ArtiGras Fine Arts Festival in Jupiter Feb 13-15
February 4th, 2010
Jupiter, FL – Florida’s premiere fine arts festival, ArtiGras, produced by the Northern Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce, was selected once again by the Southeast Tourism Society as one of the Top 20 Festivals in the Southeast. ArtiGras which will be celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2010 will be returning to Abacoa in Jupiter during Presidents’ Day Weekend — February 13, 14, and 15.
ArtiGras, which started over two decades ago in the parking lot of the North Palm Beach Country Club, has grown to include over 300 artists and 150,000 patrons over the three-day holiday weekend. To be selected as one of the Top 20 festivals, Artigras had to compete again the best events across the Southeast. Through a nomination process, the Southeast Tourism Society selects the best festivals to receive the prestigious Top 20 Events designation.
The highlight of ArtiGras is the Fine Arts Area, which features gallery quality work from artists exhibiting a variety of styles in a multitude of different mediums including glass, photography, jewelry, painting, sculpture, wood, fiber, mixed media, ceramic and drawing. Winners of the juried exhibition receive over $22,000 in prize money. In addition to the fine art on display, patrons of ArtiGras also enjoy activities which include live entertainment, artist demonstrations, children’s interactive art activities, a celebrity art auction and a youth art competition.
ArtiGras Dates and Times
ArtiGras 2010 will be located in Abacoa on Central Boulevard in Jupiter, Fla. Festival hours are 10:00 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, February 13; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, February 14; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, February 15.
Admission: $6 – Advance tickets, $10 – at the gate, children 12 and under free. Advance Tickets are available at The Gardens Mall information desk, the Maltz Jupiter Theater Box Office, National City Bank Branches and online at www.artigras.org. One dollar from each advance ticket goes towards the ArtiGras’ Art Education Fund which distributed money annually to local area schools to fund their art curriculum.
Free Parking: Parking is close, safe and easy. There are parking areas designated near the Roger Dean Stadium, FAU, Dwyer High School, Lighthouse Elementary, and Jupiter Middle School. Each of these lots is accessible from Military Trail. Free Shuttle buses run every 5 minutes to and from the lots to the festival gates.
Charitable Affiliations: Schools and local charities benefit from ArtiGras. The 2010 beneficiaries include the Kiwanis Clubs, Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida, Amara Shriners, and through the ArtiGras’ Art Education Fund over 30 local and private schools.
ArtiGras Attractions
Fine Arts Area: Showcases the talents of 350 national, regional and local fine artists. The show is noted for strong art sales and is rated “one of the top 50 shows in the nation” by Sunshine Artist Magazine. All artists are required to be present during the show allowing patrons to meet and personally get to know the artists. Artists compete for awards in the areas of paintings, drawing/graphics/printing, sculpture, wood, fiber, glass, photography, mixed media, jewelry, watercolor and ceramics.
Garden Art Area: Offers fine handmade craft items made with the outdoor garden in mind. Find unique items to useful home and garden accessories, the selection is varied including wood, glass, sculptures, fountains and furnishings.
Homegrown Art: For the third year in a row, ArtiGras is supporting a program for Emerging Artists called “Homegrown Art”. This program is an innovative and resourceful tool that mentors emerging artists, who reside within 200 miles of the show grounds, and teaches them the process of exhibiting. Artists in Homegrown Art have not established a record as a professional artist by showing their work in museums, art centers, major galleries or juried outdoor art exhibitions. In addition, Homegrown Artists must not have more than 25% of their total annual income derived from the sale of their artwork and must not be licensed professionally as a visual artist.
Music on the Main Stage: Varied musical entertainment will be featured on the Main Stage throughout the day including jazz, R&B, and island music. The Main Stage is located in the Food Court on University Boulevard. Look for the entertainment line-up online at artigras.org.
Celebrity Art Auction: Internationally known celebrities and sports figures donate doodles, autographed photographs and objects for a silent auction to benefit the Heath Evans Foundation and ArtiGras’ Art Education Fund. The Heath Evans Foundation is dedicated to fostering hope and healing in the lives of children and families affected by sexual abuse. Contributors to this year’s Celebrity Art Auction include Mario Andretti, Rodney/Elijah Atkins, Jim Belushi, Bobby Bowden, David Cassidy, David Copperfield, Dana Delany, Dom DeLuise, Jennie Finch, Steve Forbes, John Glenn, Amy Grant, Quincy Jones, Jay Leno, Greg Norman, Arnold Palmer, Richard Petty, Pat Riley, Pat Sajak and Willard Scott. Bids are accepted throughout the event and the highest offer by the close of ArtiGras on Monday wins. More than $70,000 has been raised for the charities over the last seven years.
Youth Art Competition: Local public and private schools, grades K-12, are invited to create art works and compete for $2,600 in savings bonds and $4,550 worth of ArtiBucks for their school’s art department. Seventy-eight finalists in this countywide competition will be on display at ArtiGras. The awards ceremony will take place on Saturday afternoon and the finalists will be on display the entire weekend. The talent of these young people will amaze you!
ArtiKids Area: Children are welcome to get their hands dirty and create their own masterpiece.. Children can help build a sculpture, sit at a pottery wheel, or make a piece of art from recycled materials to take home. Children can also help build ArtiTown, create the art wall, enjoy having their face painted, and more. Lighthouse Center for the Arts, Armory Arts Center and Resource Depot contribute to the creativity of this area.
Artist Demonstration Stage: Various participating artists from around the country will demonstrate their art technique. Attendees are invited to watch and ask questions of our resident experts. Look for schedule of artists in the festival program. Artists and instructors from Armory Art Center, Lighthouse Center for the Arts and festival artists will demonstrate in wood, glass, painting and drawing.
Tiny Treasures: Children ages 3 – 13 are invited to enter this exclusive “kids only” gallery where they can purchase artwork donated by the exhibiting artists. Children and their families can then visit and meet the artists on site. Tiny Treasures is a perfect introduction to the arts for these future art patrons. Students from the Palm Beach Community College Art Alliance assist to make this a great experience for the children.
More ArtiGras Information
For additional information, visit www.artigras.org or contact the Northern Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce at (561) 748-3946.
