YOUNG ARTISTS EXPO
GFA’s Young Artists Expo (formerly Scholastic Showcase), which debuted in 2017, gives our community’s youngest artists an opportunity to display their artwork at the Festival. We hope this experience encourages them to pursue their artistic talents and helps them recognize that becoming an artist is attainable and rewarding.
- Participants represent public schools in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, Manatee, and Sarasota counties.
- Up to ten works of art per county are submitted to GFA.
- Allowable mediums: ceramic, digital, drawing, fiber, glass, jewelry, mixed media, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, watercolor, and wood
- Works on display are purely for artist participation. Accordingly, the artwork will not be available for sale during the Festival.
- The works will be judged by the festival juror. The creator of three winning pieces will be awarded $1,000 each and each corresponding school will receive $2,000 each for its visual arts program.
Information regarding the 2025 K-12 Art Competition is coming soon.
GFA is pleased to present the annual Doodad Repurposed Sculpture Competition during Festival weekend. Since 2012, Doodads has inspired students to create imaginative sculptures repurposing common objects, or “doodads” following a specific theme. Open to K-12 students attending public, private, charter and home schools in Hillsborough County, the competition challenges them to think beyond traditional art materials. The goals for the competition are to enhance students’ creative expression skills, confidence, and self-esteem, leading to a life-long appreciation and love of art as they build skills that will be useful in whatever field of endeavor they choose.


The Doodad Repurposed Sculpture Competiton is generously supported by Banker, Lopez & Gassler and Publix Super Markets Charities.


The 2024 Young Artists Expo was generously sponsored by the Vinik Family Foundation and the Lightning Foundation.
COLLEGIATE SCHOLARSHIPS
Gasparilla Festival of the Arts, Inc. believes that art has the power to enrich lives and transform communities. GFA connects people with art, creates an environment for artists to flourish, and supports art education through our annual festival and year-round programs.
We celebrate an inclusive and vibrant Tampa Bay community where art and people thrive.
Five GFA Collegiate Scholarships are being offered to further this mission by assisting local undergraduate and graduate students to pursue an education and a career in visual art.
Applicants must be pursuing an associate, bachelor, or graduate degree with a declared major in fine arts, including studio art in the disciplines we feature at the Festival: ceramics, digital, drawing, fiber, glass, jewelry, mixed media, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, watercolor, and wood. Students only minoring in visual art fields are not eligible for the scholarship.
Applicants must be 18 years of age or older, enrolled as a full-time student in an institution of higher education located in Hillsborough or Pinellas County, and be in good academic standing.
The scholarship will be awarded based on demonstrated artistic talent, determined at the sole discretion of the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts, Inc. Applicants must submit a minimum of three (3) and a maximum of five (5) images of their work (1 image each of 3-5 different pieces). Although no essay is required, applicants should submit a brief description accompanying each image (fewer than 100 words for each) and a brief artist statement explaining their aspirations for a future art career.
By applying for the GFA Collegiate Scholarship, the applicant agrees that the images submitted to GFA may be used on the GFA website, on social media, in press releases, or for any other purpose related to its scholarship program or for promoting GFA; however, all artwork and its likeness shall remain the sole property of the applicant.
Any questions regarding the GFA Collegiate Scholarship program should be submitted to programs@gasparillaarts.com
2024 APPLICATION DEADLINE EXTENDED TO MARCH 7!
The 2025 Scholarship application deadline is March 9, 2025.
Don’t wait, apply today!
Scholarships are supported by:
- John and Judy Scheffel in memory of Harold & Joyce Scheffel
- Jeremy Donimirski
- Harold, Dixie, Alexis & Harrison Mootoo
- Sandra Sroka
- The Zumbano Family
- The Roddy Brownlee Reed Memorial Fund
2024 Scholarship Winners
2024 Jurors: Dolores Coe and Bruce Marsh