Spanning Across 13 Categories and 15 Mediums, It’s No Surprise The Coconut Grove Arts Festival’s Creative Variety Has Made It Among the Top Five Arts Festivals in the Nation
MIAMI, Fl., February 8, 2022 – The 58th annual Coconut Grove Arts Festival (CGAF) has truly painted outside the lines this year with over 270 artists who are eager to showcase and sell their works of art. Patrons who walk through the gates each have their favorite medium, which is why a team of highly qualified judges comprised of professionals in their field, such as instructors and curators took great pride to select this year’s artists specialized in creating masterpieces using everything from metal to a ballpoint pen. Some people are moved by 3-dimensional work like jewelry, clay, or glasswork. Others are moved by painting or photography. One thing is for sure, there’s something for every art lover at this year’s art festival.
“The artists are selected by a blind jury, meaning there are no names associated with them during the selection process. We invite the artist with the top scores in each category, and those who have undergone this process know that it’s not easy to be chosen,” said Camille Marchese, artist liaison for the CGAF.
Camille and festival President, Monty Trainer, have both worked diligently to ensure the integrity of the festival. They even reduced the number of artists showing to under 300 in order to secure higher caliber of art. To say that one artist is more popular than another is impossible.
The artists who have applied to this show have all chosen an unconventional way of life. Many are full-time artists, while others hold full-time jobs but use art to balance their talent and well-being. Regardless of their style or medium, they all have an incredible story to tell as they highlight their creations while competing for a piece of the $50,000 prize. Take for instance these incredible artists who appear in no particular order:
- Clifton Henri's "Wings" photograph went viral. It was dedicated to all the courageous women and fearless little girls that were determined to see themselves represented in this world. IG: @cliftonhenri
- George Garcia trained as a trauma surgeon in the US Army. He retired from active duty in 2012 and joined the surgical faculty at the Ryder Trauma Center in Miami where he currently works as a full-time trauma/critical care surgeon. He took up photography about three and ½ years ago to focus on something other than work. He discovered he had a passion for capturing some of the most beautiful places on earth. IG: @garsha18_photography
- Carla Bank created and developed a new technique called “Mermaid Tails” during COVID lockdown. Her art was all about color and she loved to work with geometric shapes and depict botanical subjects in simple and flat formats using the least amount of brush strokes possible. Over time she noticed remnants of the paint drips throughout the floor and along the walls. She realized they told a story of their own, so she gathered these paint chips that when put together resembled fish scales. https://www.carlabank.com/mermaid-tails/
- Don Donelson is a native Floridian and professor teaching full-time in the Miami Herbert Business School. Traveling and photography was his passion during holidays and spare time. He participated for the first time during the 2019 CGAF and won second prize. He was also noticed by a museum curator for Ringling who invited him to a month-long exhibit. IG: @globetrotting_professor
- Ingrid Humphrey began making dolls 25-years-ago during a time when she was recovering from a head injury. It was a way to feel engaged in something that would make her happy. When she was a child, she recalled that African American dolls where hard to come by, and she never imagined that as an adult, she would one day become a cloth-doll artist. IG: @ingrid.humphrey.7
- R. L. Alexander finds inspiration in the everyday and the distant past, from tales told through the ages, to stories waiting for discovery. He goes through life with his sketchbook at the ready, recording thoughts, images, and ideas as they present themselves. From his sketches his paintings spring to life through his meticulous technique. He is a compulsive draftsman, who paints primarily on wood panels using only the finest oil colors with techniques passed down through the ages. https://www.artbyalexander.com/about-us
- Linda Apriletti chuckles when recounting a recent story. She was in Maine painting along a desolate roadside street when a couple in a car stopped along the road and yelled, “Hey, it’s Linda!” They recognized her because they had purchased a couple of paintings during the 2020 CGAF. Linda works with studio oil paintings on linen with a focus on mood and atmosphere in the landscape. IG: @lindaaprilettiart
- Vic Lee is not a classic painter but more of an illustrator. In fact, for 25 years he’s been a syndicated cartoonist for My Planet with King Features Syndicate. When he’s not cartooning, he uses paintings to tell stories of his journey – the potholes, brier patches and mountaintops. He uses oil and water-soluble paint over sealed acrylics, inks, and gold leaf on canvas and/or wood frames. IG: @stvictordiaries
- Gaston Carrio graduated with a bachelor’s in architecture from Buenos Aires. At first, painting represented a means of self-discovery and expression, but over time it became an integral part of who he became. He’s intrigued by the underlying yet unspoken and sublime conversation that a painting can evoke within one’s unconsciousness. The range and possibility between the brush stroke, whether it be simple or complex, coupled with its overall effect, both inspires and challenges him to induce a certain sense of the unknown, intimacy, as well as awe. IG: @gastoncarrio
- Kate Rothra Fleming is a flame worker, glass artist and jewelry designer from South Carolina and Costa Rica, but she was born in Coconut Grove on Trapp Avenue. She uses heat to shape glass and the liquid nature of her medium dictates her process. Shapes are built drop by drop in alternating opacities creating iridescent surfaces. Her hand-built pieces are based on sub-tropical themes. https://www.katerothrafleming.com/
- Rick Stephens is a Miami-Dade Firefighter who sees death and destruction on a daily basis, including the more recent Surfside building collapse. To counter all the ugliness, he uses his camera to capture the beauty around him. IG: @centralcaptain
- Tai Taeoalii is an American Samoan who uses a ballpoint pen to craft his creations that are fueled by music and memories of his turbulent teenage years. His art-form includes graffiti and tattoo work. IG: @artbytai
- Abdiel Acosta came to Miami at age 5 through the Mariel Boat Lift. As a child, he visited the CGAF and felt inspired by the artists. He’s not only exhibited at the show, but he’s won several awards. He works with ink, white scratchboard paper and a sharp blade.
