Art has the unique and powerful ability to connect us with our neighbors and to humanity. Art enriches our community with reflective insight. It steers our children’s minds by opening a portal to their own unique creativity. It fosters beauty all around us, all year long.
It’s hard to imagine how bland our world would be without the arts to keep our childlike sense of wonder alive and our communities vibrant.
For 57 years, we have left our mark on the Tampa Bay community and beyond thanks to the support of corporate partners and people like you.
From our signature event, The Raymond James Gasparilla Festival of the Arts to giving Title I classrooms the tools they need to create art, the legacy of Gasparilla Arts needs your support to continue throughout Festival season and all year long.
Please show your support to allow artists to continue to do what they do best – inspire us all.
Gaspailla Arts support opportunities come in all shapes and sizes from supporting public art to art education. All available opportunities, grouped by topic, are listed in the following tabbed blocks.
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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.
One of Festival Weekend’s most anticipated gatherings, the Artist Awards Showcase is the Saturday evening celebration where more than 40 awards totaling $92,000 are announced and presented to the winning artists. Guests enjoy catered food and beverages, then view an exclusive exhibition of juried and award-winning artwork at the Tampa River Center. Sponsorship associates your name with the Festival’s highest artistic honors and the working artists whose achievements define the evening.
The Emerging Artists Program introduces Festival audiences to 15 promising artists taking the next step toward a professional visual arts career. Recognized nationwide as a launching point for emerging talent, the program provides artists from across the United States and beyond with valuable exposure, professional experience and opportunities to connect with collectors. Because it is one of Gasparilla Arts’ most visible programs, sponsors receive substantial recognition across social media, print publications and television coverage, along with the opportunity to name the Emerging Artist Award.
Known and appreciated by artists nationwide, Gasparilla Arts’ Artist Hospitality Area provides Festival artists with complimentary meals, refreshments and a welcoming place to recharge throughout Festival Weekend. Supporting this essential amenity puts your organization directly in front of approximately 250 professional artists and shows that you value the people who make the Festival possible. Sponsors may also provide promotional items in the hospitality area, the artist information packet or both, offering a personal way to be remembered long after the weekend ends.
The Local Artists Spotlight celebrates five talented artists from the Tampa Bay area, giving them a prominent platform to exhibit their work and meet Festival audiences, collectors and fellow artists. Sponsorship helps elevate exceptional work being created in our own backyard and demonstrates a genuine investment in the region’s creative economy. Recognition through Festival promotions, artist storytelling and onsite signage keeps the sponsor visible as these local careers gain momentum.
*The Local Artists Spotlight is made possible by a grant from the Gobioff Foundation. Sponsors will join the Foundation on all signage and promotion of the program.
Held approximately one month before Festival Weekend at the Tampa Museum of Art, the Preview Party builds excitement for the Festival and offers an exclusive introduction to the year’s Emerging Artists. Guests enjoy catered food and beverages while mingling with sponsors, artists, art lovers, and Gasparilla Arts volunteers and board members in an elevated museum setting. Sponsors gain a strong presence at this signature event and may place promotional items directly in the hands of attendees.
*Preview Party sponsors receive Festival Weekend benefits and recognition commensurate with the level of their contribution. See the table below.
Each year, Festival jurors recognize up to 30 exhibiting artists with Awards of Merit. Individual and corporate sponsors at the Supporter level ($1,500) or above may name an award, placing their support directly alongside a juror-selected work of exceptional art. It is a clear, visible way to honor artistic excellence and help reward a working artist.
The Festival’s Main Stage keeps Festival Weekend moving with live entertainment and programming hosted by Tampa Bay news legend and meteorologist Denis Phillips. Its central location draws audiences throughout both days, giving sponsors recurring exposure through prominent signage, stage announcements and Festival promotions. Few opportunities offer this combination of sustained visibility and direct access to the Festival’s broad audience.
The Rising Stars Stage gives young musicians the opportunity to perform for a live Festival audience. Featuring music schools and student bands whose members are primarily under age 18, the stage creates a memorable milestone for young performers and an energetic destination for their families and Festival guests. Sponsor support helps put the next generation of Tampa Bay talent onstage and links the sponsor’s name to youth achievement and music education.
