SUPPORT

THE ARTS IN TAMPA BAY

Art has the unique and powerful ability to connect us with our neighbors and to humanity. Imagine going through the pandemic without art to bring us together, to inspire us, and keep us challenged, motivated and hopeful. Art helps us all to heal.

Our festival artists have been greatly affected by these past few difficult years. AND the legacy of the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts needs your support to continue.

Please show your support for our esteemed Festival and our mission to support artists do what they do best – inspire us all.

Festival Sponsorships

GFA festival sponsorship opportunities come in all shapes and sizes from supporting events to providing scholarships for young artists. All available opportunities, grouped by topic, are listed in the following tabbed blocks. Sponsorship comes with additional benefits, outlined in our Sponsor Benefits table. Please note that sponsorship opportunities grayed out have already been claimed for the 2025 festival.

Events & Entertainment

Live entertainment, musicians on stage

Available Sponsorship Levels:

$15,000 (presenting)
$5,000 (benefactor)
$2,500 (patron)

A single presenting sponsor will receive naming rights for the Entertainment Area, a covered stage featuring live bands and other performances to entertain Festival guests throughout the Festival weekend. All Entertainment sponsorships include the opportunity to offer promotional items to Festival guests in the Entertainment Area, as well as numerous mentions by the Festival emcee throughout the Festival.

childrens-stage

Available Sponsorship Levels:

$5,000 (benefactor)
$2,500 (patron)

A single benefactor sponsor will receive naming rights for the Children’s Stage, featuring children’s oriented live bands and other performances to entertain Festival guests. Sponsorship includes the opportunity to offer promotional items to Festival guests.

Awards

Available Sponsorship Levels:

$15,000 (presenting)
$5,000 (benefactor)
$2,500 (patron)

A single presenting sponsor will receive naming rights for The Artist Awards Showcase, the Saturday evening party announcing the 40+ awards totaling over $92,000 in prize money. The awards are chosen by the Festival and selection jurors, with the winning artists receiving their awards in person. After, guests are invited to view the juried and award-winning art at the Tampa River Center. Catered food and beverages will be provided. 

Gasparilla Festival of the Arts 2024 VIP Tent

Available Sponsorship Levels:

$15,000 (presenting)
$10,000 (premier)
$5,000 (benefactor)

$2,500 (patron)

A single presenting sponsor will receive the naming rights for the VIP Experience, a shaded retreat providing VIP supporters and sponsors panoramic views of the Festival grounds and catered food and beverages. Patrons (up to 3) will be recognized in promotional materials and have benefits associated with that level of contribution. Each sponsorship includes the opportunity to offer promotional items to VIP Experience attendees.

preview

Available Sponsorship Levels:

$7,500 (elite)
$2,500 (patron)

A single elite sponsor will receive naming rights for The Preview Party, a free event held in February at the Tampa Museum of art, featuring catered food and beverages, a preview of the upcoming festival including an exclusive preview of many of our Emerging Artists, and an opportunity to interact with fellow sponsors, GFA members, artists and art lovers in an intimate environment. Sponsorship includes the opportunity to offer promotional items to Preview Party attendees.

Artist Programs & Experience

Bridging Art and Community: Your Role in Gasparilla Festival's Success

Available Sponsorship Levels:

$7,500 (Elite)
$5,000 (Benefactor)
$2,500 (patron)(sold)

$2,500 (patron)
$2,500 (patron)

A single elite sponsor will receive naming rights for the Emerging Artist Program, which showcases the work of 15 up-and-coming artists embarking on a professional visual arts career. The showcased art is judged by the Festival Awards juror, with the wining artist receiving an award. Sponsorship includes the opportunity to offer promotional items to visitors of the Emerging Artist Program. Our 2022 Best of Show winner, Nneka Jones, began her career as an Emerging artist in 2018 and is now world-renowned.

VIP 1 2023

Available Sponsorship Levels:

$7,500 (elite)
$2,500 (patron)

A single elite sponsor will receive naming rights for the Artist Hospitality Area, an amenity providing Festival artists with meals and refreshments. Sponsorship includes the opportunity to offer promotional items to Festival artists in the Artist Hospitality Area, the Artist Packet, or both as well as sponsor signage for the Artists Awards Showcase Saturday evening.

