The 7th Annual Gatlinburg Fine Arts Festival
A gorgeous mountain backdrop mixed with diversity in creativity from across the nation is the perfect pairing for the 7th Annual Gatlinburg Fine Arts Festival, May 14 & 15.
Set at the base of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, this event showcases artists from across the nation from a range of styles. Juries choose each exhibitor to participate in one of 16 categories ranging from ceramics and glass to watercolor and woodworking. In all, $10,000 in prizes and purchase vouchers is at stake.
For artists, the festival is a prestigious showcase event while for visitors, it’s a guaranteed opportunity to enjoy the best in fine arts, music, a fantastic children activity program, and take in the Great Smoky Mountains.
The festival is a two-day street fair set at Ripley’s Aquarium and River Road, with attendees of the free event mingling riverside with their favorite artists. A special “Night with the Artist Party” is scheduled for May 15, and will be held this year at the beautiful Mills Auditorium. The “Night with the Artist Party” requires a $50 ticket for the affair, but the $50 is returned to donors in the form of a money voucher redeemable at any artist’s booth over the weekend.
This year’s special honoree of the “GFAF 2010 Achievement Award” is G. Webb, one of Gatlinburg’s most widely recognized watercolorists. The GFAF also will honor for the first time a “Patron” of the arts, Ms. Jean Ogle, a true lover of the arts and crafts.
While admission to the festival is free to visitors, the event serves as a major fundraiser for the internationally renowned Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts, the Sevier County Arts Council and the Gatlinburg Boys & Girls Club art program.
The 6th Annual Gatlinburg Fine Arts Festival will present the debut of the 2011 version of the popular Gatlinburg Tunes &Tales. Those acts will perform at the “Night with the Artist Party” on May 15 at Mills Auditorium as well as throughout the festival. This makes it a perfect time to visit the “Burg” famously nestled at the foot of the majestic Great Smoky Mountains.
For additional information about the 7th Annual Gatlinburg Fine Arts Festival, visit its website at http://www.gfaf.net.
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