- April 18, 2024
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Nikki Brown is the winner of the chalk art competition with her image The Art of Vision. Photo by Michele Meyers
Ormond Beach MainStreet and Ormond Beach Arts District volunteers: Christina Cassidy, Sam Walter and Bob Truilo, greet people as they arrive at the eighth-annual Granada Grand Festival of the Arts. Photo by Michele Meyers
Riley Jackson smiles as she draws on the Art Wall at the eighth-annual Granada Grand Festival of the Arts. Photo by Michele Meyers
Chalk artist Rachel Gancitano has been competing for 12 years but this is her first time doing so at the Granada Grand Festival of the Arts. Photo by Michele Meyers
Spruce Creek High School photography teacher Joe Vandenberg sits by his chalk art and waits for the winner to be announced. Photo by Michele Meyers
Katie Widdison started doing chalk art in high school with ArtHaus and has been using the medium for 10 years. Photo by Michele Meyers
Ormond Garage's Jasper Latella prepares food for the festival goers at the Granada Grand Festival of the Arts. Photo by Michele Meyers
Nichole Ingerto serves David Taylor and Imani Bell food at the Ormond Garage tent. Photo by Michele Meyers
Ashlee and Eliott Hughes play ukeleles during the “Ukes in the Street” jam session. Photo by Michele Meyers
Aubree and Branson Hughes watch their parents play the ukeleles during the “Ukes in the Street” jam session. Photo by Michele Meyers
Watercolor painter Dan Burleigh Phillips wins Best in Show at the Granada Grand Festival of the Arts. Photo by Michele Meyers
Artisan Original Designs owner Jim Dixon sells unique patterned silk clothing at the Granada Grand Festival of the Arts. Photo by Michele Meyers
Jane Hollen and Colleen Carrozza stand in front of Mary Wentzel's art booth at the Granada Grand Festival for the Arts. Photo by Michele Meyers
Watercolor and acrylic ink artist Mary Wentzel wins the juried art show at the Granada Grand Festival of the Arts. Photo by Michele Meyers
The eighth-annual Granada Grand Festival of the Arts returned with a flourish on Saturday, Feb. 5.
Droves of people gathered along New Britain Ave., located just behind the downtown row of restaurants: 63 Sovereign, Grind Gastropub and Kona Tiki Bar, Rose Villa and 31 Supper Club, where vendor tents and artists’ booths lined the street. Attendees had the chance to peruse crafters’ wares, immerse themselves in art or grab a bite from the Ormond Garage as live music from the Adam Kornecki Jazz Trio drifted throughout the event.
Ormond Beach MainStreet and the Ormond Beach Arts District collaboratively host the annual event, which is crucial for the artistic and cultural enrichment of the community and the city’s downtown area.
Volunteers Christina Cassidy, Sam Walter and Bob Truilo greeted visitors as they walked up to the information booth.
“The turnout has been phenomenal despite the weather. All the vendors showed up. All the people have been arriving like wild fire, all day long. If you look down the street, it’s completely jammed.” BOB TRUILO, event volunteer
“The turnout has been phenomenal despite the weather,” Truilo said. “All the vendors showed up. All the people have been arriving like wild fire, all day long. If you look down the street, it’s completely jammed.”
This is the first year the organizers held a juried art show. Ormond Beach Arts District Board of Directors president Judith Stein was one of the judges.
“I usually volunteer at all the events,” she said. “This year I staffed the information booth and I was also a judge. I’ve never been a judge before. It was really fun. We got to talk to the artists. All the artists agreed on the chosen winners.”
Artist Mary Wentzel took first place in the art show. Twenty-six watercolor and acrylic ink paintings were on display in her booth. After she lost her job at the Ponce Inlet lighthouse as the programs manager due to the pandemic, she was able to focus on her art. She has since written a children’s book, “Crazy’s A to Z for Kids,” and has had one painting chosen for the ArtFields Exhibition in Lake City, South Carolina this spring.
“I’m at the right place where I should be right now,” she said. “I feel really lucky. The minute I found out I was going to lose my job, I just started working on my art a lot.”
Next to the children’s art wall, ArtHaus of Port Orange was hosting a live chalk art competition where five artists were busy creating their pieces on the sidewalk. Cameron Vintson, executive director of ArtHaus, explained that ordinarily there is usually a passel of artists, but the Omicron variant had taken some of them out of action, forcing her to try her hand at chalk art.
“I ended up having to chalk art today which I’ve never done,” she said. “I have a whole new respect for my artists. I’m going to see if I can get massages for them all every time I ask them to do this.”
ArtHaus has been in operation as a children’s charity for 25 years. They provide art therapy and enrichment for underprivileged, at-risk and special needs youth in Volusia County.
“Thanks in big part to Ormond Beach MainStreet,” Vintson said. “They asked us to come in and do this. They did the legwork and got our sponsors which is a huge relief to me because we are so busy. We’re just hoping to do our sponsors proud by putting out some really cool work.”
