Downtown Festival and Art Show
On one special weekend each year, thousands of visitors flood the streets of downtown Gainesville to enjoy the music, art, food and culture found at North Central Florida’s most exciting fall festival of the arts. On Nov. 8 & 9, 2008 , the 27th Annual Downtown Festival & Art Show invites everyone to enjoy two fun-filled days of art and entertainment. The festival weekend begins with a memorable evening under the stars as the rhythms of the Downtown Blues Concert fill the air. On Saturday and Sunday, historic downtown Gainesville comes alive as thousands of spectators enjoy over 250 colorful displays from the region's finest artists. There is something for everyone’s taste, including original paintings, ceramics, jewelry, photography and more. On Saturday evening, join us at the Downtown Community Plaza for the Downtown Music Showcase featuring some of Gainesville’s best musicians. The festival weekend is not only unforgettable, but it is absolutely FREE and open to the public. This highly acclaimed event has been rated among the top 200 best fine art and crafts shows in the country by Sunshine Artist Magazine (America's premier show and festival publication), which ranked the 2006 show as number 28 out of the 10,000 shows considered from coast to coast. Enjoy three stages of continuous live music and performances, create art with the kids at the "Imagination Station,” feast on foods from around the world and get a head start on your holiday shopping at the Downtown Festival & Art Show. The Downtown Festival and Art Show is proudly produced by the City of Gainesville's Division of Cultural Affairs.
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The Hoggetowne Medieval Faire
H ave you ever wondered what it was like in Medieval days when knights rode to defend the honor of their King and Queen and villagers filled the streets of bustling medieval marketplaces as they went about their day? The Hoggetowne Medieval Faire is your chance to find out! Whether you’re a returning visitor or discovering the magic of Hoggetowne for the first time, you’re guaranteed to enjoy yourself at this celebration of Medieval times. The entertainment never ceases as jugglers, magicians and a colorful cast of characters fill visitors with laughter and amazement. Watch as royal knights joust on horseback and human chess pieces battle for a win on the Living Chessboard. Indulge your appetite with delicacies fit for a King at the Food Court, and enjoy your day wandering through the marketplace filled with the wares of 150 skilled artisans selling and demonstrating their time-honored arts and crafts of the Middle Ages. Continually recognized as one of North Central Florida’s most anticipated festivals, the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire has attracted thousands of fairgoers for over 20 years. This year, experience the Middle Ages, and find out what all the excitement is about.
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Photos by Nancy Bogen
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 Thomas Center Galleries
On behalf of the City of Gainesville Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs, I am pleased to introduce another exciting year of diverse, thought-provoking exhibitions and events. Visitors will continue to experience the highest quality of work by local, regional, national and emerging artists. To promote the arts and serve our local constituents, we partner with schools, organizations and businesses. Special events, lectures, symposiums and workshops are offered throughout the season.
The Main Gallery starts the year with Game Day! From Medieval Times to the Modern Age which explores the human drive to compete and the desire to be entertained. The Game Day! activities include an exhibition, a colloquium and several events in collaboration with the University of Florida Center for Medieval and Modern Studies, Center for European Studies, Society for Creative Anachronism and the City’s Hoggetowne Medieval Faire. Next, works by local carver Jesse Aaron (1887-1979): A Gainesville Folk Legend will be exhibited in honor of African-American history month. This special exhibition is followed by a retrospective of notable artist and University of Florida Art Professor Richard Heipp: Selected Works - 25 years. Summer 2008 brings the Juror’s Choice: 2007 Regional Award Winners. The 8th Annual Regional Juried Exhibition provides an annual exposure and reward opportunity for Florida artists. Blending art with nature, Liquid Muse: Paintings of the St. Johns Region is curated by Mallory O’Connor and Gary Monroe and features work by 45 Florida artists. This remarkable eco-heritage exhibition marks the Center’s first traveling exhibition, and related public programs were generously funded by the Florida Humanities Council, a program of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Rounding out the year, seven contemporary Chinese photographers reveal triumphs and challenges in China in Documenting China: Photography and Social Change. This dynamic international exhibition was curated by Gu Zheng, of Fudan University in Shanghai and organized by the Bates College Museum of Art and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) program. It is co-sponsored by the University of Florida Asian Studies Program.
The Mezzanine Gallery season opens with an exciting variety of work exhibited by the Gainesville Artisans’ Guild. Creativity continues to flourish during the Alachua County Schools’ student art exhibitions followed by Beyond the Art Room: Those Who Teach Can Also Do featuring work by Alachua County Art Teachers. Additional local arts organizations like the Gainesville Association for the Creative Arts and the Gainesville Fine Arts Association exhibit a captivating array of styles from their members. Artists of the City II reprises the work of the City of Gainesville’s artistically talented employees. New works by Santa Fe Community College Graphic Design Program Students soar in Roller Coasters, Diners, and Wind-ups: A Process Color Collaborative Project. The year builds to a conclusion with Celebrate Design which showcases award winning designs by AIA architects and designers.
As always, we look forward to seeing new faces and returning friends.
Erin Friedberg,
Visual Arts Coordinator
2007-2008 Exhibition Schedule
The Thomas Center Galleries are free and open to the public. We are located at 302 NE 6th Ave. in the historical Duckpond neighborhood of Gainesville. Gallery hours are Monday-Friday from 9 AM- 5 PM, and Saturday and Sunday from 1- 4 PM. We are closed for observed holidays.
For further information, please call (352) 393-8532. |
