Downtown Naples New Year’s Art Festival
Name: 17th Annual Downtown Naples New Year’s Art Fair
Date: Saturday, January 5 and Sunday, January 6, 2013
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Place: The City of Naples police cordon off historic Fifth Avenue South to vehicular traffic for this vibrant downtown Naples outdoor art bazaar which drew 15,000 art lovers over two days last year.
Besides a new year and new opportunities, part of the attraction to festival goers is their ability to casually amble through booths and tents set up under the tall oaks that shade this flower-adorned thoroughfare that’s framed by Mediterranean-style buildings housing banks, real estate and stock brokerages, European-style boutiques, high-end jewelry stores, prestigious art galleries and some of the finest ristorantes, bistros and outdoor cafes in all of southwest Florida.
National Ranking: This is the #62 art festival in the United States according to Sunshine Artist Magazine, and has been in the top 100 five years running.
Description: This art festival offers residents and visitors with an alternative to football and a place to walk off calories from holiday overeating. Because of its national ranking and the beautiful weather in southwest Florida during this time of year, Naples National draws some of the finest artists in the country. Last year, 190 national and local artists displayed artworks valued collectively at nearly $15 million in categories ranging from original oils and acrylics on canvas, panel and galvanized aluminum to watercolors on paper, 2D and 3D mixed media, limited edition prints, photography, digital art, metal sculpture, wood carvings, ceramics, hand-crafted jewelry, leather works and more. There’s lots of art for every taste and pocketbook, so bring your credit card or checkbook.
In addition to Fifth Avenue’s world-renowned bistros and restaurants, there will be plenty of carnival-style food kiosks to sustain hungry patrons.
Augmenting the number of participating artists, available art and ambiance of the event on Saturday is Art in the Park, an art fair held on Park Street by Naples Art Association members on the first Saturday of each month between November and April.
Unlike a gallery or museum, a fine art festival such as this one offers savvy art enthusiasts the unique opportunity to meet the artists in person; commission a specific piece; ask questions about techniques; learn the sources of their inspiration and purchase fine works of art directly from the artists.
Cost: Admission is free.
Parking: Parking is not a problem. Organizers have not only arranged for free off-site parking, but shuttle service to and from Fifth Avenue South.
Organizer: Naples Art Association and the Downtown Naples Association
Event Director: Marianne Megela serves as Festival Director for the Naples Art Association. She joined NAA after serving as vice president and Show Chair for the Naples Artcrafters, where for six years she was responsible for organizing the art and craft shows they hold each fall/winter season in Cambier Park. Previous to that, Megela gained experience in what it takes to orchestrate a successful art show event while participating in hundreds of art shows through her photography marketing business, Artzefolks. Marianne holds a degree in commercial art from the University of Akron.
Website: http://www.naplesart.org/content/downtown-naples-new-years-weekend-art-fair-0
Facebook: None at present.
Related Art Fairs and Festivals. Besides the Downtown Naples New Year’s Art Festival, the Naples Art Association organizes the following art fairs and festivals
- Art in the Park along Park Street in downtown Naples (first Saturday of each month, November, 2011-April, 2012)
- Naples Fall Fine Art and Craft Festival, 10th Street South near the Naples Depot (November 26 & 27, 2011)
- Naples National Art Festival, Cambier Park & 8th Avenue (February 25 & 26, 2012)
- Mercato Fine Art Festival, Mercato Shopping District (March 3 & 4, 2012)
- Downtown Naples Festival of the Arts, 5th Avenue South (March 24 & 25, 2012)
Fast Facts:
Several hundred artists from around the country vie for 200 coveted spots at this prestigious art festival. Artists are selected by independent jurors to ensure the best quality artworks for festival guests to enjoy and purchase.
Related Articles and Links:
- Artists need to plan now for next season’s Naples Art quintet of art festivals (05-17-12)
- Submission deadline for 16th Annual Downtown Naples New Year’s Art Fair is September 28
- Downtown Naples New Year’s Weekend Art Fair offers alternative to football
- Downtown Naples New Year’s Weekend Art Fair starts tomorrow
About the Author
Tom Hall is both an amateur artist and aspiring novelist who writes art quest thrillers. He is in the final stages of completing his debut novel titled "Art Detective," a story that fictionalizes the discovery of the fabled billion-dollar Impressionist collection of Parisian art dealer Josse Bernheim-Jeune, thought by many to have perished during World War II when the collection's hiding place, Castle de Rastignac in southern France, was destroyed by the Wehrmacht in reprisal for attacks made by members of the Resistance operating in the area. A former tax attorney, Tom holds a bachelor's degree as well as both a juris doctorate and masters of laws in taxation from the University of Florida. Tom lives in Estero, Florida with his fiancee, Connie, and their four cats.