This Is The Final Call To Apply To Be An Emerging Artist At GFA 54.

GFA Emerging Artist
Mark Lembo, shown here from last year’s Festival, hope to again be selected to be an Emerging Artist in 2024.

Part of Gasparilla Festival of the Arts’ mission is to strengthen the culture and appreciation of the Fine Arts throughout the Tampa Bay area. Back in September, we featured three Emerging Artists from past festivals to see how the program benefitted their burgeoning art careers.  Today, we’re reaching out to some of the applicants who hope to be selected for 2024’s Emerging Artist class to get their thoughts on where the Program might take them.

The Emerging Artists Program allows up and coming artists to present their work to a large audience in a professional setting, often for the first time.

Applicants qualify if they do not have an established record as a professional artist presenting their work in museums, major art festivals, galleries, or juried exhibitions prior to applying. Qualified artists must make less than 25% of their income from art sales and cannot be employed professionally as an artist working in the medium they present at the festival.

Last year, we had a record-breaking number of applications for the Emerging Artists program, with almost 200 applicants.

Artists that are selected are given their very own tent at the Festival to present and sell their work, plus a reimbursement of $375 towards expenses incurred when building out their booth. During the lead-up to the Festival, selected artists are offered mentoring opportunities from established Tampa Bay artists and arts administrators.  One of the 15 program participants will take home the Emerging Artists Award, which includes a $1,500 cash prize.

We asked two Emerging Artist applicants a series of questions in order to gain some perspective on how they view our program. Our first applicant is Mark Lembo.

He is a self-taught artist who relocated from California to Tampa in 2010. He describes his art style as “spontaneous” and “free”, and it is evident in his work that he values experimentation and play in his artistic process. You can see examples of his art below.  An avid festival goer, he has attended the Raymond James Gasparilla Festival of the Arts since moving to the area. “I appreciate the diversity of works and the unbounded creativity” he says, when speaking of his favorite part of the festival.

What drew you to applying for the Emerging Artists Program?

”It is an opportunity to gain impactful recognition and exposure in Tampa and beyond the surrounding area… The stature and reputation of the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts is huge. Being a part of the festival would be tremendous.”

“It has the potential to build on the groundwork laid out locally these past three years. While I have been fairly active in local exhibits and venues, the Festival and the Emerging Artists Program provide an opportunity to further expand my reach to a whole new level and to have the chance to share my work with a much wider audience. You never know where a connection may lead.”

Meet Emerging Artist Brenna Robe.

Emerging Artist applicant for GFA 54 Brenna Robe.

Our second applicant is Brenna Robe, a wildlife artist who focuses on Florida’s fauna, specifically birds. She excels at creating a lush, natural environment in her art that captures the feeling of awe she experiences in the wild. 

“I try to capture one moment, a moment which will never be repeated because there is no permanence in life.”

What drew you to applying for the Emerging Artists Program?

“The Emerging Artist Program drew me because it alleviates the pressure of being an established artist. Many calls to artists include artists in all stages of their career, while this program is specifically geared towards artists who are just breaking out into the professional art world. Although I’ve been a practicing artist for most of my life, this program felt the most appropriate to support me at this point in my journey. The application is simple and accessible, as they do not expect you to have a huge CV.”

In this piece, wildlife artist Brenna Robe beautifully captures the endangered Florida scrub jay.

If you were to be selected as an Emerging Artist, how do you feel it would impact your career?

“I try to put my best foot forward, be proud of my attempts and learn from my mistakes. If I am selected as an Emerging Artist, I hope to receive exposure as well as mentoring in my art career. I believe this would help me to improve both artistically and professionally. I’m in the beginning stage of my professional creative journey, and I’m discovering so many opportunities for artists. This year alone, I entered a gallery exhibition and just completed my first market sale. It is terrifying to try new things and put my art out there to be judged, but it has been paying off so much.”

We wish these two applicants and everyone who applies the best of luck. The Application window is only open until midnight on November 26, 2023.

The 2024 Emerging Artists Program juror, multimedia artist and curator Chad Mize, will review applications and select the class in December of 2023.

If you are interested in applying to the Emerging Artists Program for the 54th Annual Raymond James Gasparilla Festival of the Arts on March 2nd and 3rd of 2024, the application window will be open until November 26, 2023.  Visit the Emerging Artists Program page on our website for details about eligibility and to find the application.  You can also email EmergingArtists@gasparillaarts.com with specific questions.

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.