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Want to know more?

Click here to download the pdf that includes images of the Artists work.

The winners at the:

• Ranked#1 Fine Art & #1 Fine Craft Festival in the Nation – Art Fair SourceBook 2019
• Ranked # 1 Fine Art and Design Show – Sunshine Artist 2018 (La Quinta Arts Festival has been ranked #1 in the Nation for  five of  the last seven years.)

La Quinta Arts Festival
La Quinta, CA, a short drive from Palm Springs
March 7 – 10, 2019

Presenting 220 foremost contemporary artists in a spectacular outdoor gallery, this four day event guarantees patrons an unparalleled cultural experience. Amenities include music, performance art, and trendy food, refreshments, wine and beer.

With so much to see, you’ll want a Multi-Day Pass! Paid Valet and Self Parking available, as well as free parking throughout La Quinta village.

Jeweler Harry Roa

Painter Richard Hall

Glass man Mark Lewanski

Being accepted at Florida's two biggest shows can be the highlight of an artist's winter brining in income for the current time AND if you win a prize that can mean $$$ and a highly desirable invitation to next winter's festival. Who were the winners?

COCONUT GROVE ARTS FESTIVAL
Feb. 16-18, 2019

Best of the Best Award: $5,000
Purchase Award: $1,000
Director’s Choice: $1,000
Best Booth: $500

1, 2, & 3 in each category: 1^st - $1,500; 2^nd - $1,000; 3^rd - $500

Total prize money this year: $46,500

sculpture by K. Willcox & K. Nordausen

Best of the Best - Kimberly Willcox & Kevin Nordhausen, 3D Mixed Media
Best Booth - Carlos Montanaro, Jewelry & Metalwork
Myrna & Sheldon Palley-Award of Excellence in Glass - Wesley N. Rasko
Director's Choice Award - Ummarid Eitharong, Painting 

Jana Epstein, 2D Mixed Media 1st Place
Daniel Lai 2D, Mixed Media 2nd Place
Joseph Bradley, 2D Mixed Media 3rd Place

Dakota Pratt, 3D Mixed Media 1st Place
Stephen Palmer, 3D Mixed Media 2nd Place
David Burton, 3D Mixed Media 3rd Place

Glenn Woods & Keith Herbrand, Claywork 1st Place
Marvin Blackmore, Claywork 2nd Place
William Kidd, Claywork 3rd Place

Pottery by Marvin Blackmore

Lissa Hatcher, Digital Art 1st Place
Tanya Doskova, Digital Art 2nd Place
Ed Myers, Digital Art 3rd Place

Bounkhong Signavong, Fiber 1st Place
Amy Gillespie, Fiber 2nd Place
Robert Stadnycki, Fiber 3rd Place

Richard Ryan, Glass 1st Place
Scott Gamble, Glass 2nd Place
Kit Karbler, Glass 3rd Place

Kristin Holeman, Jewelry & Metalwork 1st Place
Kate Rothra Fleming, Jewelry & Metalwork 2nd Place
Adrienne Gaskell, Jewelry & Metalwork 3rd Place

Ken Orton, Painting 1st Place
Marc Anderson, Painting 2nd Place
Rey D'Alfonso, Painting 3rd Place

Painting by Marc Anderson

Lisa Kristine, Photography 1st Place
Don Donelson, Photography 2nd Place
Doug Cavanah, Photography 3rd Place

Richard D. Wilson Jr., Printmaking & Drawing 1st Place
Abdiel Acosta, Printmaking & Drawing 2nd Place
Jacqueline Roch, Printmaking & Drawing 3rd Place

Lewis H. Tardy, Sculpture 1st Place
Gary Traczyk, Sculpture 2nd Place
Nnamdi Okonko, Sculpture 3rd Place

Carmen Lagos, Watercolor 1st Place
Witha Lacuesta, Watercolor 2nd Place
Blanca Palian, Watercolor 3rd Place

Ray Jones, Wood 1st Place
Derrick Crossland & Danielle Long, Wood 2nd Place
Steve Uren Wood, 3rd Place

wood boxes by Ray Jones

Alex & Christi Lamier, Digital Art Honorable Mention
Michael Braun, Digital Art Honorable Mention
Darren Olson, Photography Honorable Mention
Leslie Peebles, Printmaking & Drawing Honorable Mention

Lawrence Packard, Printmaking & Drawing Honorable Mention
Copper Tritscheller, Sculpture Honorable Mention
Tyler Stinson, Sculpture Honorable Mention
Greg Stones, Watercolor Honorable Mention

