Arts in April officially kicks off with garden party

By Dana Kampa
| 9:45 a.m. April 7, 2025

Longboat Key
Neighbors

Under the canopy of Longboat Key Chapel's Friendship Garden, visitors connected with local artists at the debut "Artists in the Garden" showcase.

The free exhibition was the first event in the new "Arts in April" extravaganza, which aims to bring visual and performing artists under one umbrella to be enjoyed and celebrated by the community.

Admission was free, and 30% of art sales proceeds went to the Longboat Key Garden Club to facilitate storm rebuilding and beautification projects.

Susan Phillips noted refurbishing Bicentennial Park will be a priority as the town begins to plan for Fourth of July festivities.

The artists said they loved the venue, where decorative orchids surrounded their works intertwined with the foliage.

Marie Therese Lacroix works on both canvas and three-dimensional mediums. She highlighted the mannequin figures she's decorated with vibrant stripes and swirls, as well as her painting series depicting fashion icon Brigitte Bardot.

After getting her start at Collège Notre-Dame de Montréal, she went on to study at the Ringling College of Art and Design, eventually opening Lacroix Art Studio on Main Street.

Lacroix said she loves to keep variety in her artwork, using bold, emotive design elements to connect viewers with her art.

Artist June Morse enjoys featuring nature in her watercolors.

Participating artists brought all sorts of mediums to the show, from Erica Ferguson with her preserved mosses to Mary Dice with her felt work.

Artist Lynn Armstrong Coffin proffered art from perhaps the most unique materials. She is utilizing discarded materials from power lines, primarily insulation boards from the now-defunct manufacturer Celotex, to draw attention to the undergrounding work happening on the island.

"I experiment all over the board, with every medium there is," she said. "This just happens to work for me. I found something in a dumpster, I started working with it, and I came up with something I liked, a style I'm going to move forward with."

Anyone who missed the garden showcase can still catch a mix of those artists and others at the Longboat Key Town Hall exhibition at 5 p.m. on April 10.

Artist Erica Ferguson incorporates preserved mosses into her work, which she shared with visitors at the debut "Artists in the Garden."

Visitors enjoyed taking in the art this weekend.

Artist Angela Thierman showcases a truly one-of-a-kind collage she created from correspondence with her mother.

Lynn Armstrong Coffin gives a talk on how she works with unique mediums.

Anne Vose and Jackie Donnelly peruse the works of artist Marie Therese Lacroix, center.

Visitors wove their way through the Longboat Key Chapel Friendship Garden, viewing art along the way.

Musician Mike Sales opens the Artists in the Garden showcase.

Lesley Rife catches up with artist Pat Lundy at the art show.

Irina LaRose picks up a copy of the children's book "Swimmy: The Fish That Couldn't Swim," illustrated by Lynn Armstrong Coffin.

Painted flora meets the real thing at "Artists in the Garden."

Susan Phillips gives a rundown of the upcoming events for "Arts in April."

author

Dana Kampa

Dana Kampa is the Longboat Key neighbors reporter for the Observer. She first ventured into journalism in her home state of Wisconsin, going on to report community stories everywhere from the snowy mountains of Washington State to the sunny shores of the Caribbean. She has been a writer and photographer for more than a decade, covering what matters most to readers.