ArtFest Fort Myers

Gearing up for a premier event, true confessions of a festival director

Like many events, it started small. ArtFest Fort Myers today is a huge attraction drawing thousands of visitors and more than 200 artists to the event that runs in the downtown River District from Feb. 3-5. TOTI Media asked the festival’s executive director, Sharon McAllister, to share thoughts on gearing up for such a major function.

MY GOAL IS EDWARDS DRIVE TRANSFORMED “The production of an outdoor fine art festival is a year-long labor of love that began for me 17 years ago. A luncheon date with the city of Fort Myers redevelopment director intrigued me to transform an existing art and craft fair. I knew, from my own experiences as a patron of the arts, that I wanted it to showcase high-quality, juried artists [not first-come, first-served]; many aspects of art in our community, and to be FREE to attendees. A handful of friends, local artists and my dedicated husband helped the adventure begin. I never imagined, these many years later, we would have created a nationally ranked fine art festival showcasing 200-plus fabulous artists and winning awards statewide and internationally.”

MY GLAMOUR IS TENUOUS “It’s true―my nails are not my own as they glitter in artsy colors. I find that glamour, like artwork, is better left to the professionals. And it may not be ‘cool’ to have the whitest sneakers on the street. But I will be on my feet for seven days straight, from the first equipment delivery until the last artist leaves, walking over 20 miles. And

Visitors will find collectable work by such jewelry artisans as Barbara and Richard Umbel (below). The River District street festival runs Feb. 3- 5.

Sharon McAllister