The 60th annual Beaux Arts Festival of Art will bring 240 fine artists to the grounds of the Lowe Art Museum on the University of Miami campus Jan. 8-9, 2011.
Recognized as one of the top-rated outdoor exhibits of museum-quality fine art, the festival attracts thousands of people annually, offers works in 10 mediums for a variety of budgets. This year, artists hail from 30 states plus Canada and Israel.
Admission and parking are free. Proceeds benefit the Lowe Art Museum, which will be open to the public all weekend. A signature event on the South Florida cultural circuit, the Beaux Arts Festival of Art offers visitors the opportunity to meet exhibiting artists, sample fine cuisine and enjoy live entertainment. Kids too can enjoy the family zone, with special entertainment and a “Children’s Art Activity Area” where kids 4-12 can make arts and crafts for free.
In honor of the 60th anniversary, the festival will launch a children’s coloring book featuring important works from the Lowe’s world collections. For example, gracing the cover of “Color the Lowe Art Museum” is a work by renowned glass artist William Carlson. Children who attend the festival will receive a copy of the book to color, as will the 500 kids who visit the Lowe each year thanks to festival organizer and volunteer group Beaux Arts.
“Like the festival, the coloring book is one more way to draw attention to the Lowe’s cultural importance to this community,” said Morgan Smith, Beaux Arts president.
The festival was originally called the “Clothesline Sale,” as Beaux Arts volunteers used clotheslines to display the works of local artists in front of the Lowe. Nearly six decades later, the festival has evolved and is considered one of the top outdoor fine art shows in the country.
Sponsors for the 60th anniversary festival include Mercedes-Benz of Coral Gables and Mercedes-Benz of Cutler Bay, Holtz Children’s Hospital, Lowell International Realty, Tony and Sandy Tamer, Bank of New York Mellon, Sabadell United Bank, the Mead Family Foundation and the Miami-Dade Department of Cultural Affairs.
Also, the festival presents the annual Student Artist Showcase, featuring more than 100 pieces from Miami-Dade middle and high school students on display inside the Lowe. A portrait by Best in Show Winner Fernando Ramos, an 11th grader from the Academy of Arts & Minds Charter School graces the festival’s poster. A celebration honoring the student art will take place at 6 p.m. Thursday, January 6 at the Lowe.
For more, visit www.beauxartsmiami.org