By: Jennifer Romano
Last weekend, November 8-10, the Festival of the Masters took place at Downtown Disney in Orlando. Since we live in the area, we thought that we would go and check out this free event. At first, we had no idea what the Festival of the Masters was, but we quickly discovered that this is an event that features both well-known and burgeoning artists as well as their artwork.
The walkway around the former Pleasure Island as well as parts of the Westside were decked with white tents filled with any and every type of artistic endeavor. There were tents with original jewelry, sculptures, paintings, woodcarvings, wooden instruments, and just about anything that you could imagine. If you are a fan of Disney artwork, there was also a tent called the Disney Artist Village, where you could meet several Disney artists who were out and about signing artwork and just chatting with guests.
The Festival of the Masters was sponsored by Michaels, and there was a section in a grassy area on the Westside that was set up for crafting. Representatives from Michaels provided guests with wooden frames as well as paper Mickey Mouse ears. The goal was for everyone to create a Mickey Mouse frame. There were markers as well as stick on foam pieces that could be used to decorate the frame. There was also an artwork wall where guests could display their original artwork, and everyone’s picture worked together to create a collage of sorts. In addition, there was also a section where you could create your own foam sun visors. This section of the event was very popular, and it was quite crowded throughout the day that we visited.
Over by the Lego store, one of the Master Lego Builders was creating a Star Wars TIE Fighter, and guests had the opportunity to help him create this huge piece of art. Each person had the opportunity to build a section of Lego bricks that would then be added to the TIE Fighter. This was also very crowded because who wouldn’t want to help a Lego Master Builder?
Finally, the Festival of the Masters played host to many chalk artists who were in the midst of creating art pieces throughout the weekend. You could take a stroll around the walkway near Pleasure Island and view all of this artists working on their pieces. The details in each of these sections of concrete and chalk were amazing! This was my favorite part of the event!
If you are at the Walt Disney World Resort next November, make sure to pay a visit to Downtown Disney for the Festival of the Masters. This event is free and offers lots to do and see!
