Brrr! Recapping The Suncoast Art Fest & WC Chamber Business Expo

By Gary Nager

There’s no doubt that the ninth annual Suncoast Arts Festival, held the weekend of January 18-19 along Paseo Dr., the main drag at the Shops at Wiregrass mall, is one event that neither the artistic exhibitors nor the thousands of attendees will ever forget.

The temperature over the course of the weekend never really inched much above 50 degrees — a delightful temp for a fall day in the northeastern U.S., but darn near frigid to most Floridians.

The quaint Paseo Dr. was again visited by an estimated crowd of more than 100,000 people over the course of the two days of the Fest and all proceeds from the event will benefit “Art for Kids,” a grant fund created by the festival’s 501(c)(3) nonprofit parent organization, Fine Arts of the Suncoast, Inc., to supplement arts education funding in public, private and charter schools in Pasco County.

The event featured more than 135 fine artists and craftsmen along Paseo Dr. Also on hand were sidewalk chalk artists, sponsored by Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture and the Arts (TBBCA.org), a “Random Acts for Art” Entertainment Stage, all weekend, sponsored by Team Farrell and a Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce Arts & Business Showcase along Piazza Ave., from 4 p.m.-9 p.m.

The Chamber’s Business Showcase was probably the most affected by the weather, as the sun went down early in the afternoon, which kept most of the Arts Fest visitors from finding their way to Piazza Ave. from Paseo Dr.

I also really enjoyed watching the sidewalk chalk artists who recreated their spectacular artworks on the sidewalk in front of Dillard’s in the mall from small photographic prints of their creations. I was told that there were prizes awarded for these chalk artists, as well as for the artists and artisans along Paseo Dr., but I was unable to attend on Sunday when those prizes were apparently awarded.

I also missed the presentation of grants to local arts teachers, which was held on Saturday night and was emceed by Marvelous Marvin from WJQB-FM 106.3. The event’s presenting sponsor was Wesley Chapel Nissan, which displayed a variety of beautiful vehicles along Paseo Dr.

A Very Special Artist

Perhaps my favorite artist at the festival was New Tampa resident Sara May, who is afflicted with a severe case of Multiple Sclerosis. I was admiring Sara’s work when I realized that she had created all of her beautiful, colorful and extremely intricate works of art using only her mouth! Sara, who only has the use of two fingers on one hand, was being interviewed by a local TV station when I visited her booth and I plan to buy one of her creations from her website (MSMouthPaintings.com). For more info about the 2014 Suncoast Arts Fest, visit SuncoastArtsFest.com.