ARTIST APPLICATION Downloadable Application
(Requires the free Adobe Acrobat)
Festival Information
Gainesville, Florida, the cultural heart of north central Florida, invites you to participate in Florida's premier fall festival of the arts. The 27th Annual Downtown Festival & Art Show, recognized as one of the top ten best art shows in the nation, invites the area’s most talented artists to apply. Artists will display and sell their artwork to more than 100,000 visitors on the beautiful, tree-lined streets of historic downtown Gainesville on Saturday, Nov. 8 and Sunday, Nov. 9, 2008. The festival features artwork from 250 of the nation’s finest artists. Guests will enjoy artwork in every medium: ceramics, fiber, glass, graphics, jewelry, mixed media, paintings, photography, sculpture, wearables and wood. Artists will display their work and compete for more than $14,000 in cash prizes and $5,000 in purchase awards, distributed during the show. Applications for the Downtown Festival & Art Show are available by request or by downloading the below link. The application deadline is May 16, 2008.
Downloadable Application
(Requires the free Adobe Acrobat)
Art lovers throughout the region attend the Festival to appreciate and purchase original artwork created by high-caliber artists. The show also provides continuous, live music from renowned musicians and local acts on three stages for added entertainment. Children and families always enjoy the Children’s Imagination Station, which offers free, interactive entertainment and creative hands-on activities. Active community members join in at our Community Information Area, which presents a forum for non-profit organizations. Guests can also indulge in a variety of delicious cuisines, from vegetarian fare to barbecue ribs.
Since 1996, Sunshine Artist magazine has consistently recognized the Downtown Festival & Art Show as one of the top 200 shows in the nation. This year, Sunshine Artist magazine placed the festival at No. 28. Even the festival’s commemorative posters have been awarded top honors. For two consecutive years, Sunshine Artist magazine recognized the Downtown Festival & Art Show’s poster image in their Annual Show Poster Contest as one of the best in the nation.
The City of Gainesville’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs invites you to apply now and become a part of Gainesville’s premier fall festival of the arts!
Festival Rules
(click for Festival rules)
City of Gainesville
Cultural Affairs
302 NE 6th Avenue
(352)393-8536
(352)334-2249-Fax
Mailing address: Station 30
PO Box 490
Gainesville, FL 32602
This year’s poster image captured the beauty of wildlife in Gainesville. Leslie Peebles, a local painter and printmaker who has been showing her artwork in North Central Florida for 12 years, has beautifully captured the image of Sandhill Cranes flying over Paynes Prairie. The medium, lino-cut block print involves a process of drawing the image then transferring it to a linoleum block. It took Peebles a total of 50 hours to carve and complete this project.
The particular scene on this year’s poster image is from a series of photographs Peebles took at Paynes Prairie. After noticing a large group of cranes, she stopped and walked back to photograph them. The cranes were startled after a couple of pictures, but she was able to get an amazing series of in-flight shots. The poster image is a combination of several photographs of both landscape details and cranes.
“I wanted the viewer to feel the drama of their migratory cycles and their connection to this amazing place,” Peebles said.