The Young Artists Expo celebrates students from six Tampa Bay-area counties by exhibiting their artwork during Festival Weekend. Three outstanding young artists each receive a $1,000 Best of Show prize, and each winner’s school receives an additional $2,000 for arts education. By supporting the Expo, sponsors help turn a student’s creative accomplishment into recognition, encouragement and new resources for the classroom.
Art Collectors in Training gives children ages 6 to 14 the unforgettable experience of selecting and purchasing original artwork in a kids-only gallery. Festival artists donate the pieces, which are offered at child-friendly prices, and proceeds benefit local nonprofits serving children. A sponsor becomes part of a young person’s first experience as an art collector while helping develop future artists, patrons and arts supporters.
Gasparilla Arts’ Collegiate Scholarship Program awards five $3,000 scholarships each year to talented college students pursuing degrees in the visual arts. The funding helps students develop their skills, complete their education and prepare for professional creative careers. A sponsor may fully fund an individual scholarship and receive sole recognition or share a scholarship with another supporter, making this one of the most direct ways to invest in an emerging artist’s future.
*In addition to recognition at the Scholarship Awards Ceremony and in all related promotion, Collegiate Scholarship sponsors receive Festival Weekend benefits and recognition commensurate with the level of their contribution. See the table below.
The Scholarship Awards Ceremony brings scholarship recipients, their families, educators and Gasparilla Arts supporters together after Festival Weekend to celebrate the next generation of visual artists. During the catered event, the five recipients of $3,000 collegiate scholarships display their work and share their aspirations. Ceremony sponsorship offers meaningful recognition in a setting where supporters can meet the students and see firsthand what their investment makes possible.
*In addition to recognition at the ceremony and in all related promotion, Scholarship Awards Ceremony sponsors receive Festival Weekend benefits and recognition commensurate with the level of their contribution. See the table below.
The Doodads Repurposed Sculpture Exhibition challenges K–8 students to transform designated everyday household items into imaginative works of art. Selected sculptures are displayed during Festival Weekend, giving young artists the thrill of seeing their work exhibited before thousands of visitors. Sponsor support brings this inventive competition to the Festival and encourages children to explore creativity, arts education and environmental awareness all at once.
The Community Outreach Village is a vibrant, family-friendly destination where creativity, inclusion and service come together. It is home to the Young Artists Expo, Children’s Activities, Art Collectors in Training, Carmada, the NOMAD Art Bus and exhibitions presented by local organizations that use art to support Tampa Bay residents, including the MacDonald Training Center, Pyramid, Inc. and Arts4All Florida. With activity throughout the weekend and audiences spanning many programs, Village sponsorship delivers broad onsite visibility and includes the opportunity to provide promotional items directly to visitors.
The MacDonald Training Center exhibition gives artists with disabilities a prominent Festival platform to display and sell their original work. The sponsor receives naming recognition and agrees to match artwork sales up to $2,500, effectively multiplying the value of each purchase. Proceeds go directly to the participating artists and the MacDonald Training Center’s Fine Arts Studios, advancing creativity, independence and opportunity.
Artists with disabilities who participate in Pyramid, Inc.’s specialized arts workshop program bring their original work to the Festival for exhibition and sale. Sponsorship carries naming recognition and includes a match of Festival Weekend art sales up to $1,500. Together, those sales and matching dollars benefit both the artists and Pyramid, Inc., turning the booth’s success into additional support for artistic expression and inclusion.
A fourth community organization is also invited to the Community Engagement Village each year, highlighting a Tampa Bay nonprofit that incorporates art into its work with local residents. As with Pyramid, Inc. and Arts4All Florida, a sponsor may receive recognition on the program banner and match the organization’s artwork sales up to $1,500. For details about supporting the rotating organization, contact sponsorship@gasparillaarts.com.
