Four years ago when James Hilton was laid off from his job at Boston-based shoe manufacturer Sperry, ending a 25-year career in corporate merchandising and design, he was already making painstakingly crafted, vintage-inspired prints.
But his path to full-time artist really began with a visit that same year to the Coconut Grove Arts Festival (CGAF).
After relocating to North Coconut Grove, he and his wife, Kate Minner, explored the festival grounds, vowing to submit his work for consideration the following year, and hoping to be among the select one-third of artists chosen from over 1,000 entrants.
That first year, he made the cut, and for three years now he’s set up a table at the festival alongside his fellow fair artists.
“It’s just coincidental that one of the best art festivals is right down the street,” he says. “Every time I get accepted, I do a little jig.”
Hilton is a mainstay on the national outdoor art fair circuit. He and his wife will attend about 30 art fairs this year across the U.S., focusing their time and energy on building their art brand, 22nd of Never. But Coconut Grove – and the festival – are where they found their anchor and community.
Over three days this weekend 60,000 people will flood a portion of Center Grove for what CGAF’s Executive Director Camille Marchese has heard called “the Super Bowl of arts festivals.”
Besides the art, visitors can explore the Arts and Crafts Beer Garden, listen to live music in Peacock Park, purchase food from a variety of vendors, and let their kids get creative at the Inner Artist area.
Over the past two years the event, now in its 61st year, has generated about $2.4 million annually in revenues and a small profit that is used to support local art-focused charities and scholarships.
Career artists from around the country who, like Hilton, were juried in, bring their creations to the city to sell. Of the 285 artists chosen this year 42 are back from last year, 60 are from Florida, and a handful hail from Miami. Hilton is the only one from Coconut Grove.
The dearth of Grove-based artists isn’t by design. Marchese explains that “fair artists” – few of whom make their home here – are a specialized sort who’ve chosen what can be a sometimes grueling and decidedly itinerant lifestyle.
Experienced business people know that this kind of festival isn’t for the faint of heart. They are expert at packing, marketing, transporting, and then selling work directly to customers — in the heat, and sometimes the rain.
But the benefits are many: direct relationships with clients and, opposed to working with a gallery which might keep a hefty portion of their profits, the artists pocket the full price of all sales. Artists pay the festival an average of $850 to set up their booth, an amount that few, if any, have trouble recouping. Hilton says of all the fairs he attends, CGAF is his greatest money-maker.
Buyers are attracted to his designs, he believes, because they showcase South Florida’s subtropical and cultural vibrancy. He creates well-researched maps and iconic imagery that reflect the cities where he’s lived.
Hilton also prints American muscle car designs – reminders of watching TV as a child in the South London home where he grew up with musician parents. “It’s about the aesthetic, the feeling, the stories behind the cars,” he says. He started making art at a very young age. “I was good at observing things,” he recalls.
The work is priced to be accessible, running from $20 to $1,250, with most prints costing $30 or $75. “It’s about getting into homes and making that connection with the local community,” Minner, his wife, explains.
Neighbors and friends are also regular customers, stopping by Hilton’s home to buy his prints. “We’ve talked to different [picture] framers in the Grove that have said, ‘Oh we’ve framed so many of your pieces.’ And that brings us so much joy,” Minner says. The Grove feels like home to them. “It’s such an amazing community, so supportive and welcoming, and it’s still so global.”
Coral Gables artist and arts educator Abdiel Acosta has been juried into the festival for the past 13 years. He says the event allows him to build close relationships with clients, some of whom travel from out-of-state to see his work.
Acosta arrived in Miami during the 1980 Mariel boatlift from Cuba. He was five years old. At an early age he and his parents attended the festival and he was “mesmerized” by the experience.
Shortly thereafter, an art teacher at Shenandoah Elementary School helped steer him toward art magnet programs that led him to New World School of the Arts, Maryland Institute College of Art, and Florida International University for his MFA.
While teaching at Miami nonprofit Arts for Learning, he met pastel artist Jacqueline Roch, a parent of one his students whose work has appeared on past CGAF posters.
Roch saw his intricate ink-and-etched prints on display at Wynwood’s Bakehouse Art Complex and encouraged him to join the CGAF Emerging Artists Program, which trains 12 artists over two years on the ins and outs of working the outdoor festival circuit.
“We want to give [emerging artists] a leg up,” Marchese says. “Our goal is to show them that they can make a living making art.”
Among other things, the artists learn how to transport their art safely, and engage with customers. Program participants also get a table at the fair to sell their work. “Every artist sold something last year,” she continues. “We had a ceramic artist who sold everything and had to go home to her studio and dig up some work.”
That lifestyle was right for Acosta. “Some people do great in galleries, but that wasn’t my niche. With the fairs, that was my road to travel, my way to be able to continue my craft,” Acosta says. He encourages his students to attend the festival and talk to artists. He believes the setting is more casual than a gallery, and less intimidating.
“It might not be for everybody, but for me, and other artists I’ve brought into the fair, we love it,” he concludes. “We love the whole experience of it.”
Coconut Grove Arts Festival: What to Know
What: The 61st Coconut Grove Arts Festival will run from Saturday, February 15 to Monday, February 17. The festival features food, music, and 285 juried artists occupying the streets of Coconut Grove.
When: Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday.
Where: Artist booths will line McFarlane Road, Pan American Drive, and the southern stretch of South Bayshore Drive. Food tents and trucks will be set up within Myers Park. Music is performed on stage at Peacock Park.
Tickets: General admission tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the gate. A discounted rate of $25 is available to Coconut Grove residents with ID at the ticket booth.
Access and parking: Street access will be limited. Visitors are encouraged to use public transit, rideshare or, better yet, walk or bike. Limited metered parking, parking garages, and private lots are also available.
Rules: No pets are allowed at the event. No outside alcoholic beverages can be brought into the festival.
More info: Call 888-850-8718 or visit cgaf.com
