Gulf Coast Art Festivals

From Texas to Florida, the natural beauty of the Gulf Coast is in such abundance that the area could be considered a work of art all by itself. It makes perfect sense then that there are a bevy of art events held each year all along the beaches and the bays. Gulfscapes has found a few art festivals that are certainly worth a visit this summer and into the early fall.

29th Annual Eastern Shore Art Center’s Grand Festival
October 8-9, 2011
An outodoor art festival featuring over 100 artists exhibiting in beautiful downtown Fairhope. Free admission. Saturday & Sunday – 10:00 am – 5:00 pm. 251-928-2228 or www.esartcenter.com

14th annual ARToberFEST
October 15 & 16, 2011, Downtown Galveston, Texas
www.artoberfest.com
Thousands gather amid the relaxing charm of historic downtown Galveston for this weekend of exquisite art each year. This juried fine arts festival will feature over 125 artists with a wide array of original works, as well as music and food, all in the great outdoors. But this event isn’t just about beautiful pieces of art. Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the AIDS Coalition of Coastal Texas and the Galveston Island Humane Society. The festival also offers booth space to student artists at no charge, allowing them to gain experience in marketing and selling their works.

Dauphin Island Art Trail
Oct 15, 2011
Beautiful and historic Dauphin Island will be home to an Art Trail featuring numerous local and regional artists, such as David and Linda Miller, Dena McKee, and Mary Anderson Pickard and Chris Stebly– both related to famed artist Walter Anderson – exhibiting and selling their work at nine retail locations across the Island. Bellingrath Gardens and Home in Theodore will join in the celebration of art by featuring various regional artists in conjunction with the Dauphin Island Art Trail. Whether you’re an avid arts aficionado, casual collector, or a weekend beach vacationer, the inaugural Dauphin Island Art Trail will prove to be an ideal and laid back environment from which you will be inspired to take in the beauties of life, art and nature at your own leisurely pace. In addition to the opportunity to engage first hand with some of the region’s most prominent artists and purchase their art at this inaugural event, each Art Trail patron will be given a card to be stamped at each of the nine Art Trail locations on Dauphin Island. Cards which receive stamps from all nine of the island locations will be entered into a drawing and eligible for numerous prizes. 251-490-0294 or www.alabamacoast.org

22nd Annual Hyde Park Village Art Fair
October 29-30, 2011, Hyde Park Village, Tampa, Florida
www.artfestival.com
Over 150 artists and arts exhibitors will converge on Hyde Park Village in Tampa with works ranging from massive sculptures to delicate jewelry and everything in between during the Art Fair. Visitors will also enjoy live entertainment, shopping and delicious food. The Fair is a juried show, which means each participating artist is hand-selected from hundreds of applicants to ensure only the highest quality, original artwork is on display. You also have the opportunity to interact with the artists. All of the work is available for purchase, and with prices ranging from $15 earrings and $50 prints to $20,000 sculptures, there’s something to fit any budget.

33rd Peter Anderson Festival
November 5-6, 2011
33rd Peter Anderson Festival will be held on downtown, on November 5 & 6. The event is hosted by the OS Chamber and presented by Blue Moon. Vendor booths SOLD OUT. APPLICATIONS NO LONGER AVAILABLE. 228-875-4424

Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival
November 4, 5 & 6, 2011
Held in Seville Square, Pensacola, FL, the Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival is one of the most highly regarded and popular arts festivals in America. The Festival, a three-day, juried art show, comes to Pensacola’s historic Seville Square the first weekend in November. Each year, it draws more than 200 of the nation’s best painters, potters, sculptors, jewelers, graphic artists, craftsmen, mixed-media artists and others who have been gifted with the ability to turn inspiration into art. www.ggaf.org

Corpus Christi Festival of the Arts
March 30– April 1, 2012
This free event includes Italian street painting, dance, music, theater, cinema, juried artisan vendors, and a KidZone.
361-949-1995 www.ccfestivalarts.org

43rd Annual Rockport Art Festival
July 7 & 8, 2012
Rockport Center for the Arts, Rockport, Texas
361-729-5519, www.rockportartcenter.com
Catch a cool breeze coming off the water while perusing a wide variety of art at this annual celebration of all things creative. Over 120 artists, including potters, painters, wood carvers and more, will be showing their work bayside across from the Rockport Center for the Arts.
The Rockport Center for the Arts was started in the 19th century when informal groups of Rockport artists gathered to share their interests. Today, the Center boasts a state-of-the-art main gallery as well as two parlor galleries that are dedicated entirely to the works of the Center’s member artists.
In addition to art, at the festival visitors will find food, music, a kids’ activity tent and more. With so much to see and do, the event is a definite “can’t miss” for families. Another plus? The large food tent is air conditioned, providing a welcome escape from July’s heat.

Monthly Art Events along the Gulf Coast
Corpus Christi ArtWalk – First Friday of every month 5:30- 9 pm
La Retama Park, Corpus Christi, TX 78401
ArtWalk is a monthly Downtown Corpus Christi event organized by the Downtown Management District in association with K Space and artist sponsor David L Phillips. www.artwalkcc.com