Something for everyone at the Village of the Arts

In Bradenton, there’s a special neighborhood where almost every house, sidewalk and picket fence is a blank canvas waiting to be explored. It’s a place where dozens of artists live and work in harmony. They call it the Village of the Arts. “Artist by artist, house by house, creating galleries and studios and fixing up derelict housing for the last 22 years,” said artist Mary Fragapane. When Fragapane walks her neighborhood, she can’t help but feel inspired. She owns one of about 300 early 20th-century bungalows that make up the Village of the Arts.