'A Festival Under One Roof': Coastal Flow Features 35 Artists

SARASOTA, FL — At the start of Florida’s spring art festival circuit, John Hendershott and Jessie Gill signed the lease for a Siesta Key space on March 1. They planned to use the space, located at 7216 S Tamiami Trail, as home base for their company, Surfboard Tables, Gill said. They would use it to store their furniture in between art events and also as a workshop to build custom orders.

Then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit Florida and the state shut down by mid-March. One by one all art festivals and other events were cancelled or rescheduled, Gill said. “Suddenly, we were in lockdown and we weren’t able to pay rent.”

She added, “We were trying to figure out what to do since we couldn’t make money anymore. The festivals were going to fund the rent here… It was a glorified warehouse for the (surfboard) tables.”

Gill decided to turn the space into a consignment art shop featuring, reaching out to other art vendors in Sarasota and Manatee counties who also suddenly found themselves with nowhere to sell their work. She connected with many of them through the organizers of the Coquina Beach Market, she added.

The shop, Coastal Flow, which only features artwork with a beachy, coastal themes, opened May 4 with 15 artists It was slow at first, she said. They had no marketing budget, so the couple put their surfboard tables and other large art pieces out front to catch the attention of those driving by.

“We were never going to open this as a shop, so we hadn’t been worried about money for marketing,” she said. “We had to get creative.”

It had a slow start, Gill added. With a large elderly population in the area, many people were scared to leave their homes because of the pandemic. The summer was also “super hot,” which meant less shoppers, and people were distracted leading up to the Nov. 3 election, she said.

But word spread about the shop and they had a strong Small Business Saturday, Gill said. Today, Coastal Flow boasts 35 artists and foot traffic has increased because of holiday shoppers.

With so many artists, there’s always something new at the shop, she said. She also regularly utilizes Facebook Live to reach shoppers and show off new items.

There’s a wide range of items available at the store, she added. Shoppers can find everything from furniture to jewelry to decorative signs and paintings to pottery. Many of the artists do custom designs, as well.

“It’s basically like a festival under one roof,” Gill said.

There’s still some uncertainty about Florida’s festival circuit, she said. While some farmer’s markets and smaller events are going on, some larger art events in early 2021 have already been cancelled. She’s hopeful that some events will go on, though.

“I think here in Florida they’re trying to open up a little more because so many things can be done outside,” Gill said. “And Gov. (Ron) DeSantis is a little more laidback than other governors.”

The couple, art nomads, had planned to make a permanent move to Florida. Their plans sped up a bit because of the pandemic, she said, and they now call Bradenton home. They hope to eventually buy a home in the area.

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Hendershott, originally from Ohio, launched his surfboard furniture business from North Carolina eight years ago. He began traveling to Florida for art events during the colder months so he could sell his art year-round.

They met up north and own a place where they usually stay during the summer in Cape May on the Jersey Shore. Gill owned a Greek deli in Pennsylvania, which she sold so they could make the move to Florida.

While Hendershott is the one who primarily runs Surfboard Tables, Gill plans to focus her efforts on Coastal Flow. She will renew the shop’s lease when it’s up in March.

“No matter what, we’re going to keep the store going. We’re getting really great feedback and it’s super cute,” she said. “(Surfboard Tables) it really wasn’t mine. I was essentially working for (Hendershott). This (shop) is kind of something for me. It’s like we’re both doing our own thing but combined.”

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