The 60th WINTER PARK SIDEWALK ART FESTIVAL
March 15, 16, 17, 2019

• BEST OF SHOW ($12,000 Purchase Award) Helen Gotlib, Dexter, MI - Printmaking
• EDYTH BUSH CHARITABLE FOUNDATION ART OF PHILANTHROPY AWARD ($5,000 Purchase Award) Amy Lennard Gmelin, New Port Richey, FL - Sculpture
• MORSE MUSEUM AWARD FOR A DISTINGUISHED WORK OF ART($2500) Marina Terauds, North Branch, MI - Printmaking
  

Helen Gotlib - Printmaking

10 AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE ($2000)
Ummarid Eitharong, Orlando, FL - Painting
John Herbon, Saint Ignace, MI - Clay
Richard Judd, Belleville, WI - Wood
Ronna Katz, Albuquerque, NM - Printmaking
Claudia Melchiorre, Cape Canaveral, FL - Jewelry

Woody Patterson, Birmingham, AL - Mixed Media - 2D
Cameron Ritcher, Richmond, VA - Mixed Media - 2D
Suzy Scarborough, Columbia, SC Mixed Media - 2D
Robinson Scott, Anoka, MN - Glass
Ken Tutjamnong, Philadelphia, PA - Painting

Kathrine Allen-Coleman - Printmaking

20 AWARDS OF DISTINCTION ($1000)
Kathrine Allen-Coleman, Jackson, GA - Printmaking
Gaston Carrio Houston, TX Mixed Media - 2D
Matthew Cornell, Orlando, FL - Painting
Mark Gardner, Saluda, NC - Wood
Stacia Hollmann, Deland, FL - Mixed Media - 2D

Aletha Jones, Madison, WI -Watercolor
Brenna Klassen-Glanzer, Minneapolis, MN - Jewelry
Birgit Kupke-Peyla, Salinas, CA -Jewelry
Rick Loudermilk, Austin, TX - Mixed Media - 2D
Amanda Outcalt, Norfolk, VA - Printmaking

Shirl & Jim Parmentier Mars Hill, NC Clay
Dennis Peterson St. Marys, OH - Wood
Luke Proctor, Mt. Horeb, WI - Metal
Melissa Schmidt, St Louis, MO - Jewelry
Bounkhong Signavong, Secaucus, NJ - Fiber

Cheryl Mackey Smith, Fairview, NC - Clay
Andrew Sovjani, Conway, MA - Photography
Mark Sudduth, Cleveland Hts., OH - Glass
Thomas Wargin, Menomonee Falls, WI - Sculpture
James Whipple, Winter Park, FL - Mixed Media - 2D 162

Raku pottery by Barry Bernstein

30 AWARDS OF MERIT LIST ($500)
Jennifer Ardolino, Homosassa, FL - Watercolor
Bert Beirne, Flowery Branch, GA - Painting
Barry Bernstein, Marquette, MI - Clay
Elizabeth Borowsky, Andrews, SC - Clay
Michael Bryant, Atlanta, GA - Photography

Lisa Burge, Taos, NM - Painting
Roxane Chardon, Hollis, NH - Drawings and Pastels
Sarah Collier, Wilmington, NC - Mixed Media - 2D
John Costin, Tampa, FL - Printmaking
Rey D'Alfonso, Greenville, SC - Painting

Leslie Emery, Sun Prairie, WI - Mixed Media - 2D
Robert Farrell, Venice, FL - Metal
Brendan Fuller, Redmond, WA - Clay
Michael Hayes Spruce Pine, NC - Glass
Charles Hazelaar, Cape Canaveral, FL - Sculpture

Aaron Hequembourg, Monticello, GA - Mixed Media - 2D
William Kidd, Lakeland, FL - Clay
Robin Kittleson, Geneva, IL - Glass
Heather Laurie, Denver, CO - Fiber
Phillip Michaels, Miami, FL - Painting

Mixed Media - AB Word & Barry Bryant

Mike Nemnich, Indialantic, FL - Printmaking
J Nielsen, Minneapolis, MN - Jewelry
Kyle Osvog, Jackson, GA - Clay
Sean Parrish, Dunedin, FL - Painting
Corey Pemberton, Spruce Pine, NC - Mixed Media - 2D

Dahlia Popovits, Boston, MA - Fiber
Steve Rogers, Ormond Beach, FL - Watercolor
Kristin Schillaci, Santa Fe, NM - Photography
Radim Schreiber, Fairfield, IA - Photography
AB Word and B L Bryant, Kirby, WY - Mixed Media

What about you? Did you win any awards? Do you have any comments on these awards?