Gasparilla Festival of the Arts Local Artist Spotlight

Available Sponsorship Levels:

$10,000 (premier)(sold)

A single premier sponsor will receive naming rights for the Local Artist Spotlight, an opportunity to showcase 10 local artists, many who may not have the financial means to apply to the main show. The artists will be selected by a panel of Tampa Bay based professional artists, arts administrators and educators and approved by the Board of Directors. Sponsorship helps cover the cost of providing tents for the artists, the fees for artist booths, and promoting the event.

AIA 2023

Available Sponsorship Levels:

$2,500 (patron) (sold)

Receive naming rights for the AIA Interactive Experience, an interactive structural element created by the AIA (American Institute of Architects) and affiliated organizations.

Carmada 2023

Available Sponsorship Levels:

$5,000 (benefactor)
$2,500 (patron) (sold)

A single benefactor sponsor will receive naming rights for the Carmada area, featuring artists painting live and NEW hands-on projects led by local creatives. Sponsorship will help cover the cost of the artists and supplies.

Gasparilla Festival of the Arts Local Artist Spotlight

Available Sponsorship Levels:

$1,000 (friend)

The Sustainability sponsor helps GFA ensure that we keep Tampa Bay beautiful!  This sponsorship supports programs such as green waste disposal and water refill stations to help cut down on single use plastic waste.

Community Outreach Village

Where Creativity Blossoms: Gasparilla Festival's Community Outreach Village and Youth Art Endeavors

Available Sponsorship Levels:

$15,000 (presenting)
$5,000 (benefactor)
$3,000 (patron)

A single presenting sponsor will receive naming rights for the Young Artists Expo, an exhibit showcasing selected student works from high schools in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Polk, Pasco, Sarasota, and Manatee Counties. The showcased art is judged by the Emerging Artists juror, with the winning student and their school receiving awards. Sponsorship includes the opportunity to offer promotional items to visitors of the Expo.

Paint 22

Available Sponsorship Levels:

$1,500 (plus match)

Receive naming rights for the Paint 22 exhibit, which displays for sale original artwork created through its programs that benefit veterans and military families. The sponsor for this area also agrees to match funds raised by the sale of art created in Paint22 programs, up to $1,500, the proceeds of which support the artists and that organization.

Investing in Culture: Ways to Support Gasparilla Festival of the Arts in Tampa

Available Sponsorship Levels:

$5,000 (benefactor)(sold)
$2,500 (patron)

A single benefactor sponsor will receive naming rights for Art Collectors in Training, a space where children select and purchase artworks for a nominal fee in a “kids only” zone, guided by Festival volunteers. Sponsorship includes the opportunity to offer promotional items to visitors.

Gasparilla Festival of the Arts Community Outreach Village

Available Sponsorship Levels:

$5,000 (Elite)
$2,500 (patron)

A single elite sponsor will receive naming rights for the Community Outreach Village, which is home to many of our Community focused programs including the Young Artists Expo, Children’s Activities, Art Collectors in Training, and other local arts focused organizations like the MacDonald Training Center, Pyramid, Inc. and Arts4All Florida. Sponsorship includes the opportunity to offer promotional items to visitors of the Community Outreach Village.

MacDonald Training Center, GFA Community Outreach Village

Available Sponsorship Levels:

$2,500 (plus match)(sold)

Receive naming rights for the MacDonald Training Center exhibit, which displays for sale original artwork created by artists with disabilities. The sponsor for this area also agrees to match funds raised by the sale of MTC art, up to $2,500, the proceeds of which support the artists and the MTC Fine Arts Studios.

Arts4All Florida GFA Community Outreach Village

Available Sponsorship Levels:

$1,500 (plus match)(sold)

Receive naming rights for the Arts4All Florida exhibit, which displays for sale original artwork created by independent artists with disabilities. The sponsor for this area also agrees to match funds raised by the sale of Arts4All Florida art, up to $1,500, the proceeds of which support the artists and Arts4All Florida.

Pyramid-Logo

Available Sponsorship Levels:

$1,500 (plus match)(sold)

Receive naming rights for the Pyramid, Inc. exhibit, which displays for sale original artwork created by artists with disabilities who participate in a special workshop program. The sponsor for this area also agrees to match funds raised by the sale of Pyramid, Inc. art, up to $1,500, the proceeds of which support the artists and Pyramid, Inc.

