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artsHOP

ArtsHOP draws crowds

Written by Tom Vaught on . Posted in Art, Entertainment.

HOLMES BEACH – The final night of artsHOP was a huge success, as participating stores, art galleries and cash registers were busy.

At Waterline Marina Resort and Beach Club, Joanne Coke was painting colorful flowers and Kelly Hunt was working on painting with a fish.

“I’m an Island native, and I grew up here and went to Anna Maria Elementary School,” Hunt said. “I love art, and this is my way of giving back to the Island.”

Visitors enjoyed the snacks there including prosciutto, cheeses, salsa, chips and crackers.

Across the street, in the Holmes Beach Shopping Center, it looked like the annual Christmas walk with people going in and out of the shops that were open.

Restless Natives owner Adina Digus and her mother, Lida, were amazed at the heavy traffic of lookers and buyers.

To the rear of the room, at How Lucky AMI, Samantha Heil was at the cash register.

“I’ve seen many people I’ve never seen before,” she said. “The (artsHOP) organizers did a great job.”

The Artists’ Guild Gallery was filled to the brim with shoppers, and the clerk acknowledged there were many first-time visitors, and they were spending money.

Outside, Larry Wilhelm sang pirate tunes as many of the husbands milled around while their wives shopped.

At Island Gallery West, Artist of the Month Charlotte Sorsen held her reception as the crowd walked around inside. Outside, Chip Ragsdale entertained on the guitar singing oldies.

artsHOP 2018 artist

Rain doesn’t stop artsHOP

Written by Tom Vaught on . Posted in Art, Entertainment, Events, Festivals.

BRADENTON BEACH – The artsHOP celebration got off to an inauspicious start when rain started to fall a few hours before it began on Bridge Street last Friday.

Shop owners were ready for the art lovers, but would they brave the rain to come out?

As the sun set, the rain let up and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

“This is great, despite the rain,” said Gaydon Shell, owner of The Cove. “We got a great online presence going, and it’s a great opportunity for artists and outlets to get exposure.”

Down Bridge Street, at the Bridge Tender Inn, organizers Diane Phinney and Debra Wing had wooden skimmers and gift baskets on display, out of the dwindling rain.

“This is all coming together, and I see more people walking around,” said Phinney.

The theme of this year’s artsHOP is “Follow the Flock” in honor of skimmers, birds that nest on Anna Maria Island’s beaches. Artists will be selling paintings of the birds with proceeds going to Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring.

Artists decorated the dozens of birds to sell with proceeds going to Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring.

As the sidewalks got busier, Wing praised the people who were there.

artsHOP 2018 demonstration
Artist Polly Tetrault applies color with a small blow torch at the Studio at Gulf and Pine. – Tom Vaught | Sun

“The rain didn’t stop them, and we’re off to a slow, but growing start,” she said. “We want to promote all the artists who feature the beauty of the Island and make it a wonderful place to live or visit.”

The next day, visitors to Pine Avenue in Anna Maria enjoyed better weather. The Anna Maria Island Historical Museum treated visitors to live music and opportunities to purchase raffle tickets for lavish gift baskets.

At the Studio at Gulf and Pine artists conducted demonstrations, and there was food and music by Jenna Smith. Music for the three-day event is sponsored by The Ugly Grouper.

On Friday, Nov. 9, the 12th Annual artsHOP concludes in Holmes Beach from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Shops and galleries throughout Holmes Beach and Waterline Marina Resort will feature local art demonstrations, live music and more. Basket raffle prize drawings will be held at the Ugly Grouper starting at 8 p.m.

artsHOP is sponsored by Cultural Connections to highlight Anna Maria Island’s arts and culture. Admission to artsHOP is free.

It’s artsHOP time

Written by Tom Vaught on . Posted in Art, Entertainment.

Every year, Anna Maria Island’s arts community comes together to present artsHOP, a celebration of the arts, and this year, the big event is the Holmes Beach Gallery Walk on Friday, Nov. 10, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. There will be local artwork on display, art demonstrations, refreshments, live music, art raffles and an opportunity to meet the artists.

Marti Salerni will display her latest “Petal Away” themed watercolors, and Chip Ragsdale will entertain with acoustical guitar at Island Gallery West. The Artists’ Guild of Anna Maria Island will display work by members, many of whom will be there, with live music in the background. The Anna Maria Island Art League’s reception will conclude its juried all-media art exhibit, “Faces of Emotion,” with winners in attendance. Restless Natives will present local artists Karen Prunier, with a “Reflections in Clay” demo, and Patricia Clarke, with a hot glass demo, plus new Restless Natives addition, “HowLuckyAMI.”

Those who visit all the galleries can have their “passports” stamped to be eligible for prize baskets of local, original art.

Other events tied to artsHOP include the public reception of “10byTEN” to celebrate the 10th anniversary of The Studio at Gulf and Pine, the Island Players performance of “The Game’s Afoot” at 8 p.m., both on Thursday, Nov. 9, and an ice cream social and museum tour at the AMI Historical Museum on Pine Avenue in Anna Maria following the Veteran’s Day events at City Pier Park on Friday, Nov. 10.

Cultural Connections is a sponsor of artsHOP; business sponsors include Anna Maria Vacations, Duncan Real Estate, LaPensee Plumbing, Sato Real Estate, Gagne Construction, Island Mail and More, Abrahamson Uiterwyk, Historic Green Village, Beach House, Island Coffee Haus, Egmont Key Adventures and Flip Flop Candy Shop.

artsHOP

Call issued for ‘Seahorses’ artists

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Art, Entertainment, Festivals.

The Bridge Street Merchants in Bradenton Beach are issuing a call to artists for the Third Annual Bridge Street Public Art Project, and this year’s theme is “Seahorses.”

Affiliated with the 11th annual artsHOP festival, the merchants’ public art project provides artistic folks an opportunity to create themed artwork to be displayed and bid on in early 2018.

As was the case for the Mermaids and Turtles art projects in previous years, the 2017-18 project is open to artists and art-lovers of all ages and skill levels who live on or off Anna Maria Island.

The plywood seahorse templates used to create the one-of-a-kind artworks will first be available for pickup at Sea-renity Beach Spa & Boutique during the artsHOP Art Walk on Saturday, Nov. 11, from noon to 5 p.m. Any remaining templates will be available afterwards in limited quantities.

The $30 template fee is refundable to those who later enter their completed seahorses in the walk-able art show in January. Completed seahorses are to be submitted by Jan. 11.

Island Lumber in Holmes Beach is again donating the plywood templates and the Anna Maria Island Sun is again serving as an art project sponsor. For more details, contact Amanda Escobio at 941-896-2222.

‘Petal Away’ at Island Gallery West

Written by Tom Vaught on . Posted in Art, Entertainment.

Island Gallery West’s November featured artist, Marti Salerni, presents “Petal Away,” an exhibit of brightly colored watercolor and acrylic paintings of whimsical bicycles and flowers. The highlight of her month-long exhibit will be the first of the season’s monthly public gallery receptions on Friday, Nov. 10, from 5 to 8 p.m., as part of the 11th annual Anna Maria Island artsHOP event. Island Gallery West is at 5368 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, Trolley Stop 15. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. For more information, call 941-778-6648.