Déjà vu at the VAC: Peace River National Art Festival will aid in building’s post-hurricane recovery
Following Hurricane Ian this past fall, the Peace River National Art Festival — now in its 18th year — has come full circle, so to speak, when it returns March 18 and 19 to Punta Gorda’s Laishley Park. That is, the festival traces its origin to 2005, after Hurricane Charley decimated Punta Gorda the year prior, leaving the Visual Arts Center’s Maud Street facility in dire need of repair.
The art festival was a way for the VAC to get back on its feet after Charley, and has become a centerpiece of the organization’s fundraising efforts each year since.
Fast forward to 2023, and Southwest Florida again finds itself in the aftermath of another major storm — and, again, the Peace River Art Festival is helping local artists return to a sense of normalcy — “Whatever you want to call normal,” said VAC Executive Director Lisa Galluci.
Ms. Galluci took over the VAC’s executive duties in July 2022, following the retirement of Janet Watermeier. Following a circuitous route throughout the country, the Seattle, Washington, native settled in Southwest Florida in January 2022.
“I have a son who lives in North Port,” she said, “so, I moved here and looked for a job and found this. The arts have always been part of my life in different ways. Read More…