We are counting the days until the end of our 7th Annual Pledge Drive on May 31. We held the drawing for the top ten winners on Thursday, 5/26.

If your name is listed below you've just won a prize. Go to the pledge page, look over the options and send me your top two to three choices. We'll fulfill the win in the order your name was drawn.

In the order that the names are listed you can choose a prize from the listing on this page:

http://www.artfaircalendar.com/art_fair/pledgedrive.html

Some of our sponsors:

Des Moines, IA - June 28, 2015 - The on-site jury of the 2015 Des Moines Arts Festival® presented awards to ten visual artists at an awards ceremony held this morning at Centro Restaurant in downtown Des Moines.   Ceramic artist, Michael Schwegmann was awarded Best of Show.  Zora Murff was named Best of Emerging Iowa Artists.

Michael Schwegmann received a BFA from the University of Illinois.  He has made ceramic sculpture as a full time studio artist since 1995.  Michael's sculptural ceramics focus complex ideas of labor.  He sells his work through galleries, public and private commissions, and juried art fairs across the United States. 

Best of Show:

Michael Schwegmann: Ceramics

Best of Show Emerging Iowa Artists:

Zora Murff:  EIA

Awards of Excellence:

Deborah Mae Broad: Graphics/Printmaking

E. Douglas Wunder: Jewelry

Joachim Knill: Painting

Matthew Hemminghaus: Photography

Robert Erickson and Tor Erickson: Wood

Juror Awards:

Lynda Ladwig: Ceramics

Andrew Kosten: Graphics/Printmaking

Dylan Strzynski: Mixed Media

Want more? Here's a quick article plus a video from the festival: http://whotv.com/2015/06/28/des-moines-art-festival-california-artist-brings-his-own-art-box/

Altamonte Springs, FL - March 28-29, Cranes Roost Park

St. Joseph, MI - July 12 & 13

Best in Category

Acrylic -   Tim MacDonald

Clay Functional - Rob Wiedmaier

Clay Non-Functional - Karen Bell

Digital Art - John Ames

Drawing / Pastel - Sabrina Zhou

Fibers Decorative - Jean Yao

Fibers Wearable  - Francia Patti

Glass - Douglas & Renee Sigwarth

Jewelry Non-Precious - Lisa & Scott Cylinder

Jewelry Precious - Samantha Freeman

Metals - Scott Nelles

Mixed Media 2D - Corrine Smith

Mixed Media 3D - Mark Reynolds

Oils - Brian Eppley

Photography - Rusty Leffel

Printmaking - John Furches

Sculpture - Jack Hill

Watercolor - Randall Higdon

Wood - Robert Daily

Krasl Board Choice Award

Wood - James Barnes

Shore Magazine Best Booth Award

Mixed Media 2D - Ginny Herzog

La Quinta, CA - Report from Kathleen Hughes at La Quinta:

Attached to this email is our list of winners and some images of artists at the show. Weather was ideal in the low to mid 80’s and to date over $3 million in art sales! (Last year we were thrilled with $2.7 which finalized in June with post festival sales at $2.8) I believe that the quality of art was the highest we have ever had with many artists coming from mid-west and east coast. Our audience includes the equestrian crowd due to the HITS horse show being run at the same time as well as tennis patrons from the BNP Paribas Open. In fact some artists saw the benefit of taking a cab on Saturday night and watching Roger Federer play and win.

BEST OF SHOW:   David Bjurstrom / Drawing 

BEST OF CATEGORY:

Ceramics - Barbara Sebastian

Fiber - Louise Valentine

Glass - John Blackwell

Jewelry - Thomas McGurrin

Mixed Media - Lorra Lee Rose

Painting - Alice Hernandez-Ganoa

Photography - Mike Woodward

Sculpture - Kim Obrzut

Wood Mark - Doolittle

Jeweler Isabelle Prosellico at LQAF

AWARDS OF MERIT:

Ceramics - Emmanuel Maldanado

Fiber - Hetty & Norman Metzger

Glass - Bob Kliss

Jewelry - Sally Craig

Mixed Media - Denny Wainscott

Painting - Donny Hahn

Printmaking - Stephen Harmston

Sculpture - Ralph Prata

Best of Show winner - David Bjurstrom

CITY OF LA QUINTA PURCHASE AWARD:

Kinne Design Studio, Sculpture 

Sean Gillespie, Sculpture

Congrats to them, some old friends and some newer ones, and definitely many of them on our members list.

