This is an interesting tidbit that I picked up from "The Sandspur", the Rollins College student newspaper:
The 2009 spring festival marked the 50th Winter Park Sidewalk Arts Festival, and the retro-themed "50th" emblem adorned literature, art, and signage throughout the area. According to an article in the Orlando Sentinel, the festival originated as the brainchild of Darwin Nichols, a local merchant who displayed the works of local artists at his Park Avenue restaurant. He and a small group of supporters launched the first festival in 1960 with about 90 local artists. The number of artists grew to 658 in the early 1970s, and then was restricted to the present limit of 225 by festival organizers fearful that the festival may outgrow its quaint roots.
We first exhibited at Winter Park in the early '80's. Can you imagine Winter Park with 658 exhibitors?? Not quite the show we see today. Does anyone remember this?
Though I live in Miami, I went to the Scottsdale Art Festival this weekend. It was wonderful. The layout was a little confusing and we almost missed some of the booths. The quality was excellent. I usually attend art festivals in South Florida, Chicago and Wisconsin. All but three of the artists were new to me. What a joy that was, to see all new work. I collect pottery and glass and saw styles and techniques that were completely different from things I had seen before.
Because I had heard such negative things about sales at the Florida festivals, it was a question I asked at the booths where I was buying things. The six artists I spoke to were all very positive. They said that they hadn't seen much of a slowdown in sales in California where most of them were from. I did see a few patrons carrying 2D artwork, observed some people buying jewelry but noone walked out with 5 bags like my poor husband who was delegated to carrying my treasures. Off to Fed Ex to ship them home.
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The 2009 spring festival marked the 50th Winter Park Sidewalk Arts Festival, and the retro-themed "50th" emblem adorned literature, art, and signage throughout the area. According to an article in the Orlando Sentinel, the festival originated as the brainchild of Darwin Nichols, a local merchant who displayed the works of local artists at his Park Avenue restaurant. He and a small group of supporters launched the first festival in 1960 with about 90 local artists. The number of artists grew to 658 in the early 1970s, and then was restricted to the present limit of 225 by festival organizers fearful that the festival may outgrow its quaint roots.
We first exhibited at Winter Park in the early '80's. Can you imagine Winter Park with 658 exhibitors?? Not quite the show we see today. Does anyone remember this?
I'd love to see your treasures. Who were some of the artists you purchased from?
Because I had heard such negative things about sales at the Florida festivals, it was a question I asked at the booths where I was buying things. The six artists I spoke to were all very positive. They said that they hadn't seen much of a slowdown in sales in California where most of them were from. I did see a few patrons carrying 2D artwork, observed some people buying jewelry but noone walked out with 5 bags like my poor husband who was delegated to carrying my treasures. Off to Fed Ex to ship them home.