Logistical & Other Festival Opportunities

Available Sponsorship Levels:

$1,500

Receive naming rights for the shuttles that transport artists from their parking locations to the Festival site continuously throughout the weekend. Magnetic signs with the sponsors name will be applied to three sides of the shuttle. Sponsorship will help defer the cost of the shuttle.

Available Sponsorship Levels:

$1,500

Naming rights for the Festival's high-traffic Information Booth, visited by festival attendees looking for everything from maps, directions to the merchandise tent, lost and found and everything in-between.

Available Sponsorship Levels:

$1,000 (multiple opportunities available)

Support elementary students by receiving naming rights for the K-8 Children’s Showcase. We are teaming up to bring the Doodads Re-purposed Sculpture Competition to the festival, fresh off their exhibition at the state fair in February. Sponsorship includes a logo featured on signage for the program.

Available Sponsorship Levels:

$2,500 (sold)

Receive naming rights for the Bike Valet area at the Festival site. Sponsorship will defer the cost of the service. 2 locations are anticipated.

Available Sponsorship Levels:

$2,500 (sold)

Receive naming rights for the shuttles that transport patrons from nearby parking locations to the Festival site continuously throughout the weekend. Magnetic signs with the sponsor’s name will be applied to three sides of each of the shuttles. Three shuttles are anticipated. Sponsorship will defer the cost of the shuttles.

Available Sponsorship Levels:

$1,500

Receive Supporter benefits and naming rights for one of thirty (30) Merit Awards, which will be awarded by our Festival juror. Each award is designated to a selected piece of art for The Showcase, and each Merit Award ribbon is displayed with the winning artwork.

Sponsorship benefits vary depending on donation of goods, services, or both.

Opportunities Beyond the Festival

Available Sponsorship Levels:

Any amount, $1,000 minimum 

As part of GFA’s mission, we are committed to the enhancement of the Tampa Bay area’s cultural arts and having a lasting impact on our community. This commitment includes facilitating permanent art installations throughout Tampa Bay, utilizing the talents of our local artists. Each year we will endeavor to implement at least one new piece. Sponsors for each piece will have their name included on a plaque associated with the piece. Additionally, they will be included in all press materials related to the piece and be added to our website. Sponsor benefits are commensurate with the level of donation.

Available Sponsorship Levels:

$3,000 each (sold) The Scholarships for 2025 are sold, but we will gladly accept donations for future scholarships

Since 2020, GFA has awarded scholarships to local college students pursuing a career in the arts. Up to five $3,000 Scholarships will be awarded during an awards ceremony in April. Scholarship recipients will be selected by a different juror each year. Sponsors for each Scholarship will receive the same benefits as Patron and naming rights for a single scholarship, which will be included on the ribbon given to the artist and added to our website.

Available Sponsorship Levels:

$7,500 (Sold)

A single elite sponsor will receive naming rights for the GFA Collegiate Scholarship Awards Ceremony, a free event held in April, featuring catered food and beverages, a display of pieces from our scholarship recipients, and an opportunity to interact with fellow sponsors, GFA members, artists and art lovers in an intimate environment. Sponsorship includes the opportunity to offer promotional items to attendees.

Available Sponsorship Levels:

$1,000–$7,500

GFA seeks opportunities to organize and/or partner with local arts organizations to hold periodic events that incorporate the visual arts as a component. Some of these events are geared towards sponsors and others are open to the public. Sponsors for each event will have their name included in press materials and includes the opportunity to offer promotional items. Sponsor benefits are commensurate with the level of donation.

Through the generosity of our amazing sponsors, funds may remain after the expenses of the Festival are covered. In such a circumstance, remaining funds will be pooled in a general fund that will be utilized to help maintain the costs for the organization and support our mission: The Gasparilla Festival of the Arts is dedicated to producing an annual, premier juried outdoor art festival for the enjoyment and education of our patrons, artists and guests and the enhancement of the Tampa Bay area’s cultural arts.

Sponsorship Benefits

The Details

* A maximum of 30 Named Merit Awards are available, on a first come basis. Priority will be given to the sponsors of the Named Merit Awards.

Artist Awards Showcase: Re-imagined this year, this Saturday night event is the public’s first opportunity to both view and purchase the juried and award winning art.

Sponsor Signage: Logo included with other sponsors on banners/signs with all Festival sponsors. Named programs with tents will receive logo recognition on tent banners.

GFA Enthusiasts: Accompanies each level of sponsorship. Access to periodic GFA programmed events, which could include artist tours and demos, speakers, tours, mixers, and art-related outings, along with receipt of the Newsletter and notifications on local events.

