07/03/2024
visited the creative community, Village of the Arts () in molten lava heat of Bradenton, FL today. Summer may not be the right season to visit this extraordinary artist-forward and formerly blighted neighborhood. While most galleries are closed or unavailable this time of year, a few resident businesses were available.
We talked with Mark at , who’s and artist/framer/performer…and would-be welcomer to VOTA. He gave us the low down on the current status of artists retirements, challenges of keeping the artist vibe alive in a neighborhood of rising property values. It seems that if you give a group of artists a neighborhood to establish, or reestablish, it will succeed…at the detriment of younger working artists.
Not to be dissuaded by closed-for-season galleries, the local food and beverage scene was open. We started our hot hike through the art-hood with cold coffee drinks at …a super chill backyard coffee shop, with a very accessible vibe. Our target for the day was lunch at a long time favorite taco shop, . Great guac, eclectic tacos, and even eclectic-er decor.
has a definite pirate turned artist vibe. Plan on a visit anytime of year, the exterior eye candy is with the walk. We heard that the best time to visit are the Winter months starting with the Day of the Dead celebrations. will just need to visit again for the full experience.
If you are a working artist in , please comment, follow us, and we’d love to follow you back.