For the first time since its inception in 1973, the annual Art Festival Beth-El in St. Petersburg will be held as a virtual-only event.
The 48th annual art fest, a major fundraiser for Temple Beth-El, will be held from Jan. 30 at noon through Feb. 7 at 5 p.m.
From humble beginnings the event has grown to be one of the premier art shows in the Southeast, attracting thousands of art lovers to a variety of galleries on the grounds of the synagogue. Temple officials began planning for the 2021 show in March, just as the COVID-19 pandemic began spreading in America, The hope at the time was that the virus would not still be a major health problem, but Abby Sterensis, an associate co-chair of the festival, said it became clear around August that a contingency plan was needed.
Organizers are still hoping for a large turnout and plenty of art purchases, and Sterensis says one silver lining to making it a virtual event is that folks from all over the country can now go online, view the art, and shop.
Each year organizers retain some of the festival’s favorite artists but search for high quality artists who have not been at the show before to exhibit their works. That will again be true this year, but with slightly fewer artists who are new to the show and more who are known and loved by previous festival visitors.
It is expected there will be around 80 artists’ galleries to explore. All the artists participating have agreed to make themselves available during set hours by Zoom or phone to discuss their works. There will be no need for docents this year, but there will be a biography for each artist. The festival will include sculptures, jewelry, ceramics, glass and two-dimensional art – anything that goes on a wall, such as paintings, photography, mixed media and fabric.
Sterensis says the festival is critical to the wellbeing of the temple – an important part of their budget that supports youth education programs and social justice work.
“Realistically, we do not know what to expect [in terms of fundraising] for the upcoming festival. Our expenses will be lower because there is no food and drink. Optimistically, all we can do is the best we can,” Sterensis said.
For the first time in years, this will not be a juried show. Organizers felt it would just be too hard to make judgments based solely on photos of the artists’ works. However, there has been a long tradition of local high school students submitting their works for the festival and that will continue, with prizes awarded in different categories. The monetary awards for those winners will go back to the schools to support their art programs, she said.
For the live, in-person art fests in the past, a team of about 250 volunteers pitched in to make the event a success. Sterensis says one of the sad things about the upcoming show is many of the volunteers who look forward to participating are not needed this time. Some folks with different skill sets have been enlisted to help with the technical aspects of making it an online event. She said for the 2021 show, all former and current volunteers have been asked to contact friends and families near and far to let them know they can visit the show online.
In previous years the festival lasted a weekend, with VIPs getting to preview the art at a reception the night before the show opens to the public. This year Purchase Award Patrons who pledge to purchase from $500 to $2,500 in art, will get an online preview Saturday, Jan. 23 through Thursday, Jan. 28. Once the show does open to the public on Jan. 30, folks can view and shop 24 hours a day.
For more information or to become a patron, visit www.artfestivalbethel.com.
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