"Skin Diving in Aruba" by Debra Kauffman Yaun - Colored Pencil - 2009 Grand Prize Winner

Festival of Arts

April 17^th - 25^th - 2010

     Imagine a world without Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, without Bach’s B Minor Mass, without the breathtaking rose window and sculptures that comprise Notre Dame Cathedral.  For centuries, the church has been at the forefront of promoting the arts.  Cumming First United Methodist Church is recapturing and continuing that great tradition through its Festival of Arts held for an entire week each April.

     The Festival of Arts was established in 2008 with the concept of presenting professional and student visual artists in gallery displays.  The visual artists are juried and cash awards are given.  Private and Corporate patrons have come forward in large numbers to support this brave idea.  That first year saw the work of 230 visual artists in the galleries.  The number jumped to over 700 in 2009 and more awards became available through the generous support of our patrons.  In just two years, we have awarded over $20,000 to professional and student visual artists!  The Festival of Arts is quickly becoming one of the premiere arts events in North Georgia.

    The Festival of Arts also promotes professional performance artists such as musicians, dancers and film makers.  Throughout the course of the week long festival, daily concerts are held ranging from classical strings, to jazz combos, to modern dance, to Broadway musicals.  Most of these events are free and the Bach’s Lunch noonday concerts are followed by a light lunch in our Art Café.

     Cumming First United Methodist is pleased to offer this gift of beauty to the city of Cumming, Forsyth County and the surrounding area.  We want you to be a part of this magnificent and very special outpouring of talent either through financial support, direct participation or by visiting the galleries and attending the concerts.

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 To download entry forms for 2010, click "Arts Festival Application" in the upper left hand side of this page and scroll to the bottom of the Application page.