Learn more about this festival: http://www.lqaf.com/cultural-events/la-quinta-arts-festival/

Also, I stumbled across this wordpress blog written by a customer at the show which will give you even more flavor of this event: http://mikaarts.com/wordpress/la-quinta-art-show/

Best of Show - Aaron Hequembourg 

Aaron has intriguing work, mixed media, painted on old wood salvaged from sharecropper houses and imagery he has rescued from old family farms in Georgia.

Best of Show Emerging Iowa Artists - Sodam Lee

Awards of Excellence 
Don McWhorter
Shellie Bender
R Michael Wommack
Taman VanScoy
Susan Hill

Juror Awards
Sarah Rishel Juror Award - Jim Ochs
Rebecca Ekstrom Juror Award - Michael McKee
Ann Harmon Juror Award - Seung Lee

Storm takes out $25,000 in glass 

My old friends Mark and Julie Glocke had nearly $25,000 in glass destroyed by a wind gust.

A sudden gust sent a half dozen glass sculptures by Mark and Julie Glocke shattering onto Grand Avenue, prompting a collective cringe from everyone within earshot.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20130628/NEWS/130628034/0/SPORTS10/?odyssey=nav%7Chead&nclick_check=1

At Arts, Beats & Eats in 2011 Mark and Julie's glass got caught up in high winds also and they had to pack on Saturday night and head home. Julie got hit by flying debris that time. Hope this is the last time this happens to you two. Best wishes.

Some nice prizes went out to some wonderful artists last weekend

at the Boardwalk Art Show. Congratulations to all especially popular AFI member Alison Thomas!

Best in Show Award ($7,500)

• Molly Strader, Jewelry, Booth #2311

Virginia’s Finest Award ($2,500)

• Daniel Robbins, Painting, Booth #2715

Thomas A Felton Jr. Award of Distinction in Fine Art ($2,000)

• David Figueroa, Sculpture, Booth #3021

Friends of MOCA Award of Distinction ($2,000)

• Pam Fox, Jewelry, Booth #2925

PNC People's Choice Award ($1,000)

• Aleksandr Maryaskin, Jewelry, Booth #2908

The Randy & Irene Sutton Best in Glass Award ($1,000)

• Josh Soloman, Glass, Booth #2026

Judge’s Choice Award ($1,000)

• Aaron Hequembourg, Mixed Media, Booth #2611

• Nicario Jimenez, Mixed Media, Booth #2113

• Jeffrey Nelson, Wood, Booth #2223

• Cheryl Smith, Ceramics, Booth #2016

Award of Merit ($500)

• Stephen Brehm, Painting, Booth # 3015

• Kirk Mullenax, Painting, Booth #2813

• Thomas Wargin, Sculpture, Booth #3024

Sand Dollar Awards (17 total)

• Larry Smith, Jewelry, Booth #3030
• John Dennis, Wood, Booth #2923
• Thomas Bothe, Ceramics, Booth #2915
• Jen Swearington, Fiber, Booth #2905
• Susan Gott, Glass, Booth #2531
• Anne Morris Simcoe, Fiber, Booth #2816
• Lee-Margaret Borland, Photography, Booth #2006
• Ummarid Eitherong, Mixed Media, Booth #2009
• Brianna Martray, Sculpture, Booth #2010
• Chloe Wang, Painting, Booth #2013
• Flora Zarate, Fiber, Booth #2112
• John Claude Louis, Photography, Booth #2129
• Russell Turnage, Ceramics, Booth #2218
• Bert Beirne, Painting, Booth #2225
• Brian Bortz, Wood, Booth #2319
• Alison Thomas, Digital Art, Booth #2424
• Laura Post, Graphics/Printmaking, Booth #2710

Who won the prizes last week in Houston at the Bayou City Art Festival? Here they are:

Best in Show
1. Alexis Silk - Glass
2. Heinrich Toh - Mixed Media
3. TIE - R. Michael Wommack - Pastels
3. TIE - Carolina Cleere - Mixed Media