IG: @abdielacostaart
- Ana Maria Andricain - A former Broadway star turned award-winning jewelry artist, Ana Maria works with metals and semi-precious stones; much of her work was inspired by life events. IG: @jewelofhavana
- Luis Gonzalez was raised in Colombia. He would see his father working with several types of tools, and soon found himself enthusiastic about working with wood. When he started turning and carving, he was drawn to the beauty of wood and the possibility of creating something unique. He moved to Miami in 2003 and continued woodworking and creating one-of-a-kind pieces of exceedingly high quality. IG:@mamaluwood
- Anne London - After getting a B.A. in illustration and drawing at CSUN, she has carried a sketchbook for more than 4 decades into some of the wildest locations on earth – Africa, Indonesia, Asia, the Arctic, there to draw elephants, orangutans, gorillas, tigers, bears, and others. Seeing her subjects free and in their habitats lends authenticity to her approach using classic materials like charcoal and pastel. Now in her 5th decade of being a professional artist, she has co-founded ARTS FOR ANIMALS, non-profit teaching children about art and conservation around the world. http://www.aelondonstudio.com/
- Eugene Perry is a self-taught sculpture artist creating modern indoor and outdoor sculptures. As a steel fabricator, he transitioned to sculpturing when his creative side started experimenting with the metal side to create art. IG: @sharpmetals
ABOUT THE COCONUT GROVE ARTS FESTIVAL:
WHEN:
Saturday, February 19 – Monday, February 21, 2022.
WHERE:
2700 S. Bayshore Drive, Miami, FL 33133
The festival is located just south of downtown Miami, adjacent to beautiful Biscayne Bay. It runs along the streets of McFarlane Road, South Bayshore Drive and Pan American Drive.
The Coconut Grove Arts Festival is not just about art; it is also the social event of the year. Over 120,000 attendees from across the region pass through the gates of The Coconut Grove Arts Festival to experience one of the nation’s top outdoor, fine-arts festivals that dates to 1963. This iconic South Florida event presents more than 270 internationally recognized artists who were selected during a blind-jury process based solely on artistic merit. The jury panel is comprised of collectors, influencers, and educators in the local arts community. Original pieces are displayed in the following categories: mixed media, painting, photography, digital art, printmaking & drawing, watercolor, ceramics, glass, fiber, jewelry & metalwork, sculpture, and wood. It offers culinary experiences and has featured celebrity chefs including Giorgio Rapicavoli, Ralph Pagano, and Allen Susser. The festival has been honored to have some of the world’s premier artists officially create the commemorative poster, including Romero Britto, Guy Harvey, Clyde Butcher, Maria Reyes Jones, Jacqueline Roch, Xavier Cortada, Rick Garcia, Lisa Remeny, and Alexander Mijares to name a few.
The festival is operated by the 501(c)(3) Coconut Grove Arts & Historical Association and produced by EngageLive, LLC. Proceeds go towards funding year-round arts programs and scholarships benefitting 20 graduating seniors from local public magnet arts high schools each year. The association also maintains the Coconut Grove Arts Festival Gallery and presents special exhibitions throughout the year at Mayfair in the Grove.
TICKETS:
Click on BUY TICKETS NOW at https://cgaf.com/
MEDIA CONTACT:
Dina Allende - Clique PR / dina@makeitclique.com / 305-205-1058
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