For the last 60 years on President’s Day Weekend in mid-February, when Miami’s weather is at it’s peak and the high season is about to wind down, Coconut Grove gives us an amazing art festival. The Coconut Grove Arts Festival has even been ranked as one of the best and most prestigious outdoor art festivals in the United States with over 100,000 attendees routinely attending.
The festival’s reputation continues to grow each year and for 2025, artist applications have been announced. The competition is tough. As one of the highest outdoor art festivals in the nations, over a thousand artists will apply and around 250 are invited to present their works.
If you are interested in throwing your hat into the ring, you can do so here.
About The Application
Invitations to present at the Coconut Grove Arts Festival are determined by a blind jury. There are five independent judges that include museum curators, gallery owners, professional artists and art educators. Each application will be reviewed by each judge and up to 285 are accepted.
The jury process is all virtual and private, yet new artists should not be intimidated. Over 1/3 of the artists chosen to present at the Coconut Grove Art Festival each year are first time participants.
Coconut Grove Arts Festival 2024 Map
Some Things To Remember
If you are chosen, you MUST be present for all three days of the festival, and you cannot be presenting at another festival during those three days.
Your work must actually be yours. This should go without saying, but the panel does not accept artwork made from molds, kits, or anything else ready-made that you have manipulated. Obviously reproductions are not accepted.
Please prepare for the weather. Coconut Grove offers a beautiful climate in mid-February. We plan for the weather to be 78 and sunny with no humidity, but curve balls can happen in the tropics. We could have a rain storm and the Coconut Grove Art Festival staff is not responsible if your works are compromised by weather. You also will need an insurance policy with a minimum coverage of $1,000,000.
This should go without saying, but all artists chosen need to have their artist’s statement and a photo placed prominently in your booth. This helps potential buyers to know who you are and what you’re about.
In the fortunate event that you sell your entire collection on any day of the festival, chosen artists are still required to attend the remaining days. This also allows you to meet potential future buyers and get the most out of the Coconut Grove Arts Festival experience.
Coconut Grove Arts Festival 2023 Young Collectors
About The Exhibit Spaces
Once chosen to present your works at the Coconut Grove Arts Festival 2025, the next step is to choose your exhibit space.
All of the booth spaces are on asphalt and are roughly 10×12 with 2 feet between each canopy. Please remember the weather when curating your display.
Booth fees begin at $850 for a standard 10×12 space with upgrades including a double booth, positioning yourself on the end of a row, positioning yourself on a corner or setting up in the sculpture garden. Please understand that if you set up in the sculpture garden, there is no space for a tent so your works must be able to withstand the weather if it should happen.
Once chosen as a participant in the festival, you will be given 3 choices of your positioning within the Coconut Grove Arts Festival. These are awarded on a first come first served basis, so it is important to be diligent with responding to your award letter.
What To Expect
The Coconut Grove Arts Festival is one of our favorite events of the year. You can find a recap of the works that were presented in 2024 at the Arts Festival’s website.
If you are not an artist, the event is equally notable. Locals look forward to this event each year and enjoy browsing the creative works from brilliant minds, possibly even finding something to enjoy in their own homes. We attend each year and even our pre-elementary age daughter loves it.
We are very eager to hear more details about the Coconut Grove Art Festival 2025 including the yearly poster and the lineup of artists.
Coconut Grove Arts Festival Young Collectors Club 2024
The Coconut Grove Arts Festival is produced by the nonprofit, Coconut Grove Arts and Historical Association. Proceeds help fund year-round arts programs. Since 1963, the association has awarded hundreds of scholarships to students who attend fine arts programs in local schools.