Best Booth
1. Leif Hollard - Botanical Constructions

Art of Water
1. Tatiana Escallon - Tilework
2. Eva Storey - Debbie- Geometry in my Heart
3. David Weaver - Painting
4. Liz Martinez, Karina Gallegos, Lesley Simental - Razzle Dazzle

Curatorial Award in Printmaking
 Marina Terauds- Marina's etching - "Gardener Heart" at right

Congratulations to the artists who took home the prize money at Royal Oak, MI's, Arts, Beats & Eats on Labor Day weekend:

1.   Best of Show         $1500         Xiao Jiang, Painting

2.   1^stplace                $1200         Bruce Holwerda, Painting

3.   2^ndplace                $1000        Michael Stephens, Jewelry

4.   3^rdplace                $  750        Jes Irie Wear (Joyce Stewart), Fiber

5 Awards of Excellence, @ $525 each:                       

1.  Celeste North, Glass

2.  Allan Teger, Photography

3.  Steve Anderson, Metal Sculpture

4.  David O’Dell, Printmaking

5.  Bruce Green, Ceramics

Spirit of the City Award:  Sean McDougal          $250

Golden Dolly Award – this coveted award goes to the best artist's assistant, schlepper and all around good guy - the winner was Karyn Kozo, wife of photographer Jim Parker, for her patience, good humor and muscles   $175

Congratulations to everyone who participated in these two highly juried events.

The Des Moines Arts Festival was held on June 22-24 in downtown Des Moines with 185 participating artists

Best of Show: Joachim Knill
Joachim Knill of Hannibal, Missouri, displays his works in what looks like a shipping crate on the outside and an art museum on the inside

Best of Emerging Iowa Artists: Lindsay Burke

Merit Awards:

David Burton, 3-D Mixed Media

Chris Dahlquist, Photography

Cali Hobgood, Photography

Shadow May, Ceramics

Ella Richards, 2-D Mixed Media

Juror Awards:

Aaron Hequembourg, 2-D Mixed Media

Brian Mancl, Photography

Justin Robinson, 2-D Mixed Media

The Cherry Creek Arts Festival was held on July 6-8 in the Cherry Creek neighborhood of Denver

Best of Show: Benjamin Frey, Drawing
2nd Place: Lissa Herschleb, Painting
3rd Place: Brianna Martray, Sculpture
Merit Award: Mark Traughber, Mixed Media
Merit Award: Heinrich Toh, Graphics & Printmaking
Merit Award: Eileen Sorg, Drawing
Merit Award: Harvey Brody, Painting
Merit Award: Ron Hoyle, Drawing
Juror’s Award: Aaron Hequembourg, Mixed Media
Juror’s Award: Loretta Petraitis, Painting
Juror’s Award: Gena Ollendieck, Mixed Media

Looks like Aaron Hequembourg was a double winner. Congratulations, Aaron! Well-deserved awards.

Rick Bryant, Director of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts in State College, PA, joins Connie Mettler of ArtFairInsiders.com to share art fair stories and draw the names of the winners of the prizes for the Birthday Party Pledge Drive on Friday afternoon at 3 pm ET.

Will he call out your name? Did you contribute $12 to our pledge drive?

Tell me have our websites

• helped you avoid a bad show?
• found you a deal on our classifieds?
• made a friend either online or as a result of your presence on this site?
• helped you find a good show?
• taught you things to avoid in this crazy business?
• taught you where to find credit card solutions, the best tents, insurance, display equipment?
• lessened the isolation of your studio?
• given you something to laugh about and share with others?

Will you be the winner of these artful prizes?

Yesterday we had a drawing for the first ten prizes in our pledge drive. The winners are:

1. Henry Wood
2. Kim Yeager
3. Susan Hohman
4. Harrison Otalor
5. Elizabeth Gordon
6. William Verderber
7. Michael Mettler
8. Bill Moore
9. Sharie Cannon
10. Ralph Sharp

Congratulations!

Please visit the pledge page: http://www.artfaircalendar.com/art_fair/pledgedrive.html and then email me: info@artfaircalendar.comto tell me which prize you'd like. Please choose more than one prize and we'll try to give you your first choice. I'd like to hear from you within 48 hours.

We are still accepting pledges at this link: http://www.artfaircalendar.com/art_fair/pledgedrive.html

and will be hosting another program at 3 pm ET on 5/25 to draw the names for the rest of the winners.

Click here to listen to yesterday's program: www.ArtFairRadio.com

Some really nice award money was passed out this past weekend at the Mainsail Arts Festival. Congratulations to the winners!

