DUNEDIN — It is time to ring in the new 12 months with new artwork as Howard Alan Activities presents the 26th once-a-year Downtown Dunedin Artwork Competition, established for Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 7-8, on Key Street in Dunedin.

Artists from all over the country will set up their creations, gallery-style, together Primary Street in downtown Dunedin. The festival provides a showcase for primary artwork — all handmade in The usa and picked by an unbiased panel of professional judges from hundreds of candidates. HAE’s very careful vetting procedure also makes certain a large array of mediums and rate ranges will be presented throughout the occasion. The competition has turn into a massively expected occasion throughout the past two a long time, with travel arrangements booked in advance for those searching to stroll amidst life-size sculptures, amazing paintings, 1-of-a-kind jewels, pictures, ceramics and far more.

The present delivers attendees the best prospect to store and stroll through Florida’s most gorgeous temperature, in Florida’s most pedestrian-welcoming town. The celebration is pet-friendly and open up to the general public. Admission is absolutely free. 

All artists are on site for the duration of the occasion. Attendees will come across a broad array of creative media like paintings, sculptures, images, ceramics, glass, wood, handmade jewellery, collage, combined media. Much more than 150 artists from 25 diverse states are scheduled to take part in this year’s two-day, outdoor festival.

Among the this year’s participating artists is Charles Bahringer of Clearwater.

Bahringer is an American born, award-profitable present-day metals jewelry artisan. He was an architecture key at the College of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, but he altered path after he took just a several good art jewelry lessons. 

“I went to faculty with the concept that I would turn out to be an architect but I needed to get some jewellery producing classes so I could make my have wedding rings if I ever received married someday,” Bahringer reported. “I took a couple courses and fell in love with it, so I eventually modified about to metalsmithing and jewelry style.” 

Immediately after college or university, Bahringer owned and operated his own tailor made great jewellery retailer for 13 many years just before being launched to present-day metals by profitable many global different metallic jewellery competitions. Considering the fact that that time, he has crafted in titanium, stainless metal and other present-day/substitute metals along with silver and gold.  

Bahringer has intended and produced products for businesses this kind of as Tiffany & Co., Harry Winston, Marc Ecko, Calvin Klein, Dockers, Tommy Bahama, NASCAR, and NFL. He created the Planet Series of Poker winner bracelet.

Also having part in this year’s festival is Kat Geesaman of St. Petersburg. 

As a self-taught artist, Geesaman introduced her painting career throughout her childhood in her hometown of Hershey, Pennsylvania. Her passion for animals led her in pursuit of a degree in biology and veterinary medicine, but she continuing to paint as a favorite pastime. Her pursuit very first led her to work in Washington, D.C., at a local animal medical center and the Smithsonian Zoo, and later took her to St. Petersburg, exactly where she at the moment resides. 

Through a series of everyday living-altering gatherings, Geesaman designed the transition from vet nurse to total-time artist, founding Ransom Studios in 2019.

Her travels, ties to animal medication, and a everyday living-very long appreciation for the miracles of the pure world, provide as inspiration for the subjects of her operate. With octopuses keeping a notably particular position in her coronary heart, significantly significant demand for paintings incorporating these cephalopods has created the octopus a staple in her portfolio.

True to her nature, Geesaman has combined her really like for the animal globe and enthusiasm to create, with an effort and hard work to attract consciousness to conservation by incorporating the use of recycled elements into her will work. Salvaged wood and retired surfboards continue to be amongst the most popular supplies Geesaman has applied as her canvas. She carries on to experiment with a variety of products, to uncover new makes use of for salvaged items. 

Whilst her canvas usually takes a lot of sorts, the use of acrylic paint to portray her appreciate of wildlife is constant throughout her portfolio.

By increasing her portfolio to meet up with the requires of those people in the subject of biology, Geesaman hopes to grow to be a vessel for general public education and learning, making use of her do the job to deliver recognition of quite a few of the conservational crises we deal with currently.

The festival also will attribute get the job done by tailor and fiber artist Donna Harris of Casselberry.

“I apprenticed with an Italian grasp tailor beginning at the age of 19 and at the age of 24 he served me open up my initial tailor store,” Harris stated. “I’ve experienced this shop (Thimble functions) for 40 decades now.”

Harris’ like of mother nature and the art of working with crops to dye and eco-print all-natural fabrics led her to designing her have line of garments and components and dwelling goods. 

“Everything … is manufactured one particular at a time, and is one particular of a sort, all hand tailored and concluded as I was taught,” she said. “Because something truly worth performing is really worth accomplishing ideal.”

 

About Howard Alan Occasions

Howard Alan Activities, a Florida-centered company, generates the nation’s top rated juried art and craft demonstrates. Proven for more than 35 decades, the enterprise has overseen art festivals in these kinds of towns as Sarasota and Fort Lauderdale. 

For details, check out www.artfestival.com.