Marketing: Marking efforts will include the following: Social Media, Newsletters, Blogs, App presence/ads, and Website. Please note that marketing efforts will be tailored based on the sponsor’s financial commitment.

VIP Experience

Indulge in Creativity: Gasparilla Festival VIP Experience Redefining Cultural Opulence

Art Festival. Elevated.

The VIP Experience at Gasparilla Festival of the Arts.


Tickets provide access to our VIP Experience at the Festival (March 1-2, 2025), which includes shade, private restrooms, catered food, beer, wine, and specialty cocktails from a beautiful vantage point. Enjoy gorgeous views of the Hillsborough River, the Tampa RiverWalk, and the main Festival at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park. Tickets include access both days of the Festival.

For more information and tickets, go to our VIP Experience page.

COLLECTORS KREWE

Collectors Krewe Art Purchasing Program

The Collectors Krewe enables individuals and businesses to support the artists directly, grow their personal collections, and receive a variety of benefits while doing so. 

While Gasparilla Festival of the Arts already attracts many of the best artists exhibiting on the outdoor circuit due to its substantial prize money, the quality that comes from being a juried show, and an attractive location. The Collectors Krewe makes the festival even more attactive to artists as the pre-purchasing program ensures that patrons will purchase art during the Festival. 

For more information regarding the Collectors Krewe,  email:  sponsorship@gasparillaarts.com

Gasparilla Festival of the Arts, Inc. is registered with the State of Florida Division of Consumer Services, registration #CH32508. A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. For information online go to www.800helpfla.com or call 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352) within the state or (850) 410-3800 calling from outside the state.

Blanket Approval

Blanket Approval is a 4-piece indie rock band from New York City. They formed in 2021 when lead singer Jack Matteucci took a collection of demos recorded in the basement of his physics lab, moved to Brooklyn, and met drummer/singer Joey Hadden. The two were later joined by bassist Max Mena and keyboardist/guitarist/singer Rahul Chakraborty.  The group has played dozens of shows around New York City and the Northeast, from Burlington to Baltimore. They’ve released 10 singles to date, blending hard rock with tight melodies and groovy bass lines; drawing from influences like Portugal. The Man and Franz Ferdinand.

The Savants

The Savants are a nine piece southern soul group from Gainesville, FL. They perform original soul music inspired by the Muscle Shoals Sound as well as the iconic and legendary music that came out of labels like Stax Records and Atlantic Records during the 1960s & 1970s.

Formed in 2011 in Gainesville, FL, the group has undergone several personal changes over the years but settled into its current lineup around 2020.

The band has made its presence felt around the southeast, notably playing Red Gorilla at SXSW in 2017, Suwannee Hulaween in 2016 and Changeville in its hometown in 2018 and 2016. Along the way they have been featured alongside groups such as; Gary Clark Jr., Durand Jones and the Indications, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Kendra Morris, Charles Bradley and His Extraordinares, George Porter Jr of the Meters, The Original Wailers, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Postmodern Jukebox and more.

TV Breakup Scene

Tv Breakup Scene is an indie pop punk band from Tampa, FL inspired by Paramore with a gaze-y twist. After a year of writing they finally made their debut with their new release Troubled Mind!

Nick Ewing

Music’s ability to release energy within us is overwhelming. Capturing moments of emotion and expression to elicit that reaction is such a joyful honor. It’s allowed me to connect, create, and cultivate so many beautiful experiences. Let this be with you… Cheers!

Mia Marlene

Danish-American, California-born, and Florida-raised multi-instrumentalist Mia Marlene offers a vibrant sonic world through her indie pop music, which is infused with hues of 1980’s synth pop and lush, captivating melodies. Her self-produced debut album, “good for my art,”  features songs about living abroad, creative aspirations, and terrible exes (because, well, you know).

Mia Marlene’s music is anchored in her many experiences living in London, Copenhagen, Colorado, and Washington D.C.; places that shaped her sonic vision and imprinted onto her the wealth of the human experience, and how all of these experiences can serve as creative fuel for songwriting and music-making.

Prizilla

PRIZILLA is a pop-soul whirlwind, where horns wail, melodies sparkle, and every beat feels like an invitation. With a microphone in one hand and a saxophone in the other, she leads her band through a kaleidoscope of pop, funk, and soul, crafting music that’s as bold as it is unforgettable. It’s a sound that dances between the playful and the profound, wrapping stories in irresistible rhythms that refuse to stand still.

