Winthrop Arts Festival Draws Artists Back for a 4th Year

The art festival launched in Winthrop four years ago celebrated another year with more than 60 artists on display at the Winthrop Town Centre in the Greater Brandon area of Riverview.

, which included the works of Plant City sculptor Robert Woods, who nearly sold out by show's end, and Brandon artist Sherri Vasta, who displayed jewel-encrusted cell-phone cases.

"I've only been making these since January," she said. "And they're selling very well. I've probably sold 60 in less than two months."

Also excited by the public's response was Sandy Riggio, the art teacher at the Willis Peters Exceptional Center in Dover. She brought along a variety of student artwork to sell in the hopes of raising money for the school's special education art program.

"I can't believe it. We've sold so many pieces today and yesterday," she said.

Winthrop town artist Bryant Martinez, who organized the art fest, said he was thrilled with the turnout and quality of the art on display.

"We have some incredible artwork here, and the artists have been very pleased," said Martinez. "They're selling a lot of artwork."

Indian-born Rita Wickramasinghe, whose travels worldwide included the Winthrop festival, where she placed second in the juried art show.

The artist, who's been creating colorful batik cloths since she was 8 years old, didn't mind journeying all the way from her home in Cape Coral to display and sell her batiks, especially after she received second place in the juried art show.

"I was thrilled," said Wickramasinghe, who hails from Cape Coral, who has been creating colorful batik cloths since childhood. "And I love sharing this art from my native country with others."

For additional comments from participating artists, and more photos, read .

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