Fine art festival showcases unique media

By Dana Kampa
| 11:35 a.m. October 20, 2025

Longboat Key
Neighbors

A break in the summer heat brought fine art fans out in droves to St. Armands Circle this weekend as they explored the works of local metalworkers, fabric dyers, painters and artists of all types of media.

Paragon Festivals put on the fine art festival Oct. 18-19 at St. Armands. Vendors shared their appreciation for viewers who took the time to engage with their work.

Visitor Disha Webb said she thought the open-air venue of the park was the perfect venue for stands like that run by jewelry crafter Julia Bernadsky.

She works with raw crystals central to holistic healing practices. But she tells customers that her materials aren't just objects.

"There's magic inside each one," she said. "They're living beings, and we don't choose them. They choose us."

Webb said, "I appreciate the grace, the love and the intentionality you can feel emanating from this jewelry. You can't buy that in a store."

Bernadsky also sold necklaces to raise funding to support Ukrainians in conflict areas. She said 100% of the proceeds from those sales go toward survivors. Visit UntamedHearts.com to learn more.

She wasn't the only artist to feature wearable pieces that day.

Venice-based artist Linda Tilson showcased her hand-dyed silks at the art festival. She has worked with New York fashion design houses and, at one time, ran a factory with 35 staff members to produce her lines. Now, she has scaled back to personally make clothing while also having the time to explore her passion for painting.

She said her silk pieces are perfectly elegant yet light for Florida functions, and she loves getting to create unique pieces. See LindaTilson.com for more.

Patron Disha Webb tries on a ring crafted by artist Julia Bernadsky at last weekend's fine art festival on St. Armands Circle.

Venice-based artist David Burgess Campbell gives a shine to his metalwork art with a resin coating, bringing out vibrant blue-green tones in the copper.

Fabric artist Linda Tilson uses mineral-based dyes to handcraft her silk and rayon pieces. She said customers appreciate the lightness and versatility of her clothing.

Zoey and Coco, two Australian labradoodles, show out as some of the best-dressed attendees at this weekend's fine art festival on St. Armands Circle.

Debra Vales of Artzy Art by Debra said she has hardly been able to keep up with demand this season at local art festivals. She works in acrylic paints and favors marine and floral subjects.

Artist Robert Boyce explains to customer Kirk Kempany how the physics of his "mesmerizers" work. Boyce has been a metalwork artist for 30 years.

Metalwork artist Robert Boyce said it took some time to perfect the techniques he uses with flames to bring out the natural colors of the copper pieces he sold at the fine art festival on St. Armands Circle.

Crowds enjoyed the slightly cooler autumnal weather while strolling around St. Armands Circle for the fine art festival on Oct. 18-19.

Artist Lourdes Gloekler crafts her eye-catchingly colorful jewelry from natural resources, primarily from the Tagua palm tree.

Jeweler Lourdes Gloekler brought multiple new pieces to the fine art festival on St. Armands Circle last weekend, including her animal-centric bracelets.

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.