GFAA Annual Artist Studio Tour to host 28 artists on new dates: May 16-18

Press release from Gainesville Fine Arts Association

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – This year’s Gainesville Fine Arts Association annual Artist Studio Tour will be held two months earlier, from Friday to Sunday, May 16-18, 2025. This annual event offers a self-guided tour through local artist studios where you can see the artist at work and buy art to take home. The event is FREE and open to the public.

The tour begins with the ever-popular Kickoff Party on Friday from 6-8 p.m. at the GFAA Gallery, 1314 South Main Street in downtown Gainesville. This provides tour-goers with an advance meet-and-greet with Studio Tour artists, and an opportunity to pick up a tour map and see the Hidden Histories exhibit in the gallery. Light refreshments will be served, generously donated by multiple local businesses: Vine Sourdough Bakery, First Magnitude Brewing Co, Five Star Pizza, and Publix.

The full Artist Studio Tour runs Saturday and Sunday, May 17–18, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., when artist studios are open to the public. During the tour you can observe impromptu demonstrations and works in progress right where the artist creates. Get those artistic questions ready and ask away during your visit to each studio. You can also purchase artwork directly from the artist during the tour.

Last year’s tour attracted almost 900 visitors to area art studios. Artists reported a significant increase in sales during last year’s tour. The tour dates were adjusted to earlier in the year to accommodate cooler weather and summer travel plans. This year it will also fall between college and high school graduations, so we hope to attract more students as well. Many attendees left the studios inspired and reported that they had learned a lot about the art and how it is created. 

Once you’re on the tour, look for yard signs that will direct you to each artist’s studio. Our handy map of the tour can be found at  www.gfaastudiotour.org, as well as all the details of the tour and the artists that are participating. 

This project is funded in part by Visit Gainesville, Alachua County, and in part by a grant from the City of Gainesville, Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department.

The 2025 Artist Studio Tour will begin with a Kickoff Party on Friday, May 16, from 6-9 p.m. at the GFAA Gallery, 1314 S Main St, Gainesville, FL 32601. The Artist Studio Tour will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, May 18-19, 2025. For more information, visit www.gfaastudiotour.org.