Plant City’s first art festival has temporarily been dubbed the Plant City Fine Arts Show, but the name may change as soon as early November.
The Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce has recently announced a contest for Plant City artists to create a name, logo and poster for the show. The deadline for entries is Friday, Oct. 30.
The show will be held on April 23, 2016, in Historic Downtown, and will stretch from McCall Park to Plant City Mercantile on South Collins Street.
David Gnage is the co-owner of Plant City Mercantile and one of the show organizers. The idea for an art show piqued Gnage’s interest in February. As a St. Petersburg native, he was interested in a local art show that could be modeled after St. Petersburg’s Mainsail, a festival that attracts over 100,000 visitors each year.
“Everything’s going good,” Gnage said. “We weren’t sure if downtown would work … now we’re sure. We want to encompass as much of downtown as possible.”
Gnage is primarily in charge of finding vendors for the festival. The event organizers, which include representatives from Plant City Creatives and the chamber of commerce, are using ZAPP.com, a website that artists from across the nation use to showcase their work. It is the same website St. Petersburg Mainsail uses to find artists.
“It’s free for artists to join,” Gnage said. “It’s a good system.”
Plant City’s art festival will feature ceramics, fiberglass, jewelry, printing and photography, among other forms of mixed media. Gnage reviews the applications as part of a screening process, to make sure that the applicants are a good fit for the show.
“We don’t want to exclude any kind of art form,” Gnage said. “We’re open.”
Gnage is hoping to attract local artists for the show, but national artists are also welcome.
“We want intriguing art,” Gnage said. “We like local, but we’re not opposed to anyone from out of state at all.”
The art festival also will have live music and food. Gnage hopes that the festival will become an annual event.
“Family-friendly is definitely what we’re pitching,” Gnage said. “All the shops will be open. [Attendees] will be able to experience Plant City’s Historic Downtown retail environment.”
Besides determining a final name and logo, which will be used on all promotional events, the art show is still seeking sponsors. Interested sponsors can contact Peggy Wilson at peggy@plantcity.org.
“It’s an ongoing process,” Gnage said. “We’re reaching the end of a lot of decisions.”
Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserve.com.
ENTER YOUR CREATIVE IDEA
The art show is looking for an individual to design a logo and poster for the event and create an official name. Winners will be recognized in all promotional materials related to the show.
Email: peggy@plantcity.org
Drop Off: The Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce, 106 N. Evers St.
Deadline: Friday, Oct. 30