TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)–Hundreds of artists from across the globe showcased their work to nearly 30,000 art enthusiasts Saturday at Julian B Lane Riverfront Park in Downtown Tampa.
“There are lots of festivals around the country, but this is one of the best,” said artist Glenn Woods.
Woods came to the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts to showcase his handmade one-of-a-kind pottery.
“We make our pieces out of porcelain and finish them with what’s called a crystaling glaze,” Woods explained. “What that basically means is, all the shapes and textures you see in the glaze are crystals that naturally grow in the glaze during the cooling cycle.”
Each artist showcased something different.
“I work in metal, primarily aluminum right now,” said Cherie Haney.
Haney specializes in dynamic metal art inspired by natural elements.
She came all the way from Michigan to take part in this years’ Gasparilla Festival of the Arts.
8 On Your Side’s Nicole Rogers asked, “You said this is what you always wanted to do, tell me more about what it’s like for you being able to make an entire living out of what you want to do?”
“It is really great,” Haney replied. “I am living my dream being out here. “
“Being on the road is hard, but working in my studio is what really makes me happy and it’s what I’ve always wanted to do since I was a little girl when I was making my own jewelry out of found objects,” she continued.
The festival is among the top open-juried fine arts festivals in the nation, with more than $92,000 in prize money being awarded to artists.
You can expect to see a wide variety of art forms, including painting, sculpture, ceramics, glass, jewelry, photography, and more.
You can find the entertainment schedule below.
Saturday (Main Stage)
9:00-9:45 AM – Yoga with Lucky Cat
9:00-9:45 AM – Taylor Reed
10:15-11:00 AM – injoyurjoy
11:00-11:30 AM – University of Tampa Dance Team
11:30-12:15 PM – Shoeless Soul
12:45-1:30PM – Ashley smith and the random occurrence (ASTRO)
2:00-2:45pm – Katara
3:15-5:00 PM – Mandy Harvey
Sunday (Main Stage):
9:00-9:45 AM – Yoga with Lucky Cat
9:00-9:45 AM – Daniel Giron
10:15-11:15am – In the pocket
11:45-12:45pm – Madwoman
12:45-1:15pm – Break Dancers
1:15-2:15pm – Johnny Mile and the kilometers
2:15-2:45pm – Aerialist : Cookie Dee
3:00-4:30pm – The Applebutter Express
Saturday (Luau Stage):
11-11:30am : Nick Tumi and Becca Myari
12-1:00pm : Student Showcase : Sgammato Music School
1:30-2:00pm : Kyah Robinson
2:15-3:00pm : Mwiza
Sunday (Luau Stage):
11-11:30am : Growhouse Poetry Collective : Spoken word
12-1:00pm : Student Showcase : School of Rock Music School
1:30-2:00pm : Giorgi