This weekend (March 1 & 2, 2014) will find artists setting up in Tampa, FL, at the Gasparilla Arts Festival. This show has its lovers and its haters. Big prize money attracts people who don't do shows for a living so the competition is exciting. I always love it when one of "ours" wins that prize.
About 1/4 of the 1000 applicants are selected for the show.
Here is an excellent article from the Tampa Bay Times with the show's director, Architect Brandon Hicks, that tells the background of the event, that got its start when nudes were booted from the art exhibition at the Florida State Fair.
Learn what they did to survive the economic downturn and how they keep the festival going: http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/hicks-helps-gasparilla-arts-festival-thrive-downtown/2166525
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