FESTIVAL INFORMATION
31st Annual
Downtown
Festival & Art Show
November 3 – 4, 2012
2011 Downtown Festival & Art Show Commercial
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The nationally recognized Downtown Festival & Art Show transforms downtown Gainesville into a venue for award-winning artists and draws a crowd of more than 100,000. Presented by the City of Gainesville Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs, the festival celebrates its 31st anniversary in 2012. For two days, visitors can leisurely stroll through historic downtown and marvel at works from more than 250 of the nation’s most talented artists, who display their original oils and acrylics, vibrant watercolors, captivating sculptures, dazzling jewelry, decorative ceramics and vivid photography. Guests at the show can interact with artists while getting a head start on holiday shopping by purchasing one-of-a-kind artwork. They can also savor local and international cuisine and listen to live music performed on three stages.
This year the festival will be held on Saturday, November 3, and Sunday, November 4, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Since its creation, Downtown Festival & Art Show has risen dramatically in national rankings. For the past three years, Sunshine Artist magazine has recognized the festival as one of the top 30 fairs and festivals in the country, naming it No. 16 in 2011. Greg Lawler’s Art Fair SourceBook also ranked the festival as one of the top 100 fine art festivals in the nation.
Performing Arts
The festival is recognized not only for its art but also for its entertainment. Music from local bands and solo musicians features a blend of folk, jazz, country, pop and soul genres. Dance companies also catch the eyes of the crowd with ballet, jazz, modern and international dance performances.
Children's Art
While adults explore art booths and listen to music, children can unleash their artistic talents at the "Imagination Station," They can design masks, paint their own masterpieces, create buttons and puppets, sculpt clay and draw with sidewalk chalk. If they’re looking for entertainment, children can sit back and enjoy puppet shows, magic acts and music performances that are sure to bring smiles to their faces. Art Education students from the University of Florida work diligently throughout the fall semester to produce this creative and inspirational experience for children of all ages.
Culinary Arts
Food booths mingle with artist booths at the festival, attracting customers with mouth-watering treats varying from creamy, homemade ice cream to crisp, golden Bloomin’Onion. Visitors can also taste authentic Pad-Thai cuisine, sweet barbecue ribs, hearty Mediterranean pitas and Cajun jambalaya.
With more than 20 food vendors, the Festival incorporates many multicultural dishes to satisfy anyone’s appetite!
Parking in the
is $5.00 daily and open 24 hours a day.
- Festival Information
- Press Releases
- Artist Application
- Volunteer Program
- Art Sponsor Program
- Entertainment Schedule
- Festival Artists
- Directions & Hotel Sponsors
- Festival Sponsors
- Email Us
Cultural Affairs
302 NE 6th Avenue
(352)393-8536
(352)334-2249-Fax
Mailing address: Station 30
PO Box 490
Gainesville, FL 32602
The 2011 poster artist, Mary McIntyre, served as one of the festival's first directors, and she and her husband have owned and operated a local stained glass studio and art gallery since 1980. Though their inspirations come from many sources, much of Mary and Mike McIntyre’s work depicts local flora and fauna. This year’s poster image, featuring a stained glass representation of a sandhill crane nestled among a magnolia and palm tree, is no exception. Sandhill cranes live in Florida’s marshes and prairies. Most noticeable during the fall and spring seasons, McIntyre said, these birds announce their annual return to Florida with distinctive calls that cause locals to stop, listen and appreciate the rich and vibrant natural beauty of north central Florida. Mary McIntyre has been a full-time stained glass artist in Gainesville for more than 30 years. Mostly self-taught, McIntyre graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in education. Her husband studied architecture at UF, and he and his fellow students were asked to design a building for a stained glass studio. A slideshow of the studio’s stained glass images sparked Mary and Mike McIntyre’s interest in this beautiful medium. On a trip to California in 1976, they were further exposed to stained glass craftsmanship at a local art gallery. That same year, they began designing stained glass of their own, and they opened their first studio in downtown Gainesville in 1980. The nuances and creative possibilities of this medium and the ever-changing effects of light passing through glass continue to challenge and fascinate them, McIntyre said. McIntyre creates her award-winning work through time-honored, traditional techniques in order to ensure the structural integrity of her pieces. A strong sense of design, attention to detail and a commitment to superb craftsmanship are hallmarks of the pieces she and her husband produce. |
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