Free art festival brings world-class talent to downtown Tampa | Diversions

Gasparilla season isn’t over yet. The 56th annual Raymond James Gasparilla Festival of the Arts runs Feb. 28-March 1 at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park, featuring arts, music, family activities and food at this world-class juried art festival. Last year’s attendance topped 30,000, and the event continues to grow.

The free festival runs 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Feb. 28 and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. March 1. The park is at 1001 N. Boulevard in Tampa. For details, visit gasparillaarts.com.

The event started in 1971 at the Florida State Fairgrounds, moved to Curtis Hixon Park and now calls Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park home. Clay Hollenbach, a part-time festival employee — everyone else volunteers — says GFA is more than a weekend event.

“We connect people with art, create an environment for artists to flourish, and support art education through our annual festival and year-round programs,” he says. “In addition to performing artists and musicians, we have a children’s stage featuring bands and musicians 18 and under, many from local music programs and schools.”

What to expect

More than 250 artists from across the country and beyond will showcase their work in downtown Tampa, including nationally recognized professionals, returning favorites and first-time participants. Eighty Florida artists were juried into the main show, including 26 from Tampa Bay. Ten Tampa Bay artists showcase their talent in the Local Artists Spotlight and Remote Studios programs, with five artists setting up working studios. More than 50% of the artists are new to the festival this year.

The festival features nationally recognized artists alongside emerging artists, select Tampa Bay artists, student artists and disabled artists in the Community Outreach Village. There, visitors can purchase artwork created by artists with disabilities from organizations including Arts4All, Pyramid Inc. and MacDonald Training Center. Artists earn money from sales while the organizations gain visibility.

Artists at the Raymond James Gasparilla Festival of the Arts compete for one of the strongest prize programs in the country. This year, the festival will award $92,000 across 44 juried awards, including the $15,000 Raymond James Best in Show Award.

Among the most distinguished honors is the Tampa Museum of Art Purchase Award, which adds a selected work to the museum’s permanent collection. This year, the museum will feature three past award recipients in its upcoming exhibition, “Avant Garde: Remarkable Women in the Permanent Collection,” opening Feb. 25. VIP pass holders receive complimentary admission to the Tampa Museum of Art throughout festival weekend.

Family entertainment

Beyond family-friendly arts activities, kids can learn about art collecting at the Art Collectors in Training tent, a kids-only gallery where artists have donated pieces. Volunteers help children choose artwork that speaks to them. Some return annually to add pieces from artists they’ve collected before, Hollenbach says.

The Young Artists Expo showcases regional student art. Visitors can express their creativity at the Nomad Art Bus or the children’s activity area coordinated by the Tampa Museum of Art.

Other attractions include Carmada, a fleet of cars painted live by artists, and the festival’s co-sponsored TBBCA Chalk Walk, featuring commissioned artists creating 8-foot-by-8-foot chalk drawings in this interactive experience.

New this year: a speed painting demonstration and competition featuring eight artists competing for judges’ prizes, says Hollenbach, an artist and educator who grew up in Plant City.

Festival emcee Denis Phillips highlights events while two stages host music and performances by nationally recognized artists and Tampa Bay acts. Start with yoga at the Rising Stars Stage at 9-9:45 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, then catch these performances:

Saturday, Feb. 28

• 9-9:45 a.m.: Nelson Mariscal

• 10:15-11 a.m.: Tim Balajadia

• Pop-up act: University of Tampa

• 11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m.: RJ Howson

• 12:45-1:30 p.m.: Discord Theory

• Pop-up act: New Heights Dance Academy

• 2-2:45 p.m.: Geri x

• 3:15-5 p.m.: Have Gun Will Travel

Sunday, March 1

• 9-9:45 a.m.: Tone IE

• 10:15-11:15 a.m.: Tha Banned

• 11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m.: Wulfgang Amadeus

• 1:15-2:30 p.m.: Mountain Holler

• 3-4:30 p.m.: ASTRO (Ashley Smith and the Random Occurrence)

Pre-festival events

The Local Artists Spotlight kicked off with a reception in January at The Epicurean Hotel in Tampa, followed by an exhibition which ran through Feb. 13. This year’s artists included Scott Causey of Sarasota (sculpture), Elizabeth Eckels of Tampa (sculpture), Scott Solary of St. Petersburg (wood), Caitlin Albritton of Tampa (jewelry) and N. Carlos Jay of Valrico (painting).

On Jan. 22, Gasparilla Arts and community, cultural and educational partners unveiled a public mural honoring women who shaped East Tampa’s history at the Corporation to Develop Communities of Tampa Inc. Chloe Coney Urban Enterprise Center. Designed by Michelle Sawyer with historical guidance from Fred Hearns of the Tampa Bay History Center, the mural features five iconic women central to East Tampa’s legacy. Students from Pace Center for Girls, Hillsborough, helped paint the mural.

VIP experience

A ticketed VIP tent offers views, shade, private restrooms, catered food, beer, wine and specialty cocktails. The VIP Experience pass includes access to the Artist Awards Showcase on Saturday, Feb. 28, from 6-9 p.m.

Gasparilla Festival of the Arts Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to producing an annual juried outdoor art festival for the enjoyment and education of patrons, artists and guests and for the enhancement of the Tampa Bay area’s cultural arts. The organization relies on sponsorships, community grants, on-site retail sales and corporate and individual gifts. Programs and events are organized and staffed entirely by volunteers.