International Invited Artist

In 1999, the International Invited Artist program was first introduced with Mr. Tadishiro Fukui, a master woodblock artist from Pensacola's Sister City of Hagiwara, Japan exhibiting at the festival.

Since then, the International Invited Artist has become a mainstay of the Festival. Many of the artists have come from Pensacola Sister Cities.

In 2000, Mr. Mario Parra, a sculptor and his wife, Elizabeth Thompson, a textile artist visited from another Pensacola Sister City, Escazu, Costa Rica. 2001 saw another Sister City artist, Luz Becerra from Miraflores, Peru. Ms. Beccerra works in leather.

In 2002, we had a ceramic artist from Xalapa, Mexico, Ms. Leonor Anaya. Our 2003 International Artists were another husband and wife team, Mr. and Mrs. Lin Shin-Hui from our Sister City of Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

In 2007, textile artist Zenon Cirilo Pumayalli Quispe from Chinchero, Peru, in the Andes Mountains was featured at the Festival.

The 2009 International Artist was Joan Bailey, an artist from Calgary, Alberta, Canada.