The Arts4All Florida exhibition introduces Festival visitors and collectors to original work by independent artists with disabilities. The exhibition sponsor receives naming recognition and matches artwork sales up to $1,500, giving every purchase added power. Revenue supports the artists and Arts4All Florida’s efforts to expand access, participation and professional opportunity through the arts.
Each year, the Community Engagement Village welcomes a rotating fourth organization that uses art to serve Tampa Bay residents. Sponsors can place their name on the organization’s program banner and strengthen its Festival Weekend results by matching art sales up to $1,500, following the model used for Arts4All Florida and Pyramid, Inc. Contact sponsorship@gasparillaarts.com to learn which organization will be featured and how to participate.
The Artist Shuttle runs continuously between designated artist parking areas and the Festival grounds, helping approximately 250 exhibiting artists travel safely and conveniently with the supplies they need throughout the weekend. Sponsor branding travels with the vehicles, creating repeated exposure while providing a practical service designed specifically for the artists at the center of the Festival.
The Public Shuttle carries Festival visitors between designated parking areas and the Festival grounds throughout the weekend. Branded vehicles remain in motion through the surrounding area, giving the sponsor repeated public visibility while making arrival easier and the Festival more accessible for thousands of guests.
The Bike Valet gives Festival visitors a convenient and secure place to leave their bicycles while they explore the grounds. Sponsoring this service highlights an environmentally friendly way to reach the Festival, helps ease traffic and parking demand, and provides prominent recognition at the point where cyclists begin and end their visit.
From maps and schedules to directions, lost and found assistance and answers to unexpected questions, the Information Booth is where Festival visitors go for help throughout the weekend. Its steady flow of guests makes it one of the Festival’s most frequently visited locations. Sponsor recognition at the booth becomes part of the welcoming, well-organized experience visitors rely on.
Gasparilla Arts’ Sustainability Program reduces the Festival’s environmental footprint through practical measures such as responsible waste disposal and water refill stations that cut down on single-use plastics. Sponsorship shows a visible commitment to keeping Tampa Bay beautiful and helps turn environmental responsibility into action across the Festival grounds.
The VIP Experience gives sponsors, patrons and special guests a shaded retreat with panoramic views of the Festival grounds, catered food and beverages, and a comfortable place to gather throughout the weekend. As one of the Festival’s premier hospitality destinations, it places sponsor recognition in front of Tampa Bay business leaders, arts supporters and community influencers while creating natural opportunities for conversation and relationship building.
Carmada transforms automobiles into moving works of art, filling Festival Weekend with color, creativity and unexpected visual experiences. Visitors can explore artist-designed vehicles, watch artists create live and join hands-on projects led by local creatives. Sponsorship puts your name on one of the Festival’s most distinctive and photo-worthy attractions while helping cover the participating artists and supplies that bring the experience to life.
Gasparilla Arts’ Public Art Program carries our mission beyond Festival Weekend by creating permanent works that reflect the stories, character and aspirations of Tampa Bay communities. Developed with local artists and neighborhood organizations, each installation transforms a shared public space and provides a meaningful paid opportunity for a working artist. Sponsorship leaves a lasting, highly visible legacy that residents and visitors can experience for years to come.
Sponsors of Gasparilla Arts Public Art Installations receive recognition of their contribution at the mural and in all related promotion and Festival Weekend benefits commensurate with the level of their contribution. See the table below.
The Tampa Bay Community Design Center Art Installation brings artists, architects and designers together to create an imaginative, interactive structure for Festival visitors to explore. It transforms a shared Festival space into an engaging visual landmark and demonstrates how thoughtful design can encourage curiosity and connection. Sponsorship associates your name with innovation and a distinctive, photo-worthy experience built especially for Festival Weekend.
