ArtFest Fort Myers

ArtFest Fort Myers, Southwest Florida’s premier fine art festival, is pleased to announce an all new Poster/T-shirt Competition for the 2014 festival.  “This competition is open to all professional artists,” explains Sharon McAllister, Executive Director.  “Our Commemorative Poster and T-Shirt always feature inspiring original artwork and we encourage any artist, not just those applying to participate in ArtFest Fort Myers 2014, to submit their artwork for Poster/T-shirt consideration.

The artist whose work is selected for the Poster/T-shirt will be featured in a broad range of print, on line and VIP promotions preceding festival weekend, and continuing throughout the year, as well as a free booth space at ArtFest Fort Myers 2014, a complimentary three night stay at our host hotel, plus an invitation to join us at ArtFest Fort Myers 2015 and much more!

“It has been a great honor to have participated twice as the Poster Artist for ArtFest Fort Myers,” said Tim Parker. “This was a tremendous opportunity to gain a significantly wider audience. The related advertising and promotion of my artwork provided priceless exposure and my great sales certainly were a reflection of the media attention.”

Submissions for this contest must represent original artwork, in a theme that denotes Southwest Florida and is appealing to a broad audience. Entries will be accepted from May 15, 2013 through August 20, 2013 and images can be submitted by email.  For more information, visit our web site ArtFestFortMyers.com and click on Poster Contest or call 239-768-3602

Proceeds from the sales of the Commemorative Poster and T-Shirt help to support the ArtFest Fort Myers’ art education outreach programs – The After School Art Clubs, the Boys and Girls Art Club at Shady Oaks, The Visiting Artist Program and Art Supply Grants.

ArtFest Fort Myers, the annual juried fine art festival, takes place February 1 & 2, 2014 in the Fort Myers River District. Join the experience with 200 professional artists from across the county and around the world; the largest high school art exhibit and competition in south Florida and free interactive art experiences for children of all ages.  For more information, visit  ArtFestFortMyers.com

ArtFest Fort Myers is excited to announce the 200 artists for the fine art festival February 1, 2  & 3, 2013. Over 800 artists from across the country and around the world apply and only the best-of-the-best were chosen.

Get a sneak peek at the artwork at ArtFestFortMyers.com/gallery. You can even click through to the artist’s website and make your art shopping plans.

Certain to delight all attendees are sculpture, painting, ceramics, photography, printmaking, drawing, digital, mixed media, ceramics, fiber, glass, jewelry, metal, wearable fiber and wood. Be sure to take advantage of this unique opportunity to come to ArtFest Fort Myers and talk to individual artists and buy Made-by the-Artist artwork. They love to share the stories of how their work is created and what inspires them.

To select the 200 artists who will show their work at ArtFest Fort Myers 2013, a panel of five art professionals looked at 3200 images representing the 815 artists who applied to part of the fine art festival.  The jury process takes an entire day and critical decisions regarding which artwork will be a part of the festival come down to averaging the five jury scores.  Artists with the highest scores, in each medium, are invited to attend ArtFest Fort Myers.

“We provide our jury panel, all artists in their own right, with a basic set of criteria”, explains Sharon McAllister, ArtFest Fort Myers Executive Director.  “They are reminded to consider artistic merit, technical competence and presentation, as they score each artists’ work. They always look for that unique combination of craftsmanship and inventiveness that is clearly original. Of course, our jury members bring their own individual criteria to determine excellence in art.  This impartial system insures that the best-of-the-best will be represented at our fine art festival each year. And, we are fortunate to be able to use state-of-the-art equipment at Edison State College to host our jury panel.”