I found this information about the Gasparilla Festival today and want to share it for several reasons. Gasparilla Festival of the Arts made the tough decision last December to call off their in-person festival (scheduled for March 6 and 7) due to COVID-19 and do virtually everything virtually with a dynamic online platform.
- This event is known by artists especially for its very large amount of prize money, $65,000 which includes a $15,000 award for Best of Show. They have announced that even though the show will be virtual in 2021 they would still be awarding the prize money. Good for them.
This disclaimer from the event:
- “We’re not kidding ourselves; artists might not sell as well as in-person. (italics mine) We’re just trying to provide a platform that they can make sales that they otherwise wouldn’t have and opening up to a broader audience that couldn’t come,” says John Scheffel, President of the Board of Directors of the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts. “It’s giving the festival a broader reach, so that’s one of the positives. Artists don’t have any costs to them except when they sell something, which is far less than a gallery’s commission.” Learn more.
When there is bad news there is also some good news.
Anyone here participating in this event?