Presenting $15,000 Tax Deductible: $13,960 | Premier $10,000 Tax Deductible: $9,220 | Elite $7,500 Tax Deductible: $6,720 | Benefactor $5,000 Tax Deductible: $4,480 | Patron $2,500 Tax Deductible: $1,980 | Supporter $1,500 Tax Deductible: $1,240 | Friend $1,000 Tax Deductible: $870 | |
Naming Rights to a program of your choice | ✓ | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Name on program banner of your choice | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - |
Passes to VIP Experience | 8 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
Passes to Artist Awards Showcase | 8 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
Passes to Preview Party | 8 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
Passes to Festival Weekend Reserved Parking | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - |
Sponsors at the Supporter level ($1,500) and above can choose to recognize their sponsorship by naming one of up to 30 Awards of Merit selected by our jurors.
Artist Awards Showcase: This Saturday night event (March 7, 2027) is the public’s first opportunity to both view and purchase the juried and award winning art.
Sponsor Signage: In addition to naming rights and program banners, as applicable, all sponsors are recognized on the Sponsor Banner at the north entrance to the Festival, on the sponsorship webpage, and in the Festival Program.
Marketing: Marking efforts will also include the following: Social Media, Newsletters, Blogs, App presence/ads, and Website. Please note that recognition will be tailored to the sponsor’s financial commitment. In addition to recognition at related events, sponsorships related to scholarships and public art installations are also recognized with Festival Weekend benefits commensurate with the level of their contribution.
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.
Some have said this music is a bit bluesy pop folk, others have opined it is old soul with an indie feel. To all of the above, I say YES. This music is a bit of everything I love from jazz to blues, funk to folk. This music is me.
As far back as I can remember, sounds would mesmerize me. As a short haired girl freckled from head to toe, I would sit in the kitchen for hours just singing along with the constant hum of the refrigerator. As my red hair grew longer, so did my longing for art, for song.
Having been a part of great groups of musicians before, I have had the privilege to play in front of presidents, prime ministers, and foreign leaders both in the US and abroad. These were wonderful experiences and I am truly grateful to have had them.
But something was missing.
(Queue The Random Occurrence)
At the end of 2016, a chance encounter reunited me with a couple of longtime friends and musicians John Soler & David Diaz. They too have been in other bands and were working on their own unique & refreshing sound.
Immediately, I knew we had something special.
Something refreshing. Something real. Nick Ewing joined us shortly thereafter to provide a beautiful dynamic of ideas and talent with his violin and bow.
My hope is that, through this music, you feel me come alive. Come, share the pieces of my soul l leave scattered in song. Share a piece of me.
I like to write songs about mfs who break my heart so I’m like Taylor Swift except I’m Black and Better. Set the (Tone). Be the Example (I.E)
Tha Banned is a jazz band consisting of Alejandro “Chach” Coronado (Trumpet), Malachi Elmore-Davis (Trombone), Kingsleyiii (Bass), Jeremiah “Yogi” Warren (Drums), Lincee St. Amand (Vocals) and Johnny Champagne (Keyboard). As a collective of Tampa based musicians and songwriters that started as a jam band in an auto shop, they are committed to spreading the spirit of live music and community.
Wülfgang Amadeus is a band that hails from Tampa comprised of poets. They blend music and spoken word to create an intense brew. As they self-describe:
“A Poet and Drummer meet at a bar and Wülfgang Amadeus is born! Now united, the Wülfgang is finally ready to shred their bohemian rhapsody across the ages with their timeless lyricism, classic riffs, inspiring Melodie’s, dynamic sound and talents that span multiple genres of performance art.”
Mountain Holler is the cavernous alternative-folk project of Seattle, WA based musician Mark Etherington. The music of Mountain Holler is a meditation on nature, the shadowed side of the human experience and the dream-like music born from explorations through his own mind. There is a very heavy influence from Tolkien lore, Led Zeppelin and Eastern spiritualism. Mountain Holler’s live show consists of multiple acoustic guitars in unusual alternate tunings, electronic drones and powerful vocals that provide the listener a sweet invitation to join in on one human’s experience of this world and our shared connection to nature.