Best of Mainsail Award – $10,000

John Mascoll of Safety Harbor, Wood

Award of Excellence – $1,500

Holly Hambrick, Mixed Media

William Kwamena-Poh, Watercolors

Laurie Coppedge, Photography

Mary McFarland, Fibers

Renee Dinauer, Sculpture

Jean Yao, Fibers

Duncan McClellan, Glass - "Life is a Vase Full of Cherries"

Nicario Jiminez, Mixed Media

Peggy Furlin, Watercolors

Marlene Rose, Sculpture

Award of Distinction – $1000

Anna Shapiro, Fibers

Greg Thomas-Moore, Wood

Pam Fox, Jewelry

Scott Hartley, Watercolors

Mina Heuslein, Ceramics

Charles Hazelaar, Sculpture

Chuck Boux, Glass

Z. L. Feng, Watercolors

Mark Wagner, Jewelry

Vonnie Whitworth, Watercolors

Jon Smith, Oil/Acrylic

Nancy Cervenka, Sculpture

David McKirdy, Mixed Media

Erica Hall, Mixed Media

Christian Nevin, Jewelry

Award of Merit – $500

Sue Archer, Watercolors

Jennifer Ardolino, Watercolors

Minh Martin, Glass

Debra Blazer, Jewelry

Ummarid Eitharong, Mixed Media

Vicki Tindal,l Ceramics

Jeff League Mixed Media

Richard Auger, Photography

Dianne Caton, Ceramics

Jeff Eckert, Graphics

Thomas Sullivan, Wood

Lynn Ferris, Watercolors

Bill Sargent, Photography

Lorri Honeycutt, Photography

Katherine Linn, Graphics

Gael & Howard Silverblatt, Jewelry

Joyce Nelson, Jewelry

Richard Currier, Oil/Acrylic

Harry Welsch, Ceramics

Georgia & Byron Knight, Ceramics

Purchase Awards – $200

Ellie Diez-Massaro, Mixed Media   Interior Motives – Leslie Curran

Renee Dinauer Sculpture,   The Mahaffey Company

Jean Yao, Fibers   Anthony J. LaSpada, P.A.

Cesar Nogueira, Sculpture   Douglas C. Buchan & Associates

Martin Taber, Jewelry   Mary Beth Morrow, Unique Art

Keith Kinney, Wood   William & Sally Snyder

Hua Tung, Watercolors   Fred & Monika MacFawn

George Bragg, Metals   Wells, Houser & Schatzel, P.A.

Rocky Bridges, Mixed Media   Eric Lang Peterson/Art Appraiser

Jim Holehouse, Watercolors   Cadillac

This is a long list of artists. I'm pretty surprised how few of them are members here. Congratulations to our group though -- some impressive people.

Congrats to Ellen Marshall for taking away a nice $850 award this past weekend at the Melbourne Art Festival in Melbourne, FL, and to these prizewinners:

More than 250 artists competed this year in nine categories.

Best of Show: Phil Parker, Flagler Beach.

Painting (Oils, Acrylic): First: Patrick Pierson*, Palm Springs; Second: Marta Crawford*, Edgewater; Third: Ummarid Eitharong, Orlando.

Painting (Watercolor): First: Lori Jenkins, Melbourne; Second: Michael Weber*, Port St. Lucie; Third: Terry Denson, St. Petersburg.

Graphics, Drawing, Painting 2D Mixed Media, Pastels: First: Jeff Eckert, Tampa; Second: Ellen Marshall, Ybor City; Third: Stephen Koury, Lakeland.

Sculpture: First: Nancy Cervenka, Gulfport; Second: David Figueroa, Sanford; Third: Charles Hazelaar, Cape Canaveral.

Digital Media: First: Marius Moore, Gulfport; Second: John Margerum*, Oviedo; Third: Laurie Coppedge, Jacksonville.

Jewelry: First: Carol Adams, Lake Worth; Second: Kristin Holeman, Fort Lauderdale;

Third: Pam Fox, Sarasota.

Clay: First: William Kidd, Miramar; Second: Katherine Mathisen, Ocoee;

Third: Glenn Woods, Palm Harbor.

Glass, Wood: First: Chuck Boux, St. Petersburg; Second: Bill and Jon Slade*, Jacksonville;

Third: Barrie Harding, Dunnellon.

