Art lovers truly will enjoy a feast for the senses from 10 am to 2 pm on Jan. 7, when the Silver Dolphin Restaurant & Country Store’s “Front Porch Art Walk” will debut at 4036 Shoal Line Blvd., Hernando Beach. This event, a grand showcase for artists and their artistic masterworks, is planned every Saturday of the month.
“The Silver Dolphin Restaurant & Country Store is proud to kick off the new year with a FRONT PORCH ART WALK. We have 12 artists already signed up to participate in January. In February we expect to see this event grow to other local businesses along Shoal Line Blvd. providing a great opportunity for artists and art lovers to explore Coastal Hernando County and see all of the art along the way,” read information released the Hernando County Fine Arts Council. “Starting at SR-19 and Osowaw Blvd., you will see the Dolphin Statue created by the late Ken Edwards. Coming into Hernando Beach along Shoal Line watch for the murals among the buildings and on the fire department doors. Of course, The Silver Dolphin Restaurant & Country Store has lots of art work from several of our local artists! Hernando Beach will soon be home to many of the Tail Trail Mermaids! Come and display your art, or showcase creating your art for others to see. Whether an artist or an art lover, January 7th will be the perfect opportunity to showcase art in Hernando Beach, including art displays already inside The Silver Dolphin Restaurant’s Country Store.”
The Front Porch Art Walk is a labor of love for all involved.
“This show arose from the plans of Yann Milcendeau, the owner of The Silver Dolphin, and our plans to grow it to other local business locations,” said Diane Greenwell, website/social media coordinator for the Hernando Beach Property Owners Association and member of the Hernando County Fine Arts Council. “The purpose will be to increase traffic to our local businesses on the first Saturday mornings each month.”
Greenwell is pleased by both the number of artists set to be featured on the Front Porch, and the vast variety of artistic media to be featured at the event.
“Our artists will offer quilting, glass, wood, acrylics, watercolors, oils,” she said. “The focus here is on fine art.”
Greenwell also sees this event as being vitally supportive of the participating artists. “The admission fee for the Front Porch Art Walk is lower than many art shows,” she said. “And they’ll be exposed to a whole new audience.”
Milcendeau, whose restaurant already stands as a showcase for fine art inside and out, also feels that the event will greatly benefit the businesses and overall aesthetic of Hernando Beach. “We want to turn Hernando Beach into an art center,” he said. “I’ve loved art all of my life, and want to entice other businesses to host Art Walks as well.”
The great response to the Front Porch Art Walk, say Greenwell and Milcendeau, is already necessitating an expansion of the project; so now, both are putting out a comparable call to Hernando Beach businesses, to expand ‘the porch’ into a veritable neighborhood gallery.
Both also appreciate the support of the Hernando County Fine Arts Council in making this project possible.
“Hernando County Fine Arts Council has been supportive of these efforts by publishing on social media and putting out a call to artists,” said Greenwell. “We appreciate their involvement in expanding art to the coastal part of our county and helping make this monthly event a success.”
Allisa Babor, Hernando County Fine Arts Council Chair, is very excited to take the Art Walk. “We were thrilled when HCFAC member Diane Greenwell informed the Arts Council about this new event happening in Hernando Beach!” she said. “Our county is full of talented artists and we think it’s wonderful that Mr. Milcendeau has decided to create this recurring event that will showcase the artists living and working in Hernando Beach. It excites us to see the support of the arts continue to spread throughout Hernando County. We look forward to the first Front Porch Art Walk in January, and all other shows that will follow!”
Also enthused are the artists scheduled to show and sell their wares on the Front Porch. “I am signed up for February’s first Saturday event,” said Lynne Simone, Www.lynnesimonefineart.com. “Looking forward to sharing my art at a venue that supports local artists and business people! What a wonderful idea for the community!”
“I made the decision to participate in the upcoming event, at the Silver Dolphin, based on the fact that venues of this nature don’t happen often in this area,” said Guy Kyar. “Being able to have my work available to the public, hands on, instead of through social media is of great interest to me. I will be displaying smaller works and works on paper which can be challenging to display in gallery settings.”
