About 300 artists
from across the globe flooded the streets of Mount Dora to show their masterpieces at the city’s 42nd annual arts festival.
David Ashenbrener’s retirement was supposed to be relaxing, and carefree.
Instead, the 63-year-old spends hours daily crafting sculptures of sea turtles and sharks out of aluminum in his Leesburg studio.
He was one of about 300 artists from across the globe who flooded the quaint streets of Mount Dora to show their masterpieces at the city’s annual arts festival.
In its 42nd year, the festival attracts high-quality artists and festivalgoers looking to walk away lighter in the wallet, artists say.
“The people who come here are buyers, you can tell they’re here to buy [art],” said Ashenbrener, whose prized piece is a 80-pound aluminum turtle, worth more than $20,000. “That’s really important for an artist. You don’t just want to just display your stuff, you’re not an art gallery ... or a petting zoo.”
The festival annually brings about 250,000 folks to Mount Dora, and is the Lake County city’s largest event, organizers say. Marketing Director Kristina Rosenburg said festivalgoers account for roughly 1,400 hotel rooms and 85,000 visitors from out of state.
Throngs flooded 5th Avenue and other surrounding downtown streets Sunday picking through tents of ceramics, paintings and photography. Of artists in attendance, Rosenburg said 50 were from the Central Florida region, while others came from as far as Austria, England and Holland.
Karen Owens, who lives in Hunter’s Creek near SeaWorld, said she travels the state showing her prints and drawings. Her calendar is marked with short drives to Clermont, Kissimmee and Winter Park’s art shows.
“This is one of the top ones that I do,” Owens said. “It took me about 40 minutes to get here ... I don’t stray too far.”
Her inspiration stems from her other job as a part time humanities instructor at Valencia College, as well as her science-fiction fandom.
Craig Dietrich prefers life underwater. From Jupiter, he scuba dives about five days per week with his camera, seeking vibrant shots of Loggerhead Turtles, sea horses, clown fish and sandbar sharks.
He prints his photography on aluminum, which he said brings colors to life and assures longevity of the photo.
“I love being in the water, it’s where I’m most comfortable,” Dietrich said. “To get a shot that I’m going to print, it takes time ... it could be months of diving before I get a shot that I’m happy with.”
The frigid temperatures of his hometown of Wilmington, N.C., chased ceramics artist Brian Evans to Lake County. With temperatures routinely dipping below freezing, conditions aren’t conducive for art shows near his home, he said.
For the third time, he loaded his cargo van with mugs, vases and other clay dishes and headed for Central Florida’s moderate conditions and art-hungry buyers.
“A couple of years ago, I tried this show for the first time and just loved the town,” said Evans. “The quality of the show is just excellent.”