The Clay Gallery Event Calendar

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 30th anniversary in 2011. 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.

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.

Planning first began for this event in 1992 when Harry Messersmith, Director of the DeLand Museum of Art, initiated discussions with local community leaders and downtown merchants about the feasibility of producing a two-day fine arts event in the historic downtown area of DeLand.

The event now has an annual attendance of more than 50,000 over the weekend immediately prior to Thanksgiving each year. The juried show attracts artists from all across the United States and several international venues as well. Applicants compete for one of the 210 exhibition spaces.

Over the years, the Festival has received numerous awards and honors. It continues to receive high marks from the artists who exhibit here with over 75% of them reapplying annually. It is rated as one of the most “Artist Friendly” venues in the state in such publications as Sunshine Artist. Its popularity among attendees remains high also. The festival has scored very well in numerous surveys. A reader’s poll in Florida Monthly Magazine named it the number one Arts & Craft Show in the State of Florida.

The Space Coast Art Festival is one of the top in the Southeast, drawing high-quality artists from throughout the nation. The festival kicks off Thanksgiving morning with an entertaining start to a fun-filled weekend.

The main show begins Saturday at 9 a.m. and runs until 5 p.m. Stick around or come back for more live stage music downtown that evening until 11 p.m. The art show continues Sunday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. There will be plenty of activities for the entire family, including the Margaret Heins Student Art Show (located on the grassy lot on South Brevard Avenue) where you will have the opportunity to view the work of many young artists from throughout Brevard County, children’s hands-on art, face-painting and live entertainment throughout the weekend.