For Immediate Release For More Information, Contact:
February 23, 2008 Missy Woods Jackson 352.543.5400
CEDAR KEY, FL – Cedar Key will become a mecca of fine art during the 44th annual spring art festival, Old Florida Celebration of the Arts, on April 12th and 13th. The Celebration will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on historic 2nd Street. This fine art celebration is sponsored by the Cedar Key Chamber of Commerce and will attract 120 artists who specialize in painting, sculpting, jewelry design, and photography. Over $10,000 in prize money will be awarded to the artists. In addition, generous local businesses make large contributions toward Purchase Awards. Artwork purchased through these awards by Cedar Key and nearby businesses will be displayed throughout the community.
The organizing committee is proud to have artwork by Cedar Key local, Bill Roberts to represent our show this year. Bill’s art appears on advertisements and t-shirts that will be sold during the Celebration. The commemorative art piece will be in silent auction until Sunday April 13th. Bid amounts may be written, signed and mailed to Old Florida Celebration of the Arts, P.O. Box 298, Cedar Key, FL 32625 until April 3 (visit our website, www.CedarKeyArtsFestival.com to view). You may contact the Chamber for more information.
Additional Special Festival Events
- Our first annual Levy County High School Art competition will take place this year. Our local artist’s work may be viewed on Saturday at the Cedar Key Arts Center Sculpture Garden on 2nd Street. Please come support and encourage young artists.
- Our second annual specially designed postmark stamp, only to be used during festival weekend, will be available Saturday and Sunday. Stop by the information station by City Hall on 2nd Street to get your collector’s postmark.
The Old Florida Celebration of the Arts, formerly known as the Sidewalk Arts Festival, has attracted artists to Cedar Key since 1964. Last year 15,000 visitors came to the Celebration. Cedar Key’s old fishing village charm combined with great art displayed along historic 2nd Street makes this festival unique and attractive to guests looking for an Old Florida atmosphere.
Food and drinks will be provided on 2nd Street by City Park. The Cedar Key Garden Club will be serving their fresh squeezed lemonade. Local non-profits, civic organizations, and school groups will prepare locally caught seafood such as grouper and clams as well as burgers. This event is supported by the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, Levy County Tourism Development Council and the Cedar Key Redevelopment Agency. For more information, please call the Chamber of Commerce, (352) 543-5600 (www.CedarKey.org) or go to our website, www.CedarKeyArtsFestival.com.
Commemorative Art for 2008 Old Florida Celebration of the Arts Unveiled
It is with great pleasure that we announce that Bill Roberts is the creator of the wonderful commemorative artwork for our 44th annual Cedar Key spring arts festival, Old Florida Celebration of the Arts, April 12th and 13th. Bill is a 26 year resident of Cedar Key and has spent a life time honing his artistic talent that seems to be a natural ability. He had been sketching, or doodling as he calls it, for years when his mother recognized his ability and bought him a watercolor paint kit. At the age of 15, Bill realized that he didn’t care for the watercolor medium, but he knew he was destined to be an artist. His beautiful paintings are filled with colorful hues of oils and acrylics.
However, this is only part of the story. Bill has had a full life that includes not only being an artist, but also an all American cowboy and fishing guide.
Bill started as a forth generation cowboy at age 13 in the area of the Everglades and Lake Okeechobee where he grew up. Bill has herded and worked cattle for some 20+ years in 30 out of 67 counties in the state of Florida. Much of his art work depicts his life as a cowboy and riding the trail.
Being a true Floridian, Bill has also spent his life on the water, getting to know the good fishing areas in Florida. This lead into another career opportunity as a “Fishing Guide”. Bill started by taking parties to the lakes in the area of Ocala National Forest where freshwater bass and other fish were caught.
In 1975 Bill found Cedar Key and he realized he had found paradise. He visited the area for several years before making Cedar Key his permanent home in 1982. Bill would take out parties looking for redfish, tarpon, and shark. On these trips he noticed the beautiful Gulf Coast area; he would keep these pictures in his mind and later produce paintings that showed the surrounding landscape and the daily life in Cedar Key. These paintings along with his renditions of his life as a cowboy have become beloved by all that see them. Although Bill can most often be found on the water with his fishing parties, his work is displayed in local Cedar Key businesses like The Cook’s Café and Barefoot Artist Gallery (both on Historic 2nd Street), as well as in many homes.
We are proud to have him as our commemorative artist and to have him exhibit his extraordinary works again at this year’s festival. It is artists like Bill Roberts who have helped to Cedar Key on the map.
There will be a Silent Auction of Bill Roberts original commemorative piece for the festival. For further information, please contact Judy at the Cedar Key Area Chamber of Commerce at (352) 543.5600.
-Kim Corlew 352.543.5400
Click here for a high resolution crowd shot from the 2007 Festival, suitable for publication.
Click here for a PDF text-only version of this article.
