In its recent years, the premier juried arts event appeared to lose its edge, forcing out local up-and-coming artists with hefty submission fees. This year, however, signs of life returned to the upscale décor sale, er, we mean art festival, with pieces that were thought-provoking along with those you could color-coordinate with your living room. In addition, the festival’s Emerging Artist Program offered opportunities for eight non-competing artists to apply without paying the fee. gasparilla-arts.com.
This article appears in Oct 20-26, 2011.