Naples Art Institute holds 45th annual National Arts Fair

Reporter: Jacquelyn Kisic
Published: Updated:
art fair
The Naples Art Institute is holding its two-day National Arts Fair in the heart of Downtown Naples, in Cambier Park. CREDIT: WINK News

The Naples Art Institute is holding its two-day National Arts Fair in the heart of Downtown Naples, in Cambier Park.

The event is to raise efforts for the Naples Art Institute Education programs, a way for the arts to continue to grow in Naples.

Frank Verpoorten, the executive director and chief curator of the Naples Art Institute, said this is one of the institute’s largest shows.

“We have more than 250 artists that are here today,” said Verpoorten. “We host other shows, smaller ones, but nothing like this one.”

According to the Naples Art Institute, the National Art Fair is voted one of the 200 best by the Sunshine Artist Magazine.

Local and national artists expressed their interest in the National Art Fair. They said it’s a wonderful opportunity to showcase their work.

Yvonne Hjelte-Rodrigues is one of those artists. She’s a local artist out of Cape Coral, using a paper-college technique.

“It’s wonderful I get to show my art that is by the local nature,” said Hjelte-Rodrigues. “Everything I experience here on a daily basis.”

Another artist, Laurie Burke, is the founder and artist of Agua Stone in Top Sail, North Carolina.

Burke said many who purchase her art are out of the state of Florida. A percentage of her profits go towards Stanford Children’s Hospital in efforts to find a cure for Tetralogy of Fallot with Pulmonary Atresia and MAPCA after her six-month-old grandson passed away.

Burke says those profits have been crucial for her. A lot comes from Florida clients.

“Buying all over the country and Florida has been really wonderful for me. So I wanted to get down here,” said Burke. “This is my first time that I’m down here in Florida in Florida doing the show. I’m very excited.”

The art show is happening now until February 25.

Click here for more information.

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