Coconut Grove Arts Festival Shines in its 60th Trip Around the Sun

Miami proved once again that it has the best outdoor art event of the year — The Coconut Grove Arts Festival (CGAF). For 60 years, people have known that the place to be every Presidents Day weekend is Coconut Grove, Miami's most vibrant neighborhood. Local art aficionados Jeff Bezos and Alonzo Mourning were seen perusing the art displayed by 285 world-renowned artists eager to showcase and sell their works of art. It's such a place to see and be seen that for the first time, the NBC affiliate produced a made-for-TV special that was aired Live on Peacock. In addition, award-winning Miami Herald photographer, Carl Juste, chose this festival to snap the picture that made the front-page news of Monday's paper.

"I had solid conversations and high interest all weekend long, but the height of buyer attention came all at once, in a flurry on Monday," said Will Armstrong, a mixed-media artist who admits that during his busiest time, he was blessed to be dealing with three separate buyers simultaneously. Edwin Lester was heard telling a News 7 reporter in front of his paintings, "This has always been a great show for me and that's why I prefer to begin my festival season here. The people who come to this festival have a good eye for art, and nothing can stop them." Drawing & Pastel artist, Karina Llergo sold several pieces to out-of-town buyers from Alabama who specifically flew in to buy her art. "What keeps the CGAF fresh is having the best artists combined with new ideas. This year we introduced a cutting-edge way to enjoy art in our 360-degree Art Dome that gave visitors a high-resolution, fully mapped, 3-dimensional, immersive art experience," said Tony Albelo, festival producer.

Festival judges eagerly visited all 285 artist booths to vote for the best of the best. Ultimately, the judges handed the Best in Show Award to acclaimed clay work artist William Kidd, who was caught off guard when outgoing Festival President Monty Trainer and Executive Director Camille Marchese arrived at his booth with a band of bagpipers to officially issue him his award. An artist whose work is both intriguing and beautiful, Kidd's work takes inspiration from the beauty found in the natural world. The result is a fascinating, colorful, three-dimensional body of art taking the form of microorganisms, fungi, seeds, cacti, and sea life that might exist in otherworldly places.

The festival also awarded gold ribbons to John Costin (printmaking), Alan Davis (wood), Tanya Doskova (digital art), Pam Fox (jewelry), Helen Gotlib (printmaking), Oliver Hampel (jewelry), Matthew Naftzger (metal), Tim Peters (clay work), Bounkhong Signavong (fiber), and Shani Solomon (fiber). Another 35 artists were the recipients of the silver and bronze ribbons respectively. All winning artists were automatically invited to come back next year.

Several sponsors went above and beyond to showcase their "inner Picasso" by giving festivalgoers many memorable experiences. "Some even got creative with their activations," said Marchese. "Honestly, we couldn't produce a show of this magnitude without the help of our dedicated sponsors. Most impressive was how far they were willing to go to help us celebrate art." The following sponsors put their brand and message center stage:

• Arts & Drafts presented by La Rubia is where craft brews and live artistry were featured, as guests were lined up for a variety of art workshops meant to cultivate future artists.
• Baptist Health and pop artist Vic Garcia partnered to create a series of interactive art displays that are now headed for a Baptist Health facility.
• The Stacks presented by FIU was the place to catch famous muralists in their element painting large shipping containers including @didirok, @cpwon, and @itz_csolano who did a tribute to the late Lebo, the 2022 commemorative poster artist. DJs and live bands played music throughout the weekend to a standing-room-only crowd.
• Flavors of the Grove presented by JUSTIN Wine showcased locally stocked wines along with a unique tasting experience with Coconut Grove favorites Bayshore Club Bar & Grill, Glass & Vine, Monty's Raw Bar, and Bricked Burgers. Attendees were invited to sample the many offerings and then vote for their favorites. The winner of this year's Flavors of the Grove was Bayshore Club Bar & Grill, which delighted everyone with their mouth-watering Lobster Rolls.
• Captain Morgan Mojito Bar gave attendees a pop-up experience with tasty tropical mojitos and art.
• Ketel One kept the celebration going with their pop-up featuring cocktails and art.
• Mahou Beer Garden offered a taste of Madrid by way of their Mahou beer and complimentary chorizo and Manchego croquetas.
• White Claw Lounge was the place to get refreshed, whether by taking a dip in the pool or sipping a cold one. It was also the only place to get a bucket of White Claw for $35.
• Sustainable Wine Hospitality Courtyard was a crowd favorite. Presented by Wines of Chile it allowed visitors to explore the world of Chilean wines.
• Maman, the beloved French-inspired all-day café, and bakery from New York made an impressive appearance this year. Not only did they serve up a delicious breakfast spread for over 450 artists, but they also satisfied many a sweet tooth with their iconic menu items and sweet treats.
• Powered in part by Florida Power & Light (FPL), festivalgoers experienced a range of interactive eco-friendly activities. FPL also showcased its line of new electric vehicles.
• Shell Lumber once again stepped up by providing quality products for the Inner Artist area, including aprons and paint for kids to use during their art experience.

In addition, the CGAF was thrilled with the generosity of multiple local businesses providing in-kind support. For instance, popular community hub CocoWalk hosted the commemorative poster unveiling in advance of the festival and invited Botanico Gin & Cookhouse to add their touch of creativity with hors d'oeuvres atop the venue's idyllic rooftop overlooking the downtown district. Meanwhile, Narbona, the popular Uruguayan/Italian market and restaurant, proudly partnered as the official brunch partner, while Grove Bay Hospitality Group asked to host the VIP Collector's Club. Last but certainly not least, the ever-popular Mr. C provided a special room rate as the official hotel partner for the Coconut Grove Arts Festival.

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ABOUT CGAF:
The Coconut Grove Arts Festival is not just about art; it's also the social event of the year. Over 80,000 attendees from across the region pass through the gates of The Coconut Grove Arts Festival to experience one of the nation's top outdoor arts festivals that dates back to 1963. This iconic South Florida event presents 285 internationally recognized artists who were selected during a blind jury process based solely on artistic merit. The jury panel is comprised of art professionals from around the country. Original pieces are displayed in the following categories: mixed media, painting, photography, digital art, printmaking and drawing, watercolor, ceramics, glass, fiber, jewelry and metalwork, sculpture, and wood. It offers culinary experiences and has featured celebrity chefs including Giorgio Rapicavoli, Ralph Pagano, and Allen Susser. The festival has been honored to have some of the world's premier artists officially create the commemorative poster, including Romero Britto, Guy Harvey, Clyde Butcher, Benjamin Frey, Jacqueline Roch, Xavier Cortada, Rick Garcia, Lisa Remeny, and Alexander Mijares to name a few. The festival is operated by the 501(c)(3) Coconut Grove Arts & Historical Association and produced by EngageLive, LLC. Proceeds go towards funding year-round arts programs such as providing art supplies to a variety of schools and organizations, hosting a Visiting Artist Program with Miami-Dade County Schools, and our nationally recognized Emerging Artist Program. In addition, the festival awards over $70,000 in scholarships benefiting graduating seniors from local public magnet arts high schools and art students from Florida International University.