“I am so looking forward to participating in Silver Dolphin’s Front Porch Art Walk on February 4th!” said Linda Boykin. “I first learned of this opportunity from a Hernando County Arts Council Facebook post. I love that the Silver Dolphin supports local artists in their gift shop and also by sponsoring events such as the Front Porch Art Walk. That extra effort shows that they truly have a deep commitment to the Hernando Beach community! I am an oil painter and also handcraft most of the accompanying frames. My painting style falls in between realism and impressionism. My favorite subjects to paint are birds, bugs, landscapes and little kids. I am not sure of the space size available, but I do hope to bring one large seascape either “Aripeka View” or “Feel the Warm Breeze” and also several of the smaller paintings that would fit on a tabletop display. Here is the link to my website https://www.LindaBoykin.com.”
“I’m a local artist. I just moved to this area in May of this year,” said Angela Farinelli. “I have been participating in small art events around the area and really enjoy creating my artwork. I paint on canvas, create resin works, Fused glass and woodworking too. I’m looking forward to the first Silver Dolphin restaurant sidewalk art show. I see so much inspiration all around me. Hernando Beach has beautiful sunsets and wonderful gulf coast sea life, It’s all here. Please see some of the artwork attached that I will have at the Silver Dolphin Porch Art sale.”
“Creativity is woven into the fabric of my being and creativity requires an interfacing of lack of control and a limited degree of control,” said Lyn Bechtel. “In watercolor this interfacing is particularly important, which is why I am drawn to it. If a watercolor is too controlled, it becomes stiff and uninteresting, too uncontrolled and it lacks focus. This dynamic is essential in life in general and for this reason I enjoy sharing my watercolors. And particularly during a time when I cannot travel to the places I love, I paint them instead, stimulating memories and visual reminders. Again, sharing with likeminded people is fulfilling.”
“I am looking forward to the first Silver Dolphin Sidewalk art program. Wouldn’t it be fun to have Hernando Beach an artsy community? I’m a snowbird that live in Holland MI that has an area that is rich with art!” said Victoria Yeager. “The most popular being ArtPrize in Grand Rapids which I have participated in many times. I am really looking forward to and hoping that this becomes a successful endeavor!”
Renata Villemaire said she is “Very excited to participate in the first Art event at Silver Dolphin and share my work with the community.”
“I’m excited to be part of this new opportunity, I love to show my artwork,” said Johan Casadiego, “and at the same time I appreciate other artists’ talent. It’s an awesome experience.”
“I was excited to find out about the silver dolphin sidewalk art show, and instantly wanted to be involved because it’s right down my alley,” said Philmy, Philmyportraits. “I have participated in many sidewalk art shows throughout the country, including Miami, Art Basel, Denver, Colorado, California, and Oregon. I’m still relatively new to the area, so I’m trying to acclimate myself with all the artists and art supporters in the area. I will be displaying some new pieces from my new “the faces collection” as well as some unreleased art.”
Jana Withers said, “As soon as the Call for Artists to display art on the front porch of the Silver Dolphin was announced,” I replied immediately. The owner, Yann Milcendeau, is a huge supporter of the Arts! For several years he has welcomed myself and other members of the Shadow Chasers Plein air Artists to his property, “The Captains House,” to paint on location. After a morning of painting, we always headed to the Silver Dolphin for lunch. The restaurant is filled with art by one of our Shadow Chasers members, Steve Benevides, and his murals also adorn walls both inside and outside. We all love the tropical ambience of the “Secret Gardens” and the food is delicious. If anyone is looking for a hidden gem, it is at the Silver Dolphin Restaurant. I am thrilled to be one of the Artists selected for the first, “First Saturday Art walk.”
Other participating artists are set to include Gail Sprenger, Judy Hall-Folde, Christine Kulinski, Kenneth Ruck, Barbara Timm, Judy Kerrigan, Steven Benevides, Roxanne Campbell, Sam Forrester, Ashley Duffy, Susan Lumsden, Jude and Tami.
Interested artists and businesspeople who wish to participate in the “Front Porch Art Walk”, contact Diane Greenwell, [email protected] or (304) 633-7110.
