PAINT THE BEACH: Week-long Art event makes impression
While it may be celebrating its wooden anniversary, it is still about oil, pastels, water colors and other painting mediums for the fifth annual “Paint the BeachSandcastles to Shrimp Boats,” plein air festival.
The Fort Myers Beach Art Association recently completed the festival, and it is still growing. The six-day event featured artists from across the world converging onto Fort Myers Beach to paint the local scenery during a three-day window for one set of awards and Saturday morning for an awarded quick draw event at Times Square that featured adults artists and high school students for the first time in the festival’s short history. Beach Elementary School students also contributed with their own artwork after instruction.
The Beach community witnessed many easels set up along the streets and beachfronts, and the local and visiting artists (from far-stretched places like Colorado, California, Minnesota, New York, Ecuador, Austria) were welcomed by the Beach businesses. Nervous Nellies Crazy Waterfront Eatery held a “meet-n-greet” event, Truly Scrumptious hosted an artist breakfast, several sponsors (see letter on page 4) were thanked for their monetary contributions to awards and many volunteers were thanked for their valuable time and effort. Everyone at Fish-Tale Marina and Santini Marina Plaza, especially Kathy and Al Durrett, were commended for hosting the Friday evening Gala in one of Fish-Tale Marina’s boat barns (known as the Propeller Lounge), erecting the festival tent inside the plaza’s parking lot as well as financial support to the overall event.
“In my opinion, this is probably the nicest venue on Fort Myers Beach to invite artists from around the United States to be in Fort Myers Beach and create a history,” said Al Durrett. “The Fort Myers Beach Art Association took charge of this and has made it what it is.”
Proceeds from the week-long event -which also included funds collected from a silent auction- support the promotion, education, appreciation and study of the arts in the Town of Fort Myers Beach. Fort Myers Beach Friends of the Arts in collaboration with Town of Fort Myers Beach provided sponsorship and support at the event.
“I would like to personally thank the artists that came out. I think everyone had a great time this week,” said Paint the Beach chairperson Michele Buelow.
Phil Fisher of The Phil Fisher Gallery in Naples judged the main event.
“Judge Phil Fisher thought the body of work was wonderful, and he was very impressed,” said Buelow. “He looked a lot for composition, for value, and thought that color was the sprinkle on the top. We really appreciated him.”
More than $2,500 in cash prizes were awarded to 60 participating artists at the main event, while more money went to the participating schools and students at the quick draw. All artists had the opportunity to sell their work in the festival tent all weekend long.
Go to www.fortmyersbeachart.com to learn more about the Fort Myers Beach Art Association and the festival.