Art Festival to fund new Rotary Plaza

There’s an old saying that it takes a village to raise a child, but the same could be said about community. A strong community requires the support of its members.

The Rotary Club of Maitland has a long history of supporting local charities through money raised during its annual Fall Art Festival at Lake Lily Park, now in its 37th year.

This year the Club is raising money to build a community event plaza on the grounds of Quinn Strong Park.

The new event space, called Rotary Plaza, will replace the worn shuffleboard courts and provide a covered outdoor venue for concerts and all sorts of community gatherings.

According to Maitland Rotary representative Kelley Lesperance, the club has pledged $40,000 to the project, as much as $10,000 of which will be raised using proceeds from the art festival.

The three-day extravaganza will feature nearly 150 top-notch artists, from as far away as Connecticut. Big-name artists to watch for include John Petrey from Chattanooga, Tenn., whose sculptures have sold in the multi-thousand-dollar range, Jim Holehouse, watercolor master and this year’s poster artist, and D. Renee Wilson, a mixed media artist from Sanford whose works have shown internationally.

In addition to all the great art on display, music will continuously fill the air from morning ‘til night. Performing arts of Maitland sponsors local favorites such as New Orleans-influenced jazz band Gypsy Bluez; Kayonne Riley, musician and station manager of WUCF; and bluegrass masters Barnstorm Quartet to perform on two stages – so no matter where you are in the park, something beautiful will tantalize your senses at all times.

What makes this festival unique though are the hours. Five years ago the Rotary Club decided to keep the festival open later to take advantage of the glorious evenings we enjoy this time of year.

The nighttime hours have been a hit with festivalgoers, Lesperance said.

“It makes for a great date night with the fountain all lit up and lights all over the park, music in the air; it’s very romantic,” she said.

Wine and beer will be served at the festival along with carnival style food, or visitors can choose one of many great local eateries like the fantastic subs at Kappy’s, sushi from RanGetsu or pub grub at the Copper Rocket.

During the festival there will also be a display of student art in the Maitland Civic Center behind Lake Lily that showcases the creativity of students from the community.

Art Under the Stars promises to be an exciting event that will pay dividends in the future as the proceeds go back into the community to improve the city’s ability to offer cultural events through the new Rotary Plaza.