Alessandro Wailea Wine & Food Festival Art Contest Winner

The winning art piece titled “Wine & Spirit” by Taryn Allessandro will be displayed in banners throughout Wailea Resort during the upcoming festival weekend. Photo courtesy of Ferrer Communications.

By Sonia Isotov

Maui artist Taryn Alessandro has been named the winner of the inaugural “Art Wine & Food” art competition and the official festival artist of the first annual Wailea Wine & Food Festival, December 6-9, 2012, according to an announcement by the Wailea Resort Association today.

The winning art piece titled “Wine & Spirit” will be displayed in banners throughout Wailea Resort during the upcoming festival weekend, with submitted art pieces for sale via silent auction benefiting the Maui Culinary Academy.

A self-proclaimed “mixed media artist,” Allessandro was born and raised on the Connecticut coastline, but currently resides on Maui. Her work is currently showing at Sargents Fine Art in Lahaina, Turnbull Fine Art in Paia and Kahakuloa, and Maui Hands in Lahaina. .

Allessandro is a classically trained artist and earned her bachelor of fine arts (BFA) in painting from Boston University in 2007. In addition to her BFA, she has also studied fine arts at the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts, the Decordova Museum School, and studied painting abroad in Italy.

“Gold leaf,  paper, resin, sand, corrugated cardboard, and other found objects add texture, depth, and excitement to my work, providing both a visual and tactile experience. When creating a composition, I work from all sorts of references; photos, textiles, life, imagination, collage, design-everything,” says Allessandro in her artist statement on her website.

“I love experimentation and I always welcome new ideas and materials into my work. Each piece is a new adventure for me.”

The competition was open to all Maui County artists with submissions ranging from oil paintings, silver gelatin and gelee prints, enamel paintings, photography on canvas and acrylic on canvas.

Marking the first year as Wailea Resort’s signature event, the four-day festival takes place at the Four Seasons Resort Maui, The Fairmont Kea Lani, Wailea Beach Marriott Resort and the Grand Wailea.

The festival will showcase the award winning cuisine of Wailea Resort chefs paired with 65 wineries from around the world and eight attending master sommeliers.

Taryn Alessandro displayed mixed media that incorporated found-objects. Susan Halas photo.

Wine Encounters such as “Pinot Passion,” “Three Decades of Cabernet,” “Escape To Italy in Eight Glasses” and “Wine & Cheese – The Perfect Pairing” promise to entice and educate guests eager to learn the latest trends in food and wine. Here is a sampling of other planned festival events:

• Hawaiian duo-Kaniala Masoe & Steve Repollo at Thursday’s Welcome Reception held at The Fairmont Kea Lani Palm Court.
• “DaVine Experience,” Saturday’s culinary extravaganza held at The Grand Wailea Resort’s Reflection Pools will feature the sounds of SLAM with Jay Molina followed by Soul Congress with Clay Mortensen, while guests enjoy hundreds of wines by region and the cuisine of Wailea Restaurants Amasia, DUO, Capische?, Nick’s Fish Market, Gannon’s, Fabiani’s and Ko.
• At Sunday’s afternoon event, “Grillin’ & Chillin, Where There’s Smoke There’s Wine” at the Oceanfront Lawn at the      Wailea Beach Marriott Resort, participating restaurants that will “master their grills,” including Tommy Bahama, Monkeypod Kitchen by Merriman, Capische?, Mulligan’s and the Wailea Beach Marriott. Entertainment provided by HI Groove with Brado and Kawika Ortiz Rock n Roll band.

To purchase tickets or view a complete schedule of events for the inaugural Wailea Wine & Food Festival, or go online to www.waileawineandfoodfestival.com. Special Kama’aina prices available for all events. Participating Wailea Resort hotels will provide complimentary valet parking with validation for attendees including four-day festival pass holders, ala carte and Kama’aina ticket holders