The Lake Placid Art League offered its 24th Annual Art Show & Sale on Saturday, January 29th at the Bert J. Harris Agricultural Center with 57 artists participating. The day was perfect with warm sunny weather and the visitors welcomed the chance to meet with the artists, view and enjoy their artwork and purchase items of jewelry, health products, wood workings, paintings, and photography.
   Fawn McNeill Barr of Okeechobee won the Best of Show Award for her acrylic art. Her work varied with paintings of a panther, a horse in water reflection and beautiful, colorful hibiscus flowers.
Landscape artist Tom Freeman was one of the first place winners with his watercolors and acrylic paintings. One of his students, Jacque Palomaki, won the Parrish Environmental Award.
From DeLand, Don Nedobeck won a first place award for his unusual avante garde art of cats and other designs.
   Watercolorist Marsha Penn took a first place award for her imaginative floral watercolors. Maria Lorant presented her parchment craft for the first time and also won a first place award. The photography award for first place went to Burke and Carter Even of Lake Placid. Don Kah, a former Best of Show winner, won first place for his unique mixed media. The top jewelry award went to Ed King and Nancy Yuasa for Swarovski crystal in one of a kind jewelry designs.
   In addition, a drawing was held at 4:00 to award nine beautiful art pieces donated by Art League members and visiting artists to people throughout Highlands County. Art League volunteers planned and implemented the show, which guests felt was a quality art show with wonderful artwork by very talented artists.

   The second and fourth Sundays of January premiered a new HCA event: Scribe's Night Out at Brewster's Coffee House. On January 9, Sunny Serafino (HCA member) read a short story ("The Heart of a Woman") and two poems ("It Was No More" and "Why Do I Write") as well as an excerpt from her newest novel, "Forgiven." Sunny came to Florida from Bethlehem, PA and began her writing career later in life. She has written novels as well as memoirs, and won three prestigious awards. Sunny is currently teaching a creative writing class at SFCC and will repeat her memoir writing workshop on February 25 at the Lake Placid Library. She also hosts critique groups and is a professional public speaker.
   18 people attended the Scribe's event over the course of the two Sundays in January. The January 23 event featured Jan Merop, who read from her book Pause and Consider and Nature's Window which features husband Ken's photography.
   Ken and Jan have lived in Sebring for 23 years. Jan writes a weekly inspirational column in the NEWS-SUN which became the basis of her book. Her numerous articles for various national magazines have won her awards from the Amy Foundation and the Florida Press Association. Since Ken's retirement from the Postal Service, he and Jan have collaborated on a collection of greeting cards which led to the book Nature's Window.
An open session during the break offered poetry readings from published poet Cynthia Schumacher and "meter & rhyme master" Marilyn Johnson. Ms. Schumacher will be the featured reader at the February 13 event.
   Scribe's Night Out is open to all local writers, whether HCA members or not. The public is invited to come enjoy a signature Brewster's coffee and listen to prose and literature from Highlands County authors. Featured reader applications will be available on the HCA website. For more information contact Sherry Carlson; sherryc@vistanet.net or 954-319-2140.
 

   The Highlands Art League has taken a great deal of effort to bring a museum exhibit to the community, for the first time, a wonderful collaboration of art representing Black History Month. Please let schools, teachers, and students know what a great opportunity this is to see art of this caliber in Highlands County by Highlands County residence.

   The exhibit includes oil paintings by Owen Jolly, wood cut relief folk art by Sharon Hardy, classical water colors by the late Clem Gouveia and pieces of History including photographs from the private collection of Butler H. Smith, Jr. and Betty Ford-Smith.
   Please pass the word and support the Museum. The exhibit will be up until Feb. 28th, admission is free and class field trips are welcomed. The museum is located directly behind the Sebring Public Library and next door to the Highlands Little Theatre. Please contact Mona at the Art League for further information, 863-385-6682.

 

Sebring Gallery Night

The Downtown Gallery Night is Friday, February 11, from 5:00 to 8:00 pm. At the Highlands Art League  there will be an exhibit of Gary Gessford's Floral Paintings. This event is free and open to the public.

 Any artists that would like to set up for the event should contact Gene Brenner at 863-446-3874.   Visit the website at:  www.gallerywalksebring.com   

    On Saturday, February 12, the Downtown Circle will be filled with over 100 vendors for the annual Roaring 20's Arts and Crafts Festival, celebrating Sebring's 1920's heritage. This event is sponsored by the Sebring CRA.

   Saturday,  February 19, from 11:00 am to 3:00pm is The Sebring Car Cruise. Artists are welcome to set up a booth to show their work. Please contact Gene Brenner 863-446-3874 for a space assignment at this free event.