Go On A Whimsical Adventure With the Irresistible Mattie the Giraffe in First Book from Award-Winning Artist-Author Andi Scurto

  32-Page Illustrated Book Available to Pre-Order at Artist’s Website at www.mattiethegiraffe.com and Available at Three Florida Book Signings. 

Destin, FL, December 16, 2021 — This is the time of year we get together with our families and friends to share something special, and there is no better gift to share with your loved ones than a great book, especially one for children. 

“The Accidental Adventure of Mattie the Giraffe” is a colorfully illustrated tale of the day that Mattie learns to ride her bicycle. This new release, by Destin, Florida author and artist Andi Scurto, is a captivating story about Mattie’s unexpected adventure that makes the perfect winter-break read for your children. 

Written and illustrated by Scurto, Mattie the Giraffe is a beloved character that has developed a whimsical following over the last six years. Scurto’s illustrations not only inspire wonder and curiosity, but leave fans asking, “where will Mattie be next?” 

Bring Mattie the Giraffe into your home by ordering “The Accidental Adventure of Mattie the Giraffe” straight from Scurto’s website at https://andiart.com/mattiethegiraffebook , signed by the author. There is limited stock, and once it runs out you can find copies on amazon.com at https://www.amazon.com/Accidental-Adventure-Mattie-Giraffe/dp/1667811819/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3HENF8KFUJOB2&keywords=the+accidental+adventure+of+mattie+the+giraffe&qid=1637705048&sprefix=The+Accidental+Adventure+of+%2Caps%2C218&sr=8-1  or Barnes & Noble at https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-accidental-adventure-of-mattie-the-giraffe-andi-scurto/1140406551.   

The book, which is scheduled to be released Dec. 14, 2021, is also available to pre-order from Target at: https://www.target.com/p/the-accidental-adventure-of-mattie-the-giraffe-by-andi-scurto-hardcover/-/A-85279239.   

Local Author Meet-and-Greet Locations Announced: 

In addition, there will be three book signings where attendees can meet the author and get an autographed book: 

1. Dec. 22  Sundog Books, Seaside FL 12-4 p.m. 

a. 89 Central Square, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459 

2. Jan. 8 Bodacious Books, Pensacola FL 11-3 p.m. 

a. 110 E Intendencia St., Pensacola, FL 32502 

3. Jan. 11 Destin Library, Destin, FL 2:30 p.m. 

a. 150 Sibert Ave., Destin, FL 32541 

Hailing from Destin, Florida by way of Green Bay, Wisconsin, Scurto is of Colombian descent and finds the warm Florida weather much to her liking. 

Six years in the making, Mattie the Giraffe began as a shy illustration that went on to be the subject of the 20th anniversary poster for Destin Festival of the Arts and then continued to win multiple awards, culminating in the book. Scurto’s favorite pastimes include bird-watching, attempting to complete the NY Times daily crossword and of course, riding her bike. This is her first book. 

Contact:
Marci Bracco Cain
The Buzz PR LLC
Salinas, CA
(831) 747-7455
http://www.mattiethegiraffe.com

Hofsas House Hotel Announces its Artist-in-Residence Program Launching Dec. 11, 2020, with Art Reception, Live Painting

 Cities often inspire art. Anyone who's been to cities like Paris, Rome, or Prague, however, knows that some cities also are art. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, is one such city. 

Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA, October 19, 2020 - Cities often inspire art. Anyone who's been to cities like Paris, Rome, or Prague, however, knows that some cities also are art. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, is one such city. It's no surprise, then, that it's home to a thriving community of artists — a fact that's celebrated front and center at The Hofsas House Hotel. 

The hotel has announced its new Artist-in-Residence program, offering art tours, and has several murals and public displays of art. 

The first Artist in Residence is Marie-Clare Treseder Gorham, a Carmel-based folk artist who incorporates medieval themes and iconography in her work that reflects the style of the California Arts and Crafts movement. Her great-grandfather was William S. Rice, one of the masters of the movement. 

She will make the first of monthly appearances from 4-6 p.m. on Dec. 11 and 4-6 p.m. Jan. 8. 

During the appearances she will showcase her first Artist-in-Residence project of creating a custom headboard and room décor for Room 36, which is a deluxe king room with fireplace, private balcony and ocean view on the street level of San Carlos Street, the same floor as the hotel’s lobby. She will also paint a few characters on the entrance door that will highlight the unique nature of the room. 

The complimentary art-themed reception for hotel guests will include meet the artist, a sneak peek at the current project in which people can watch and ask questions of the artist, plus wine and small bites. 

The inspiration for the Artist-in-Residence program began early in the COVID-19 pandemic. The City of Carmel-by-the-Sea created a campaign to promote solidarity in the village. To honor the town’s heritage as an arts colony, Gorham painted an outdoor mural called “Carmel Shell” which is located on the corner of Mission Street and Sixth Avenue. 

Visitors shared selfies on social media, and Visit Carmel and the local library distributed coloring pages of the mural’s design, with versions hanging in windows for neighbors to see. The campaign fit nicely with a 100-year tradition of artists drawing inspiration from this storybook village. 

No local business fits as well within that storybook as Hofsas House, a uniquely decorated boutique inn owned by a woman and once brought to life by a woman who became one of America's finest artists. 

Located in a quieter part of downtown on San Carlos Street north of Ocean Avenue, the Hofsas House borrows from the fabled Dutch/Bavarian architecture of the 19th century. It just needed a spectacular adornment. 

Enter Maxine Albro (1893-1966), who left a remarkable visual stamp on the village with her work on the hotel. Among few women commissioned under the New Deal's Federal Art Project during the Great Depression, Albro became best known for painting a large fresco at San Francisco’s Coit Tower, depicting agricultural life in California. 

Influenced by the work of Mexican muralist Diego Rivera, Albro moved to Carmel in the 1940s, befriending innkeeper Donna Hofsas, who opened her hotel in 1947. 

To enhance the inn’s Bavarian theme, Hofsas commissioned her friend to adorn the building with a whimsical mural. In addition, Albro painted three works now hanging in the lobby, along with the colorful, elaborate headboard in Room 47. (Guests often request that room as part of the “Get Artsy Package.”)  

Today, Hofsas House retains its charm, with help from its pronounced pink exterior and Albro’s mural. Managed by Hofsas’ granddaughter Carrie Theis, the inn cherishes Albro’s work as a familial legacy. 

“We appreciate the work by Maxine to bring more character to Hofsas House,” Theis said. “She adds to the artistic history of Carmel.” 

A pet-friendly hotel, Hofsas House is located eight blocks from the picturesque Carmel Beach and one block from a child-friendly city park. It has 37 uniquely decorated, spacious rooms, many with ocean views. Other amenities include: continental breakfast, heated swimming pool, dry saunas, off-street parking, and free wireless Internet access. For more information, visit www.hofsashouse.com

 

Contact: 
Marci Bracco Cain 
Chatterbox PR 
Salinas, CA 93901 
(831) 747-7455 
http://www.hofsashouse.com