15th Annual ArtCenter Manatee “Art at the Ranch” a Big Success

  8,000 fans of fine crafts, jewelry, painting, photography and sculpture came to Lakewood Ranch Main Street last weekend for the 15th annual “Art At The Ranch” festival to view, and some to buy, the creations of 61 craft artists. The wide variety of pieces on display ranged from glass teapots and pottery to and photographs on canvas. The festival was sponsored by ArtCenter Manatee and LWR Communities, Inc..

  Artists participating in the festival submitted pieces for prizes in the several categories including painting and drawing, sculpture, fine crafts, photography, jewelry and pottery. The 2015 “Art at the Ranch” Best of Show ribbon went to sculpture artist Brian Weissinger, who works in wood, stone and metal. His prize-winning work at this show, Category 5, used mahogany and metals in an impressive display of sculpting artistry.

  Tampa artist Tony Moore, whose medium is pencil illustrations, also created great buzz at the show. His booth at the festival was filled with pencil portraits of jazz greats Ella Fitzgerald, Louie Armstrong and John Coltrane along with portraits of bluesman B.B. King's hands playing Lucille, his guitar. He also offered pencil sketches of Jimi Hendrix and baseball giant Jackie Robinson.

  Some artists, including Joe Kanoza, well-known for his vibrant portraits and golf landscapes, also hosted painting demonstrations for onlookers.

  If you might be interested in exploring your inner artist, offers day, evening and weekend art classes in painting, drawing, painting, drawing, pastels, pottery, jewelry design, photography and other disciplines for both adults and children at its location at 209 Ninth Street. ArtCenter Manatee also displays art on a continuous basis in 3 galleries at its location along with five classrooms, a gift shop and an extensive art library. Call the ArtCenter at 941-746-2862 for more information.

  This festival, along with so many others, including WinterFest and the family-friendly music festival, Ranch Jam 2015, keep residents of Lakewood Ranch entertained and busy throughout the year.

  If a home or condo in Lakewood Ranch here on the Florida Sun Coast just a hop, skip and a jump from the finest beaches in America including world-famous Siesta Key Beach sounds appealing to you, give me a call at 941-228-2321. Or, you may want to visit my Sarasota Florida real estate website. I’d be delighted to hear from you and answer your questions about why investing in a home or condo here would be such a great investment.

The Newest Addition to Lakewood Ranch - Greenbrook

The village of Greenbrook is located in the northeast section of Lakewood Ranch and has neighborhoods set amidst pristine lakes and nature preserves and wildlife habitats. The newest addition to Lakewood Ranch, Greenbrook is a community within a community with neighborhoods dedicated to a comfortable Florida lifestyle.

With numerous home styles to choose from, everyone from the first-time buyer young families to retirees can find the perfect home for their lifestyle in Greenbrook. There are maintenance-free condominiums, villas, cottages and town homes as well as single-family homes and estate-size properties. Homes in Greenbrook are within a comfortable walking distance of both elementary and middle schools.

One of the features that draws many young families to Greenbrook is Adventure Park where you'll find active play areas, an obstacle course, in-line skate/hockey rink and a dog park. Pedestrian trails cross the Braden River Preserve to Heron's Nest Nature Park and Braden River Nature Trail.

As in all Lakewood Ranch villages, the homes in Greenbrook East are built to Florida Green Building Coalition standards. Homes in the Banks neighborhood begin in the $100's while homes in the Ravines neighborhood range from the 200's. The larger homes in the Preserve are priced in the range from the $300's to the high $500's.

Brian Ward, an expert Sarasota homes for sale expert, would be delighted to introduce you the homes for sale in Greenbrook neighborhoods. For an immediate response to your questions, call Brian directly at 941-228-2321 or visit his Sarasota real estate website at your convenience.