Other Media: First: Garry Seidel, Davie; Second: Richard Auger, Summerfield; Third: John Moran, Gainesville

I know a bunch of you were at the show. How about a review? In particular, Jeremy Browne, made the trek from Canada. How did it go, Jeremy?

Got to love Gasparilla for the terrific prize money. As a result they get many applications from people who do very few shows but who think they have a crack at winning part of $74,500 in awards.

Congratulations to the lucky ones:

Trent Manning of Winter Haven won the Raymond James Best of Show Award on Saturday during the opening day of the 42nd Raymond James Financial Gasparilla Festival of the Arts.

Manning, one of more than 230 artists at the festival, received the top honor along with $15,000 for his "King of the Mountain" sculpture.

The artwork was judged by Douglas Dreishpoon, chief curator at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, NY.

Thirty-seven artists were honored for their work, including:

• Robert Kastrinos of Orlando received the Board of Director's Award ($7,500)
• Tampa's Jeff Eckert took the Roddy Brownlee Reed Award of Excellence ($4,000)
  
• M. Kemper of Oklahoma City earned the Mayor's Award ($3,500)
• Paul Shatz** of Charleston, S.C., won the Anniversary Award ($2,500)
• Oren Estell of St. Petersburg captured the Friends of the Museum Award ($2,000)
• Shannon Blosser-Salisburg** of Bethany, Ill., received the Robert & Elizabeth Sanchez Emerging Artist Award ($1,000)

If anyone has the complete list I'd love to see it.

**AFI members - a special congrats!

Thanks to Katrina Gallegos from the Coconut Grove Arts Festival for sending me this list of the winners:

BEST OF THE BEST WINNERS
BEST OF THE BEST
Ray Jones

BEST BOOTH
Mark & Carol Reynolds**

BEST POSTER DESIGN
Marilyn Liedman

Here's my favorite article about The Grove, featuring an image by Beau Tudzarov: http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/shortorder/2012/02/coconut_grove_arts_festival_fo_1.php

Their website: http://new.cgaf.com/

JUPITER— The 2012 ArtiGras Fine Arts Festival presented by Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center

The winners were selected by three judges who scored each artist and awarded a Best in Show and a first-place winner in each of the 13 categories.

Judith Wood of West Palm Beach has won Best in Show with her mixed media jewelry.

• Marvin Bower of Boonsboro, Md., in Fiber – Wearable
• Jayne Demarcay of Abita Springs, La., in Jewelry
• Shelagh Forrest** of Gainesville, Fla., in Photography
• R.C. Fulwiler** of Lakeland, Fla., in Digital Art
• Peter Gerbert of Dade City, Fla., in Painting
• Barrie Harding** of Dunnellon, Fla., in Wood
• Corey Johnson of Royal Palm Beach, Fla., in Mixed Media
• Edward Loedding** of Brandon, Vt., in Drawing and Printmaking
• Don McWhorter of Carrollton, Ga., in Ceramics
• Richard Ryan of Bourbonnais, Ill., in Glass
• Alex Santamarina of San Francisco, Calif., in Metal
• Jean Yao of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., in Fiber – Nonwearable

More about ArtiGras: http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2012/feb/21/artist-judith-wood-takes-home-best-in-show-20424/

Their website:  http://www.artigras.org/

In Altamonte Springs, FL, a new show appeared: Uptown Altamonte Art Expo

Their winners:

Best of Show:  Laurie Coppedge (Photography)

Awards of Excellence (4):
    Robert Hyde (Sculpture)
    Patrick Pierson** (Mixed Media)
    Rolly Ray Reel (Mixed Media)
    Peter Smith (Mixed Media)

Judge’s Choice (3):
    Julie Kessler and Judy Lee (Mixed Media)
    Tamra Martin (Jewelry)
    J. Brown and D. Hair (Painting)

Merit Awards (10):
    Leland Williams (Mixed Media)
    Diana Ahrens (Mixed Media)
    Michael Myers** (Mixed Media)
    Marla E. (Painting)
    Jim Sprinkle (Sculpture)
    Jeff Eckert (Printmaking/Drawing)
    Jeffrey Waller (Mixed Media)
    Julie Anstaett (Jewelry)
    Thomas Lott (Jewelry)
    Frank Castelluccio (Sculpture)

** Members of ArtFairInsiders.com - congratulations!

Many thanks to Ginny Herzog who forwarded me this information.