 Since releasing PEOPLE PERSON, their debut EP, the band has been turning heads and moving feet. With over 50,000 fans following along online, PRIZILLA has earned a reputation for live shows that are part concert, part catharsis, and entirely unmissable.

  The band has shared stages with Nick Hakim and Madison McFerrin, lit up NYC with Couch and The Retrograde, and shaken the rafters with St. Paul & the Broken Bones and Flipturn at FL Fin Fest. PRIZILLA shows no signs of stopping, proving that music isn’t just something you hear—it’s something you feel. And they feel it. This is music for anyone who craves the unexpected, the unforgettable, and the kind of energy that makes you lose track of time. Come for the sax solos; stay for the magic.

Pusha Preme

The Bronx New York-based singer-producer Pusha Preme has been making waves with his delicate blend of heartfelt melodies; Goal-oriented lyrics, and harmonies that reel you in like a fish on a hook. Above all, Pusha’s music is often praised for its high intimacy and familiar themes that find their way to a special place in the listener’s heart.

MK Blessed

Mk Blessed was born in Congo Kinshasa in Sep 18th  He is a singer/songwriter and a speaker who started writing songs at the age of 7 and taught them to His Church worship team, which enjoyed singing His songs.

He formed His first Music group at the Age of 10 and was doing secular music.

When He was 13 he fled his home country and went to a Refugee camp due to war, He lived there for 10 years and then immigrated to the USA in 2016, though He has been writing for a while Mk Blessed released His first single on Dec,  4 2021 entitled Faithful God.

MK blessed is a husband of one wife and a father of two girls, He went to Kampala High School and later attended Bible college in Uganda East Africa, He is a founder of a non profit organization named Fociom that shares love with the underprivileged of the world like himself, Mk Blessed passion is to help others.

Izzy Bradburn

Singer, songwriter, guitarist. I aim to write emotional music that addresses the world we live in and how it makes us all feel.

Boho Sideshow

This unique & unscripted collection of Sideshow characters are of various talents and backgrounds to make for a spectacle of amazing musical entertainment. Experience the anecdotal mishaps from the wild to the fantastical. Boho Sideshow comes from parts unknown, but are known for performing an exhibition of Eclectic Americana Music.

Fabiola Méndez

FABIOLA MÉNDEZ is a Puerto Rican cuatrista, singer, educator, and Emmy-nominated composer. Her artistic vision and original music focus on the exploration of her culture, her ancestry, and her identities.

Native to Caguas, PR, Fabiola began playing the cuatro, Puerto Rico’s national instrument, at the age of six. She got her early music trainings at the Antonio Paoli School of Music in Caguas and her Bachelor’s in Music from Berklee College of Music, where in 2018 she made history as the first graduate to play the Puerto Rican cuatro as principal instrument.

Fabiola’s mission has always been to share and celebrate the cuatro, folk music, and collective story-telling. In doing so, she’s had the honor of performing at venues such as the NPR Tiny Desk, Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, Celebrity Series of Boston, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Fred Rogers Productions, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, among many others. She has also collaborated with many local and international artists, including the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra, Totó La Momposina, Pedro Capó, Andy Montañez, Danny Rivera, Chicago Philharmonic, and the Boston Landmarks Orchestra.

Her list of recordings include: Herencia Criolla (2009), Al Otro Lado Del Charco (2019), Afrorriqueña (2021), and Flora Campesina (2024). In 2022, she produced her first
documentary “Negrura”, showcasing Afro-Latinx stories in topics around colorism and discrimination within our own communities.

In recent years, she’s had the honor of receiving recognitions such as the Quincy Jones Award, ambassador for the Puerto Rican Day Parade in NYC, the Brother Thomas Fellowship, the Whippoorwill Arts Fellowship, and the ASCAP Foundation Lucille and Jack Yellen Award 2022. She was also nominated for a Children’s and Family Emmy in the category of Outstanding Interactive Media and won the “Latin Artist of the Year 2023” by the Boston Music Awards. Her music is featured on the film Beautiful, FL (Disney+), on the tv shows Alma’s Way, Work It Out Wombats (PBS Kids), and Mecha Builders (HBO Max), as well as indie films, jingles, and TV commercials.