3 Polk County Artists Among Winners At Gasparilla Art Festival

TAMPA, FL — Three Polk County artists won prizes for their art submitted to the 51st Annual Raymond James Gasparilla Festival of the Arts that took place virtually on March 5 and March 6.

More than 250 artists from around the nation were selected to compete by juror Dr. Nadiah Rivera Fellah of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the annual arts competition to be held virtually.

A total of $80,000 in cash awards was given to the winners of the festival.

Art pieces submitted included ceramic, digital, drawing, fiber, glass, jewelry, mixed media, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, watercolor and wood.

The Polk County winners in the festival were:

Roddy Brownlee Reed Award of Artistic Excellence ($4,000)
Beth Garcia, Lakeland, FL | “Gator Bloom”, Ceramic

Remembering GFA Family and Friends Award of Merit ($1,300)
Janet Herman, Polk City, FL | “Windy Ridge Bristlecone”, Fiber

Kathleen Brodeur, Winter Park, FL | “Rehearsal”, Painting

The Tampa Museum of Art Purchase Award will be selected the week of March 8. The work will be added to the museum’s permanent collection.

For more information about the other winners, and to access the virtual Festival, visit www.GasparillaArts.com. The virtual festival is available for viewing until March 21 at 6 p.m.