The Artists and Writers Ball was founded in the late-1970s in

Tampa, FL Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough County ...

Bud Lee (photographer) Bud Lee (January 11, 1941, White Plains, New York–June 11, 2015, Plant City, Florida) was a Florida based photojournalist and artist, known for his photograph of a boy wounded in the 1967 Newark riots. Biography Bud Lee was born Charles Todd L ...

, Peggy Lee, David Audet, Paul Wilborn, Jeff Dunlap, Beverly Coe,

Bebe Williams ''Art Comics Daily'' is a pioneering webcomic first published in March 1995 by Bebe Williams, who lives in Arlington, Virginia, United States.Peterson, Iver (October 28, 1996). "The Search for the Next 'Doonesbury". ''The New York Times'', Pg. D9 ...

, Mary D. Scourtes and Charley Greacen as an alternative to the exclusive

Gasparilla Pirate Festival The Gasparilla Pirate Festival is a large parade and a host of related community events held in Tampa, Florida almost every year since 1904. The theme of the festivities is a friendly invasion by the mythical pirate José Gaspar (also known as Gasp ...

krewes A krewe (pronounced "crew") is a social organization that puts on a parade or ball for the Carnival season. The term is best known for its association with Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans, but is also used in other Carnival celebrations ...

and parade.

Biography

In the late-1970s, photographer Bud Lee moved to Tampa, FL as part of the

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...

Artists-in-Schools program. While working in the Artists-in-Schools program, Lee married art teacher Peggy Laseter and they moved into a storefront in Ybor City. At the time, Ybor City, a historic Cuban part of Tampa, was home to many working artist and Lee saw the opportunity to create an event that would bring all the creative energy of Ybor City and Tampa together. It would be the undergrounds alternative to the exclusive Gasparilla parties held by Tampa's social clubs. The Artists and Writers Ball was to be an antidote or spoof of the Gasparilla parties. It was to be a themed costumed Ball that encouraged all to participate through action, spirit and costume. The first Ball, "Dante's Inferno", was held in the ballroom at the historic Cuban Club in 1978. A local welder, Sam Parker, and entertainer, Ana Tampanna, were introduced as king and queen during a procession in which Tampanna paraded through the crowd in a peacock costume. The Artists and Writers Ball became an annual event with such themes as: "Cowboys and Indians in Love", "Bad Taste in Outer Space", "The Dizzy Dali Ball", " Calhoun's Little Hawaiian Circus for the Poor", and "The B.C. Ball". It, also, expanded from the ballroom to encompass the entire four floors and patio of the Cuban Club attracting thousands of participants. What little money was made went into other Artists and Writers Group activities, such as, a magazine called Tabloid, the Artists and Writers Cafe and a few variety shows, "Fellini's Birthday Party" and "The USO Show." The Artists and Writers Ball eventually ended due to rising insurance rates. In October 2006, a new incarnation of the Artists and Writers Group led by David Audet hosted its first ball, "The Reunion Ball", in 15 years.Citytimes: Artists & Writers Ball returns for loopy fun
/ref>

Notes

{{reflist

External links

Artists and Writers Ball Official Website
Culture of Tampa, Florida 1970s establishments in Florida