with deep roots in philanthropy and environmental stewardship.
The donation honors four family patriarchs and matriarchs: Harrison I. Steans, Lois M. Steans, Harold M. Morrison, and Adeline S. Morrison—with Adeline Morrison remaining an engaged supporter alongside her four daughters and three nieces. Harrison Steans founded Financial Investments Corporation and established the Steans Family Foundation, which has evolved into a major force for social justice, concentrating resources on Chicago’s North Lawndale community and North Chicago.
The Morrison family, through the Harold M. and Adeline S. Morrison Family Foundation, has similarly maintained a longstanding commitment to arts, education, and community development.
Together, the two families acquired the Manasota Key properties from Samuel and Lydia Auchincloss—properties originally built by the prominent Vanderbilt family in the early 1950s. For nearly four decades, these Gulf-to-bay homes served as a family retreat where the Morrisons and Steans gathered with their seven daughters and extended families.
“Our parents believed in the mission and values of the Hermitage, and they understood first-hand the inspiration and importance of its Manasota Key home,” the families stated. “We donate this property to the Hermitage Artist Retreat filled with hope that it will always remain a place of kindness and tolerance, where invited artists feel welcome; a place for fostering community, collaboration, connectivity, and conversations; a place of inspiration and creation; and a place that stewards the rich ecology and diversity of nature”.
The families’ connection to Hermitage deepened after Hurricanes Helene and Milton severely damaged the retreat’s historic county-leased buildings, prompting the Morrison and Steans families to invite the organization to use their properties for overflow artist accommodations.
Unlike the historic Hermitage buildings, the newly donated Morrison-Steans properties suffered minimal storm damage, providing immediate operational relief. The gift also represents Hermitage’s first ownership of land, as the organization has been a longstanding tenant in Sarasota County, with a lease that allows extensions through 2055.
Since its founding, Hermitage has supported approximately 900 artists, including 18 Pulitzer Prize winners, multiple Poets Laureate, Guggenheim and MacArthur Fellows, and numerous Tony, Emmy, Grammy, and Oscar winners and nominees. Works developed at the retreat have premiered at the Metropolitan Opera, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and Broadway stages.
With expanded capacity, Hermitage can support individual artists, collaborative ventures, and project residencies, creating works for major presenting halls worldwide.
Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg emphasized the gift’s significance: “This transformative gift from the Morrison and Steans family is a game-changer for the future of the Hermitage. The family’s belief in the mission and values of the organization is deeply moving, and we do not take for granted what an unbelievable gift this is”.
Board President Carole Crosby acknowledged that the new property ownership will increase the annual operating budget while expressing enthusiasm for this growth phase: “The organization is ripe for continued expansion, and we are hopeful that this extremely generous gift from the Morrison and Steans families will inspire others to recognize the value of supporting this vital arts organization.”