The Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts will host the third annual ARToberfest on Oct. 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Center’s Art Park, located at 605 N. Patterson Street. The event celebrates National Arts and Humanities Month and features fine art sales, art demonstrations, live music, food vendors, kids arts activities, and a Plein Air contest. Artwork by local artists will be showcased and available for purchase at approximately two dozen booths. 

ARToberfest 2020 will also feature some new activities for everyone to enjoy. Throughout the four-hour event, there will be four to six glassblowing demonstrations by artist Devan Cole, of Americus, Ga. A  Plein Air contest, sponsored by the Valdosta Public Art Advisory Committee, will allow participants to complete for cash prize of $300, $200 and $100 for first, second and third places respectively. A variety of Kids art activities, such as pumpkin painting and chalk art, will also take place during the event.

Food trucks will be available for festival attendees to purchase hamburgers and hot dogs. Local musician Jen Anders will also be performing live throughout the day.  

“We are particularly excited to host this event, as it also marks the four-year anniversary of the Valdosta City Council’s Resolution that created the City Center Arts District (CCAD) and acknowledges the district as an incubator for art business, art creation and economic development in the art industry,” said Executive Director Sementha Mathews. “We are pleased to host this opportunity for artists who may have experienced economic setbacks due to COVID-19, and we invite the community to support our talented local artists at this annual festival.”

The Center is looking for more art vendors to sign up to sell their original art works at ARToberfest. All proceeds made from any sales will go directly back to the artist.

To sign up to be a vendor or for more information about ARToberfest contact the Turner Center at 229-247-2787, visit www.turnercenter.org or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.