Floridiana Festival & Highwaymen Artist Show

Florida Memorabilia, Tropical Touches & Highwaymen Artists

at the Palladium Theater in St. Petersburg

Sunday, January 29, 2012

ST. PETERSBURG, FL - St. Petersburg College’s historic Palladium Theatre, in downtown St. Petersburg, will be the new location for the “Floridiana Festival & Highwaymen Artist Show,” being held on Sunday, January 29^th from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.  

Celebrating 10 years in 2012, the focus of the January 29^th “winter show” remains on early Florida tourist memorabilia, but will also see a return to the eclectic offerings of earlier Floridiana Festivals, as well as incorporating a touch of Hawaiiana.  Many of the U.S.’s premier collectors of Floridiana will be exhibiting on January 29th, and attendees will find everything for sale from fun Florida travel ephemera and tacky tourist treasures like alligator handbags and flamingo figurines, to sought-after collectibles such as hand-painted jewelry with miniature Florida scenes, vintage Florida photographic art, and citrus and cigar box labels.  Discover small furnishings and lighting made of Cypress knee woods, vintage wall mirrors with flamingo images, ceramic statues of tropical birds, and old Florida art.  Decorators will especially enjoy the tropical backcloths and other vintage fabrics. One of the largest collections of vintage Florida license plates will be available for sale as well.

Several Florida authors will be participating. Larry Roberts, author of "Florida's Golden Age of Souvenirs: 1890 to 1930" and considered by many to be the "guru" of collecting old Florida memorabilia will be exhibiting and selling, as well as Ken Breslauer, author of "Roadside Paradise -- the Golden Age of Florida's Tourist Attractions 1929-71" and Wayne Ayers, author of numerous Florida history books, including “Tampa Bay's Gulf Beaches: Fabulous 1950's and 1960's” and “St. Petersburg: The Sunshine City.”

The Florida Highwaymen are an important part of Florida’s cultural legacy, and the January 29^th show is a wonderful opportunity to meet and mingle with these artists, who will be selling their beautiful Florida sea and landscape paintings.  James Gibson, Issac Knight, R.L. Lewis, Roy McLendon Sr. and Carnell Smith are some of the Highwaymen artists who will be participating.  Complimentary valuations of vintage Florida paintings - including that of the Highwaymen - will be available at the show by Robert LeBlanc of highwaymen-buy-sell-trade, an appraiser and expert in the field.. If you’re not sure what your old Florida art is worth, or who the artist may be, bring it with you to the show.    

Other special features include lectures and slide presentations on vintage Aloha shirts, barkcloth and other tropical fabrics, and more!  Visit the website at www.hulahula.biz.. 

Celebrate Florida’s cultural and historical legacy at the Florida Memorabilia & Highwaymen Show, Sunday, January 29, 2012, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm at the Palladium Theater, 253 Fifth Avenue North in downtown St. Petersburg.  Show admission is $6.00; children under three years are $3.00. Lectures, slide presentations and art valuations are included in the price of show admission.  For further information, call Hula Hula at (727) 421-0441 or visit www.hulahula.biz.