FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Janie Lorenz Business and Craft Show Manager janie@@floridacraftart.org

From windchimes to fine jewelry, CraftArt Festival is a destination for people looking for holiday gifts.

Florida CraftArt’s 20th Annual CraftArt Festival will be held on Saturday, November 18 (10 a.m. – 5 p.m.) and Sunday, November 19 (10 a.m. – 4 p.m.), just outside the doors of Florida CraftArt Gallery, at the crossroads of Central Avenue and 5th Street in Downtown St. Petersburg.

The CraftArt Festival 2017, presented by RE/MAX METRO, is a destination for tourists and local visitors to enjoy a fun-filled, artful Florida weekend. Collectors and art lovers will be delighted by the artwork of over 120 of the nation’s best contemporary fine craft artists, artist demonstrations, food trucks, craft beers and a children’s activity tent sponsored by The Don Cesar. The two-day festival kicks off the Holiday shopping season and features handmade works in clay, fiber, glass, jewelry, metal, paper and mixed media. (more below poster)

Katherine Kaya, a jewelry artist from Sarasota converses with a couple of art lovers.

The CraftArt Festival juror will award $10,000 in cash awards to the artists. Florida CraftArt is pleased to announce the juror for the CraftArt Festival 2017 is Perry Price, the Executive Director of the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft.

This year, the CraftArt Festival will showcase the talents of seven emerging artists with the support of the DMG School Project, as Florida CraftArt engages and mentors the next generation of fine craft artists. St. Petersburg continues to support a vibrant arts community through its galleries, artist studios, museums and murals.

Handmade ceramics are very popular as gifts and home décor.

Interested fine craft collectors can become members of the Collector’s Circle. Members commit to purchase artists’ work in advance of the festival, award their chosen artist(s) with ribbons and receive other valuable festival perks. For information about the Collector’s Circle, please call Janie Lorenz or Rhonda Sanborn at (727) 821-7391.

Leeann Kroetsch is a fiber artist from Tampa.

In addition to the Presenting Sponsor, RE/MAX METRO, other festival sponsors are Northwestern Mutual, Raymond James, The Don Cesar, Tampa Bay Times, Duke Energy, Regions Bank, Souzou Asian Kitchen, DMG School Project, Tyrone Mazda, Jeff and Jennifer Lovelady, Trenam Law, St. Pete/Clearwater International Airport, WUSF, Creative Loafing, The City of St. Petersburg, the Division of Cultural Affairs for the State of Florida and Total Wine. To learn more about the 20th Annual CraftArt, visit FloridaCraftArt.org.

Florida CraftArt is Florida’s only statewide non-profit organization representing established and emerging fine craft artists. For over sixty years, Florida CraftArt has advanced and celebrated Florida’s fine crafts, in St. Petersburg and throughout the state, through exhibitions, workshops and educational programs, making it Florida’s most important destination and primary authority for fine craft art.  Florida CraftArt’s mission is to grow the statewide creative economy by engaging the community and advancing Florida’s fine craft artists and their work.
Visit Florida CraftArt at 501 Central Avenue in Downtown St. Petersburg or at FloridaCraftArt.org.