The nation’s top contemporary craft artists came from 19 states to display and sell their creations at Florida CraftArt’s 20th Annual CraftArt Festival. The two-day festival, presented by RE/MAX METRO, was held on November 18 and 19, at Central Avenue and 5th Street in downtown St. Petersburg, kicks off the Holiday shopping season. The juried fine craft art festival features nationally established and emerging fine craft artists with handmade works in clay, fiber, glass, jewelry, metal, paper and mixed media. Visitors enjoy artist demonstrations, food trucks, craft beers and wine, and a kids’ art activity tent sponsored by The Don Cesar.
The prestigious judge for the CraftArt Festival 2017 was Perry Price, the executive director of the Houston Museum of Contemporary Craft, who presented $11,000 in cash awards to the following winners in the craft categories.
Raymond James Best of Show Award was presented to John Mascoll (Safety Harbor, Fla.) for wood.
William Kidd (Lakeland, Fla.) won the Northwestern Mutual Directors’ Best of Show Award for Ceramics.
Duke Energy Award of Excellence was presented to fiber artist Leeann Kroetsch (Tampa, Fla.).
Ceramic sculptor Taylor Robenalt (Sarasota, Fla.) won the Regions Bank Award of Excellence.
Tampa Bay Times Award of Excellence was presented to Jewelry Artist Obayana Ajanaku (Decatur, Ga.)
Tyrone Mazda Award of Excellence was given to artist Alan Johnson (St. Petersburg, Fla.) for ceramics.
Jewelry artist Jonathan Stopper (Sarasota, Fla.) won the Creative Loafing Award of Merit.
Mixed Media artist Kowit Jitpraphai (Tallahassee, Fla.) received the Jennifer and Jeff Lovelady Award of Merit.
Trenam Law Award of Merit was presented to metal sculptor Dominice Gilbert (St. Petersburg, Fla.)
Theresa St. Romain, a jewelry artist (Tucker, Ga.) was awarded the Souzou Asian Kitchen Award of Merit.
St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport Award of Merit went to jewelry artist Maureen Shankey (Miami, Fla.).
The WUSF Award of Merit was given to glass artist Mayauel Ward (Manhattan Beach, Ca.)
Duncan McClellan of the DMG School Project presented the Emerging Artist Award to ceramic artist Colby Charpentier (St. Petersburg, Fla.).
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