The number of 33 - year old art festivals in the United States are few. The number with organizing committee s comprised of women aged 71 to 89 are fewer. The DeLand Outdoor Art Festival is one of those shows. President Virginia Clauson, the 89-year-old, has been with the art festival all of its 33 years. Her co-chairperson, 75-year-old Pat Moyer, has been with it almost as long. Treasurer Anna Pascoe, 82, and Public Relations Coordinator and 71-year-old baby of the group Flo Perro, also have long histories with the festival.
A group of volunteers, some of them younger, assist the four committee members over the show weekend, typically the last in March, but the busy ladies handle everything else alone, including jurying. Artists and crafters themselves, these Art Festival Grande Dames do not participate as exhibitors, but nonetheless stay busy with their work. In addition Virginia Cllauson and her staff volunteer for other organizations, travel and spend time with family. Anna Pascoe retired from substitute teaching last year.

This just goes to show that vibrant, vital seniors not only exhibit at art festivals...they run them too!

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