Nov 24, 6:11 PM

Space Coast Art Fest

Petting zoo, music entertainment and, of course, the arts

BY CATHY MATHIAS
FLORIDA TODAY

Strolling along on the avenue on a beautiful afternoon, gazing at original artwork and munching on a sugar-dusted funnel cake -- does it get any better?

It's time for the 41st annual Space Coast Art Festival in downtown Cocoa Beach.

The weekend kicks off with a street party at 7 tonight. Shake your groove thing to the sounds of Derek and the Slammers, a local rock band, and meet with friends on Minutemen Causeway.

By tonight, many art booths will have already been set up. Artists will install their art early Saturday.

"I love to get there early," said Sharon Dixon, who has lived in Cocoa Beach since 1990 and goes to the festival every year.

"It's quiet then, nobody's there yet," she said. "It's nice and cool in the morning, and I can see the art much easier."

The art show begins at 9 a.m. Saturday and one hour later, the festival stage area will be busy with entertainment such as jugglers, martial artists, dancers, Jazzercisers and variety shows.

"We're expecting about 50,000 people this year," said Ann Lawton, festival president and a long-time Cocoa Beach resident who has been involved with the festival for the past 10 years. Lawton likes to decorate her house with art from local artists.

"I always buy something for my walls, even though I don't have much wall space left," she said. The festival also offers Christmas shopping opportunites.

This year's festival will feature 235 artist exhibitors, and $50,000 in prize money will be awarded.

Glass jewelry artist Claudia Beckwith will be among the artists, exhibiting her earrings, necklaces and even a belt made entirely of glass. She uses various techniques when creating her pieces, including a blowpipe.

"I blow glass off a long blowpipe to create glass beads for necklaces," she said. "It's a very difficult art form. It requires a lot of manipulation and breath control. I also fuse two pieces of glass together using a kiln to create art glass."

The third technique she uses is the torch, working over a flame, an oxygen and propane mix at a bench. Her husband, Steve, also a glass artist, will be exhibiting his vases and paperweights. Steve and Claudia own Anchor Aluminum & Glass in Cocoa Beach.

Brevard County students will show off their art from 9 a.m to 4 p.m. on Saturday. But the big moment comes at 3:30 p.m. when the winner is announced by the newly-crowned Miss Florida USA, Melissa Witek.

The Young-at-Heart area, near the stage and north of the Food Court, is for children to get into art by making a flying fish or a princess hat.

Saturday night, the Street Party continues as folks mill about Minutemen Causeway and the stage area, enjoying the tunes of Rock It band.

Each year, one piece of art is highlighted as the poster for the Space Coast Arts Festival. This year's poster was created by Rick Piper, a Cocoa Beach resident.

"This is a piece I am particularly proud of," Piper said. "It's from a private collection, but the owner was nice enough to let me get it so I could submit it for consideration. It's what I call barrier-island style that is non-linear realism. It expresses memory and emotion not defined by perspective.

"I'm really excited that my piece won the poster contest," he said.

Throughout the weekend, as the food is nibbled and drinks guzzled, there will be the hard-working members of the Cocoa Beach High School Band there picking up trash and assisting in cleanup. Students earn volunteer hours and money raised goes toward the band's general fund, band director Chuck Brooker said.

"It's a family cultural event, something for everyone, my grandchildren come," Lawton said. "Over the years, it's just gotten better and better," Dixon said.

Schedule of events

Friday

7 to 11 p.m.: Derek and the Slammers rock band

Saturday

9 a.m. to 5 p.m.: sidewalk art show

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.: student art show (at old library site)

10 a.m.: Space Coast Martial Arts

11 a.m.: juggler

Noon: Myachi

1 p.m.: Sheriff K-9 demonstration

2 p.m.: Raskin Dancers

3 p.m.: juggler

3:30 p.m.: student awards presentation by Miss Florida USA

4 to 7 p.m.: Rock 'n' Robbin karaoke

7 to 11 p.m.: Rock It

Sunday

9 a.m. to 5 p.m.: art show

11 a.m.: variety show

Noon: Steel Drums

1 p.m.: Myachi

2 p.m.: variety show

3 p.m.: Brevard County Jazzercise Hands-on crafts, activities

Make a flying fish or design a card

Face-painting and balloons

Sheriff's petting zoo

Princess Hats and Sand Creations (nominal fee)

Brevard County Sheriff bomb squad expedition