DOWNTOWN FESTIVAL & ART SHOW
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  • Get Involved
    • Artist Application
    • Emerging Artist Program
    • Performer Application
    • Young Artist Application
    • Food Vendor Application
    • Community Booth Application
  • Sponsors
  • Food Vendor Application

Emerging Artist Program

The Downtown Festival & Arts Show’s Emerging Artist Program aims to create a pipeline for early-career artists to access and participate in the juried art show portion of the Downtown Festival & Art Show, Gainesville’s largest street festival and north central Florida’s largest celebration of fine art.

Three emerging artists will be selected.

Requirements
  • Applicants must be 18 years or older
  • Applicants should be at the beginning of their careers in the professional art world with no established history of displaying their artwork in major galleries, museums, or juried outdoor festivals
  • Must not have participated in the Downtown Festival & Art Show before
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Selected 2025 Emerging Artists will receive:
  • An in-person orientation and mentorship meeting with an established festival artist to discuss strategies for success in art fairs
  • A waiver of the $315 artist booth fee
  • Use of a shared 10' x 10' tent and display panels shared with the other emerging artists
  • The chance to show and sell their work while participating in the festival's judging process
  • Emerging Artist Award: One artist from the cohort will be selected to receive a $200 cash prize and automatic invitation to next year's festival

Application

Simple Steps to Apply at www.Zapplication.org
  • Create your free online artist profile
  • Prepare and upload your images (see Image Preparation)
  • After preparing and uploading your images, you will be ready to apply. 
  • Submit three images of your artwork and one image of a grouping of your art (or a booth shot)
  • Before submitting the application, email [email protected] to receive a coupon to reduce the application fee to $18
  • Complete the online application and submit before the deadline of midnight (Eastern time) on May 1st, 2025


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We owe a debt of thanks to the generous community sponsors who helped us launch this program in 2022: Gainesville Fine Arts Association (GFAA) & Gallery, Sequential Artist Workshop (SAW), a private donor, and the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
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44th Downtown Festival & Art Show
November 15 & 16, 2025
10am - 5pm
Downtown Gainesville, Florida

Produced by City of Gainesville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs

  • Home
  • About
    • FAQ
    • Contact
  • Get Involved
    • Artist Application
    • Emerging Artist Program
    • Performer Application
    • Young Artist Application
    • Food Vendor Application
    • Community Booth Application
  • Sponsors
  • Food Vendor Application