The Mount Drawings Festival will celebrate its 50th year this weekend, bringing 300 artists and tens of thousands of visitors who are interested in browsing and purchasing art.
Since it started in 1975, the festival has grown dramatically in its reach and has taken more than 200,000 visitors nationwide to Lake County. Painters, photographers, sculptors, jewelers, and museums in all fields will compete for a $ 20,000 award during the outdoor arts selection on February 1-2.
Until the 50th year of the festival, there are several artists and organizers who attended the first event reflected in this golden anniversary.
The 85 -year -old Harlomedleton moved to Lake County in 1970 and was involved in the Chamber of Commerce, which was aiming to revitalize the downtown area.
“The committee we had was looking for a way to put downtown Dorayama on track. He was quite dead. They came up with an idea of an art festival,” he said. “The idea was to have people come downtown to see what Dora Mountain is like, and they have returned to shopping. If they did it, we did. You will get a new store and that.
This festival is now much more competitive for artists and has a spots that can be used, so it has gained about three times the number of applications, but the first festival has not been judged, and creators of all ages. Featured the artwork of high school students.
“I originally intended to be an up -and -coming artist to show off the people we have in this area,” he said. Artist Gary Hop Craft said. “It was a very close community. Everyone knew it.”
In the morning of the 1975 festival, the artist and the organizer stopped breathing and wanted the crowd.
“We were helping artists stand up on the street around 5 o’clock in the morning. At around 9 or 10 o’clock we looked up at the hill and walked on the street,” said Midleton. Ta. “There were 30,000 people on that day. I thought we knocked out the ball from the park.”
The article of “The Mount Dora Topic” recorded the inauguration event, and the festival recorded “a hit with all counts -size, quality, and reputation.”
“The overall level of the first show quality is one of the best things I’ve ever seen,” said Frankrum, one of the art shows judges. 。 “The overall atmosphere, including the town, contributes to it … If this continues, the festival will be the best in the state.”
Lam did not know how correct he was in the next few years. Midleton said the first festival, which may have had up to 50,000 visitors throughout the weekend, functioned as a turning point for the history of Dora.
“In my opinion, it started the resurrection of Mt. Dora. It gave legitimacy to the claim that it was really art town. He said, “I think this festival did a lot to revitalize than the city in the sense that the city was urban planning and business development. They set it freely, which became their own power. “
In 1986, Middleton supported the establishment of the Mount Dora Center Fosa Arts and provided the Best Inn Show Works house that won the award purchased at the festival. Currently, this center offers art education, gallery space, and continuous art programming in Lake County.
Today’s festival has a national reputation, but thanks to countless volunteers and the support of the mount drama, we maintain the atmosphere of grassroots.
“Some people say that the festival is one of the reasons for moving to Mt. Dora,” said Hop Craft. “Looking around, there are a lot of aging artists living in our community. There are many artists who have won many awards around Mt. Dora and the entire Lake County.”
This year’s festival has a regular lineup of art, festival, beer, wine, cocktails, and entertainment, surrounded by all charms and restaurants provided by Mount Dora.
Visitors can stop at Mount Doradora Center Four Thirts to see the 40 -year festival poster representing 1985 to 2025. In March, the newly opened MDCA will announce the exhibition by many of the best shows collected through the history of the festival.
The 50th anniversary commemorates the opportunity to look back on the past of the festival, but the MDCA executive director and festival coordinator Janet Gamash is looking forward to this year’s event.
“I’m very excited to see what the artist brings every year. JU’s process is strict, and choosing is very competitive. This is the best.” Was in the news release. “With this unique opportunity, hundreds of artists can read all folds in one place. You can talk to artists about your process and inspiration. In the original art work. It is a great experience to go home.
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If you go
The Mount Dora Art Festival is open from 9:00 am to 5 pm on February 1st, from 9:00 am to 4 pm in downtown Dorayama. The event is available for free. A well -behaved pet is allowed, but is discouraged by the crowds that the festival attracts. It is recommended that the patron park is parked at 900 Linkan Avenue or Mount Dora 301 W. 13th Ave. and a free shuttle is taken on the festival site. Details: Mountdoraart.com
Initially issued: January 30, 2025 12:22 pm EST
