- May 21, 2025
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Stephanie Lavender with her all-natural art.
Manny Jimenez and Joe DeVito with their purchased pieces.
Claudio Tolousse
Claudio Tolousse packs a purchased piece.
Shoppers strolled the inner Circle.
Dahlia Reid looks through pieces at Kelly Tracht's tent.
John Denis with his glass art.
Gwen and John Anderson at their woodworking tent.
Mary Lou Johnson.
Sue Ellis with her purchase.
Artist Andrea Kreeger, right, shows her resin art to Helen Graber.
Jackie Maloney.
Signs on every booth reminded patrons to stay distant from each other.
Valerie Walchek, a pottery artist.
Linda Hugues, a Tampa-based artist who works in oils.
The southern spoke of the Circle was blocked off for tents and art-seekers.
Kari Hawkins with her purchases.
No matter the medium, there was something for every art fan at the St. Armands Annual Art Festival on April 10 and 11.
First scheduled for January, the festival featured artists from the Sarasota-Bradenton area, around the state and even some from around the country, such as Claudio Tolousse from New Mexico.
Though it took up about the same amount of space as in a normal year, Longboat Key photographer Mary Lou Johnson noted that there had to be more space between the booths to allow for social distancing. She had been on a wait list and learned two days earlier she would be part of the event. In a normal year, Johnson gets eyes on her art at shows throughout the year, but this is the second show she's done since the pandemic.
"I did Siesta (Fiesta), but in the past year, four shows got canceled," Johnson said.
Other artists noted similar situations. Linda Hugues, a painter from Tampa, has done only one other show since the pandemic and showed her art in a virtual setting. Despite the warm, windy day, artists were grateful to be back in person once more.
