The Hermitage Artist Retreat in Englewood has just initiated a new artist residency for arts teachers in Florida.

State Teacher/Artist Residencies will provide five public school educators with the opportunity to pursue their artistic work with a four-week summer residency at the Hermitage. This newly formed program is a collaboration with The Florida Alliance for Arts Education, a statewide service organization that works to ensure that all Florida students have a complete education that includes the arts. The alliance coordinated the selection process of the teachers in visual arts, writing and music.

Among the first five recipients of this annual gift of time and space to devote to their personal artistry is writer Alan Sincic, creative writing teacher at Osceola County School for the Arts. His residency will take place during his summer break, July 11 through Aug. 14.

“Mr. Sincic is both a talented artist and a master teacher,” said Charles Mytron Lisby, principal of the School for the Arts. “His personal work as an artist helps provide our students with clear and realistic opportunities as they work on their craft in their creative writing major. We at OCSA are not surprised that Mr. Sincic has been chosen for this amazing summer Hermitage Retreat, and we trust that his experience is both reflective and productive.”

The Hermitage is a not-for-profit artist retreat located on Manasota Key. It brings mid-career painters, sculptors, writers, playwrights, poets, composers and other artists from all over the world for extended stays on its 8.5-acre campus. Each artist is asked to contribute two services to the community during his or her stay.