Manatee River Artists Guild celebrates 20 years of collaboration

Waterlefe residents and grade school students raise money each year for two local schools.

By Lesley Dwyer
| 8:30 a.m. November 9, 2025

Evan Prince, a second grader at Freedom Elementary, poses next to his masterpiece, "Warm Colored Sky."

East County
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When a student artist walks through the doors of the Manatee River Artists Guild at Waterlefe’s annual art and craft show and sale, they’re made to feel like acclaimed artists walking into an exhibition.

They’re immediately greeted and escorted to their artwork for a photograph.

“They light up,” guild member Bev Godwin said.

For 20 years, students and Waterlefe Golf & River Club residents have come together to display and sell their arts and crafts to benefit Freedom Elementary School and Carlos E. Haile Middle School.

This year, president Laura Bryg thought of a new way to collaborate. She asked Waterlefe’s Kathy Fiora to bring the start of a painting to the show. It was up to the kids to finish it.

Fiora painted a boat. Freedom Elementary’s Evan Prince added some waves to the water underneath it, and Haile Middle’s Aniston Brockway-Macek added a yellow glow overhead in the sky.

After making their contributions, each student was asked to sign their name to a sticker that will be affixed to the back of the canvas.

By the end of the day, 17 young artists made their mark on the piece, but only one drawing winner could take the painting home — Freedom Elementary's fourth grader Tucker Miles.

Fiora had fun working with the young artists. She turned 73 years old on Nov.10 and only started painting during the COVID pandemic after being given a paint-by-numbers kit for adults.

Fiora gave up the numbers, but not the painting.

Kathy Fiora looks on as Aniston Brockway-Macek contributes to the group masterpiece.

Suzanne Mireault and Payton Khang oversee the silent auction. Khang is a member of the Key Club at Palmetto High School and is volunteering for the day.

Waterlefe's Susan Proper says "Tadasana" is her favorite piece of personal artwork on display. Those are her feet in the sand.

Waterlefe's Jeri Lambdin sells handmade wreaths at the art show.

Custom made by Ringling College graduate Scott Nuss, this ambrosia maple electric guitar is a one-of-a-kind raffle item.

Mary McLain creates unique Christmas decor. The tree she's holding was made out of pasta shells.

Haile Middle School's Aniston Brockway-Macek displays her artwork at the Manatee River Artists Guild at Waterlefe Art and Craft Show and Sale Nov. 8.

Waterlefe's Betty Hruska sells a walnut bowl to Lakewood Ranch's Jill Grove. The wood was salvaged after Hurricane Helene.

The wood takes about a year to dry before it can be carved into a bowl.

Over $12,000 worth of prizes are up for grab between the raffle and silent auction.

Carlos E. Haile Middle School's Madelyn Sutton displays this drawing of a skeleton. She used prisma colored pencils to create the drawing, which took over a week to finish.

Seventh grader Madelyn Sutton adds to a collaborative painting.

author

Lesley Dwyer

Lesley Dwyer is a staff writer for East County and a graduate of the University of South Florida. After earning a bachelor’s degree in professional and technical writing, she freelanced for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Lesley has lived in the Sarasota area for over 25 years.