Sheffield, Alabama – Back in 2011 one of our Board members, Demos Gallender came up with the idea to hold an arts festival on the bridge where artists of all mediums could come and display their works and hopefully even do live demonstration.  Demos and other board members worked hard to get the word out to the various school art classes and area artist.  I know for a fact that Demos spent many, many hours to to make the festival a success.  He never missed a Florence First Friday event and religiously passed out dozen of flyers and applications.    He had lots of artists promise to attend the first event in 2011, but alas it was not only sparsely attended by the artist but also the public.  

The entire board felt that for a first time event, the turn out was acceptable and that we have it again in 2012 but have it in the Spring.  When the show date arrived, several of the board arrived at the entrance to the Old Railroad Bridge on the appointed day and got all of the displays setup and waited for the artists and crowds to come.  We waited and the waited some more.  Seems we had thrown a party and nobody showed up.  It was as if we were the bride and the groom failed to show for the wedding.  The entire board was disappointed because as again for the second year, Demos had put his heart and soul in promoting the Bridgin the Arts Festival.  

After the second festival, the board concluded it was not something the public wanted to support and there was a vote to eliminate any further Art Festivals on the Bridge at that time.  A LARGE Thank You is owed to Demos Gallender for at least trying, as well as investing his time and money out of his own pocket.  Not all ideas turn out to be great, but without trying it impossible to fail at anything.  So from all of your fellow board members, Demos we salute you with a big  THANK YOU!

Below are the pictures from the 2011 Bridgin the Arts Festival.