- September 6, 2024
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The art event of the year for West Orange and Southwest Orange County residents is returning this weekend to the town of Windermere.
Windermere Arts Chair Anne Scharer started the show in 2016 as the Windermere Art Affair. This year, the show will feature more than 70 artists — more than 20 under age 18— and their creations in clay, pottery, painting, sculpting, woodworking and more.
The show, set to take place Saturday, March 11, and Sunday, March 12, will feature a variety of art available for purchase, live entertainment, food, drinks and performing arts in a festive atmosphere around Town Square and Main Street sidewalks.
Scharer, a certified intuitive life and wellness coach, said although the show is hard work to put together, the artists are what inspire her to keep putting on the event.
“When I find raw talent that doesn’t recognize the talent they have or that they have an ability, that inspires me,” she said. “When you look back years later at the impact this has … I have artists reach out to me and thank me for helping to build them up and saying that I’ve inspired them, when really they’ve inspired me. I want them to know what they’re capable of.”
ABOUT THE SHOW
The show will feature 75 artists in total, with 24 of the artists under the age of 18.
Scharer aims to create a calming and inspiring environment in which attendees can have fun while also learning from and supporting artists through the purchase of creative works.
Since the pandemic, Scharer said she has not put the show’s information out to the entire country to limit the show to supporting Florida-based artists, but she said the show most likely will be opened to artists nationwide next year.
Young artists have been a focus for Scharer this year, and she hopes she can see even more young talents get involved in future years.
This year, she created a first-, second- and third-place award category for young artists under age 18, in addition to the best in show award and placing awards for the adult artists.
The sidewalk chalk competition is also a new feature of the art show this year.
Local high school students will have the opportunity to show off their talents in the judged event from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 11, at Windermere Town Hall.