Scenes and Stories from the Winter Park Autumn Art Festival
Jim Carchidi
The yearly showcase of Florida artists offered a much-needed respite after a stressful week of hurricane prep and cleanup. Photos by: Jim Carchidi
Days after weathering one of the worst storms to hit Florida in 20 years, locals gathered to enjoy the arts and the community at the 51st Annual Winter Park Autumn Art Festival. From Oct. 12-13, patrons and passers-by admired outdoor displays ranging from ceramics, jewelry, and fiber arts to painting, mixed media, and photography.
Winter Park Chamber of Commerce worked with city staff to ensure the feasibility of the event after Hurricane Milton passed through the area, and debris was cleared from Central Park and Park Avenue in time for the arriving exhibitors. The festival is the only juried show to focus exclusively on Florida-based artists, which created an even stronger sense of community between participants and guests.
“It’s great they were able to go on with the show,” said painter Evan Schwarze of Vero Beach. Schwarze felt fortunate for the lack of damage to his home but was one of the many thousands in his area to lose power. He drove to Winter Park on Friday to set up his exhibit booth before returning home to arrange generator power, then drove back for the festival on Saturday morning. “There were several tornadoes in Vero but I was pretty lucky.” However, St. Pete-based photographer Grace Berge had a different experience.
Vero Beach-based painter Evan Schwarze was thankful to avoid damage from Hurricane Milton, and for the art festival going on as planned.
“I evacuated to Vero Beach and ended up in the middle of a tornado,” she explained. Berge’s cargo van, filled with display pieces for the festival, had been wrecked in its parking spot. Desperate for a solution, she posted a request for assistance to Facebook and received a surprise rescue from fellow artist and friend, Carla Bank of Ft. Lauderdale. “She was also booked at the festival and offered to come pick me up,” said Berge, “she’s my angel.” But a second surprise was in store when the friends arrived at Central Park. “We’re right next to each other,” Bank said, “booths six and seven, it’s a miracle.”
Friends and festival neighbors Grace Berge (left) and Carla Bank shared a Milton-related bonding experience on their way to the event when Bank rescued the stranded Berge in Vero Beach.
See the list of 2024 festival award winners here, and check out the photo gallery below for some of the scenery and more stories from the 51st Annual Winter Park Autumn Art Festival.
Public turnout and artist participation were strong as very few exhibitors had to cancel their spots.Immense metal works by Sanford-based sculptor David Figueroa offer some shade during the early hours of the event.A guest walks by the work of Orlando-based artist Edson Campos. His classic style and romanic subject matter have been portrayed in murals, illustrations, and paintings, and exhibited at several international galleries and festivals. A painting by Michael Williams of Ft. Lauderdale gazes back at an admirer.Nautical artist Lawrence Packard of Winter Haven exhibits his art and his process.Packard often draws his detailed depictions of ships directly onto nautical charts.Oviedo-based painter Xavier Moss also takes an opportunity to work during the festival. Moss explores natural history within the context of Scripture.Laurel Hatfield and the La La Band were among the live music acts to perform during the weekend.First-time Autumn Art Festival participant Melanie Scott of Jacksonville didn’t have any Hurricane Milton stories to share, but spent most of the weekend introducing patrons to her jewelry creations.Among Scott’s inspirations are her time living in Maui and her native-American and Czech family background. This is her first year on the art festival circuit.Nathalie Ramirez of Coral Gables was inspired to paint by her father and fellow artist, Juan Ramirez Cotrino. She is in her second year of exhibiting her abstract designs, which portray organic subject matter with different textural layers.Todd K. Fox of Orlando uses mixed-media to create his three-dimensional pieces, inspired by African and Caribbean cultures and nature.Erika Hinn of Longwood takes a break in the shade of her large-scale paintings.Mount Dora-based designer Serina Frizzell pays homage to 1960’s model/actress Twiggy in a unique medium.Frizzell’s art pieces are made of dice that are arranged to create shading and texture.A shelf of whimsical mugs by ceramic artist Xiubo Pearce of Groveland.A glass hummingbird hovers in the exhibit booth of Clermont-based artist David Sandidge.