Winter Park means lots of things to many folks and one of the things it means is excellent prize money. Take a look at these awards:

BEST OF SHOW ($10,000 Purchase Award)
Sculpture    Charles Hazelaar    Mine Disaster

MORSE MUSEUM AWARD FOR DISTINGUISHED WORK OF ART ($2,500)
Sculpture    Marlene Rose    Metallic OH

10 AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE ($2,000)
Drawings & Graphics    Helen Gotlib    Fall Dahlia Year
Fiber    Rhanna Nyman    In the Spaces Between the Treasure Hunt Begins
Glass    Duncan Mcclellan    Vineyard
Glass    Renee Engebretson    Blue Grass
Jewelry    Christian Butera    Family of Four
Jewelry    John Ruff    Samurai
Mixed Media    Paul Andrews    Untitled
Painting    Matthew Cornell    Avalon
Sculpture    James Casey    Folded Flag
Sculpture    Steven Olszewski    Meditation

20 AWARDS OF DISTINCTION ($1,000)
Clay    Don Mcwhorter    Looking out the Temple Window
Clay    Steven Howell    Reliquary
Digital Art    Chris Dahlquist    Mile Marker 164
Drawings & Graphics    Gillian Kemper    Banyan I
Drawings & Graphics    Grant Silverstein    Her Brother's Arrest
Drawings & Graphics    Jody Depew Mcleane    Door to the Kitchen
Drawings & Graphics    Julie Keaten-Reed    Water Dance
Fiber    Kate Beck    Rim Rocks
Glass    Todd Cameron    Split Vase: Blue Single Gear
Jewelry    Antoni Kozlowski    Necklas - Amber, Silver, Leather
Jewelry    Barbara Mclaughlin    Blaze of Glory
Metal    Frank Strunk    Intersected
Mixed Media    David Mckirdy    Dark Matter 33473
Mixed Media    Milenko Katic    Dead Bird in the Cage
Painting    Bruce Holwerda    Road Show
Painting    Ning Lee    Still Life with Bottles and Cherry Blossom
Painting    Rimas Ciurlionis    Spacial Plane
Photography    James Parker    Friends II
Sculpture    Dale Rogers    Pedulum
Wood    James Barnes    Flat Vessel

30 AWARDS OF MERIT ($500)
Clay    Edward Risak    Red Jar
Clay    Julie Berndt    Embrace Life
Clay    Patrick Dragon    Mountain Landscape
Clay    Richard Gruchalla    Sentinel Figure
Drawings & Graphics    Clare Malloy    Triangular Blue Barn in Bright Sunlight
Drawings & Graphics    Marla Baggetta    A Passage
Drawings & Graphics    Michael Bond    Evening at Westminster London
Fiber    Annie Turbin    Slate Skeleton
Fiber    John Gunther    Glacier
Glass    David Royce    Convergence
Glass    Leon Applebaum    Eight and a Half
Glass    Mark Sudduth    Plane Sense
Glass    Phillip Nolley    Fertility Vessel
Glass    Scott Amrhein    Harmonic Interlude
Jewelry    Elaine Rader    Ebb & Flow
Jewelry    Phillip Hall    Neckpiece
Jewelry    Sharon Rosenthal    Neck Piece of Bog Bog Nuts
Leather    Horace Thomas    Architectonica II
Metal    Michael Gard    Trio
Mixed Media    Tony Savoie    House on Fire
Mixed Media    Ummarid Eitharong    Lady Luck
Painting    Dexiang Qian    Smile
Painting    John Thursby    Duchampian Dilemna
Photography    Chris Honeysett    Cascading Noodles, China
Photography    Marius Moore    Bamboo, Birds and Baskets
Photography    Michael Bryant    Avian Etude
Photography    Paul Stevens    South Bank
Sculpture    Marc Sijan    Wrapped Arms
Wood    Matthew Hatala    Black Maple
Wood    Steven Potts    Jarroh Burl / Silver Inlay Australian

Congratulations to AFI members, big prizewinners at Winter Park: Duncan McClellan (glass), Renee Engebretson (glass), Bruce Holwerda (painting), Elaine Rader (jewelry), Barbara McLaughlin (jewelry), Jim Parker (photography), Matthew Hatala (wood) and Phillip Hall (jewelry). Good job!

Here is a nice story from the Orlando Sentinel about the show and one of the art fair business "power couples", Lynn and John Whipple:  http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2011-03-18/entertainment/os-cal-winter-park-sidewalk-arts-fest20110318_1_artist-couples-mcrae-art-studios-mixed-media-artist