Customer Reviews
"Very Happy"
"Very happy with my purchase, always new paintings and excellent creativity."
Posted On Thu March 09th 2023
"Love this Piece"
"Love this piece and so happy it is now part of the Deming art collection ."
Posted On Thu March 09th 2023
"Its always a pleasure"
"It is always a pleasure to look at the sculptures and paintings that Alfredo makes."
Posted On Thu March 09th 2023
"We double dipped"
We couldn't stop at one, so we bought one for each of us
Posted On Thu March 09th 2023
Wanderlust
Bradenton's Village of the Arts - Wanderlust
Once a sleepy patch of early 20th-century bungalows, Bradenton’s Village of the Arts has been transformed into a hub of creativity and community. Spanning 9th to 17th Avenue West and 9th to 14th Street West, the village today is a swirl of ice cream-hued cottages and hand-lettered signs that beckon travellers inside studios, galleries and cafés.
Established in the early 2000s as a grassroots effort to revitalise a neglected neighbourhood, the Village of the Arts has grown into one of Florida’s most vibrant live-work artist communities: a place where colourful sculptures spill from porches, music drifts through the air and galleries burst with paintings inspired by Bradenton’s idyllic seascapes.
We speak to the artists and entrepreneurs who have helped the village evolve into becoming the beating heart of the Bradenton Area’s creative scene.
“I’m originally from Mexico, and I’ve had my gallery here in the Village of the Arts for 13 years. Even before that, I was always making art and painting. This is a beautiful community to be a part of.
We live in a difficult world, and I offer something positive through my art. There’s something joyful in the process itself, and when people see my bright colours, it makes them smile. Some of my work is lighthearted, some of it is more spiritual. When clients tell me my paintings make them feel happy, I know I’m doing something meaningful.
My colours and themes come from my Mexican roots. I grew up in Guerrero, a few miles from Acapulco, and later lived in Mexico City when I was in college. I’ve been in the US for 20 years, but there’s something in my brain that always reminds me where I came from. The colours are Mexican; they’re in me. I consider myself a Mexican artist, though, of course, my surroundings here in Florida influence my work too – the beach scenes, the blue skies. It’s a beautiful blend.
Since 2013, I’ve made about 700 pieces and sold around 500 of them. I like my work to be accessible – not too expensive – because I want people to live with art. I work right here in the gallery. It’s often a bit messy – paint everywhere, dust from the clay – but that’s part of the process. Working with clay especially feels very healing.
The community here is special. On the first Friday of every month, we all come together for Art Walks and other events. Every month, there’s something new. For me, the biggest event of the year is Day of the Dead in November. We have music in the streets, food and altars. People come from all over the world to see it. It can be difficult to make a living as an artist, but this place makes it possible. We support each other. My friend Zoe at the Divine Excess Folk Art Gallery has been collecting my work for 15 years. I always say she’s the matriarch of the whole community.
We also have other wonderful artists nearby: Joan Peters Gallery on 11th Avenue, Manatee Pottery on 12th Street, Studio ‘C’ Gallery [run by Connie Buckler-Gill]… It’s a tight-knit place, and even though we’re all different, we share the same spirit.
Living here has changed my life. I was already an artist before I came, but when I found this community, I knew this was where I wanted to be.”
You can see the whole published page at the website link at top.