Etherington moved from St. Petersburg, FL to Seattle, WA in 2021 after spending over half his life cutting his teeth in the Tampa Bay area music scene. Still watering his deep Florida musical roots by returning multiple times a year to perform , a Mountain Holler show is not one to miss. The Tampa Bay Times says of Mountain Holler ,” Refreshing and unpretentious, his music is spacious and etheral, conjuring visions of wide-open spaces, actualized through open tunings and a sea of reverb.” (Aaron Lepley). The Stranger writes that Etherington “murmurs, moans, belts, and croons ethereal yet powerfully-charged melodies that sound as if they were hewn from some rocky outcropping before their journey to the heavens.” (Leilani Polk)
He has since been steadily releasing new music to his bandcamp and self released his two newest singles ‘Trying to Connect’ and ‘Rolling Thunder’ on all major platforms in early 2024.
Born in Brazil from Bolivian descent, Nelson grew up in Tampa and began musical performance at the age of seven. Starting with piano, drums, trombone and tuba in middle school, he finally ventured into the world of guitar at 13. After a year in training, Nelson auditioned and was immediately accepted to Blake High School of the Arts. There, he entered classical guitar instruction with esteemed educator John Michael Parris. In 2004, Nelson won the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts’ Merit Recognition Award. He graduated to study classical guitar at Florida State University’s College of Music under Professor Bruce Holzman. While at FSU, he began exploring jazz composition with Joel Johnson and Leo Welch. In 2005, Nelson attended New York University’s Guitar Intensive Program to further explore jazz theory. He began teaching private lessons during his senior year and, in 2008, earned his BA Music degree. Nelson came back to Tampa to continue teaching and has delighted venues around the region with his solo classical guitar, ceremonial ensembles, acoustic guitar duo/trios, and full electric bands.
Tim Balajadia was born and raised on Guam, USA. Tim has been writing, composing, and performing original music since 2001. His laid-back acoustic vibes with powerful alternative vocal tone fit him right into the progressive reggae scene. Tim holds firm to the essential values of Positivity, Peace, Equal Rights, Unity and Love. With people playing cover songs on Guam, Tim Balajadia left the tiny but mighty Pacific island inspired to create more conscious and impactful music.
Fire branded in the Chicago blues circuit, roots rocker and bluesman RJ Howson picked up his skillful guitar chops & powerful vocals performing and sharing the stage with blues icons and fellow musicians at Buddy Guy’s Legends, Rosa’s Lounge, Kingston Mines, BLUES on Halstead and many other clubs in the Windy City and playing countless shows all over the Midwest.
Somewhere between just enough and way too much, Discord Theory blends honest introspection, raw pop punk energy, and gritty post-hardcore intensity with breakdowns designed to move the room. Formed in sunny Tampa, FL in 2017, the band is led by Ecuadorian frontman Luis Giler’s commanding vocals and subversive songwriting, alongside Anthony Rogue’s groove-heavy bass, Sydney Reinfrank’s razor-sharp guitar, and Tyler Austin’s hard-hitting drums.
Bulgarian-born Geri X is a composer, a musician and a singer hard to put a label on. Fans and critics spotted it from the moment she broke onto the Tampa Bay music scene: Geri is an artist with a singular sound you have not heard before. What started with a classical training in piano, guitar and voice, evolving out of a broad and eclectic blend of influences, has become wonderfully her own.
Much like the kids walking along the train tracks in the 1986 film Stand By Me (the initial inspiration for the band’s name), the members of Florida’s HAVE GUN, WILL TRAVEL set out on a life-defining journey of growth and discovery. Principle songwriter and singer-guitarist Matt Burke enthusiastically leads fellow bandmates; brother and bassist Daniel Burke, guitarist Scott Anderson, keyboardist Edward Stork and drummer Sam Farmer through a catalog of songs that run the gamut from foot-stomping front-porch spirituals to strum-punk rave-ups, hill-country historicals and indie-rock anthems. With six full-length studio albums under their belts, the “Silver Sounds” ep was released May 23, 2022 on silver 10” vinyl and the companion “Voyager Golden” ep on gold 10” vinyl released Dec 5, 2025, so HGWT show no signs of slowing down. In December 2022, the band’s hometown of Bradenton, FL awarded Matt Burke and Have Gun, Will Travel the key to the City of Bradenton for their contributions to the arts in their community.