ANNA MARIA – The sun was shining on Feb. 9-10 along the canal at the rear of Roser Church for the Feed the Island Art and Craft Show, the latest in a series of art and craft shows presented by Michigan-based Blue Ribbon Events.
All Blue Ribbon’s shows this year not only feature juried exhibitors offering unique, hand-crafted arts and crafts for any budget, but also raise funds and supplies for Roser Church’s food bank to help those on the Island in need.
The Roser Food Pantry is the one place on Anna Maria Island where people experiencing food insecurity can come to receive free groceries. A dedicated corps of volunteers and staff members distribute over 100 bags of groceries each month. Blue Ribbon Events also donates money from each show to the food pantry and collects hundreds of pounds of nonperishable food from attendees. Raffle tickets and other on-site fundraising have been responsible for thousands of dollars going to the food bank this year alone.
The artists featured at this and all of Blue Ribbon’s events are chosen from both regional and out-of-area artists, but according to Blue Ribbon’s Danielle Lynch, who organizes the events, it’s what they have to offer and how it appeals to buyers on AMI that’s the key to being chosen to have a booth. Lynch said about 50% of the artists and vendors at this show are from the Gulf Coast area and the other half are from other states.
“We like to have a nice turnover where we don’t have the same artists at every show,” Lynch said. “That being said, we do have at least 30% that we deal with over and over again. We know what we’re getting; they’re very respectful to the other artists and just come here and treat this as a little mini gallery.”
Lynch also stressed that there are products for every taste and every budget. Prices range from under $25 to high-end art that sells for thousands. All are welcome, and everyone can leave with something they will cherish.
For information on upcoming art and craft shows on the Island presented by Blue Ribbon Events, or to download a vendor application, visit www.daniellsblueribbonevents.com.
