Public and Visual Arts
Art in Public Places Trust
The Gainesville Art in Public Places Trust (APPT) is a five-member committee appointed by the City Commission and established to administer the City’s 1% for Art allocation from eligible public construction and major renovation projects. The APPT oversees the acquisition of public art and submits recommendations to the City Commission regarding the implementation of the City’s Public Art Master Plan and the management of the Art in Public Places Trust Fund. The Trust also administers the Annual Art in Public Places Trust Award, recognizing individuals or organizations whose contributions have significantly advanced public art in Gainesville.
Leslie Tharpe, artist
Call to Artists
Request For Qualifications - Public Art Opportunity at the New Eastside Bus Transfer Facility
Deadline: Monday, May 25, 2026
The City of Gainesville Regional Transit System (RTS), in partnership with the Gainesville Art in Public Places Trust and City of Gainesville’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department, is inviting professional artists and artist teams to submit qualifications for a public art opportunity at the new Eastside Bus Transfer Facility.
RTS, which provides more than 4.8 million passenger trips annually, is seeking artists to integrate functional, site-specific artwork into transit infrastructure. This opportunity focuses on transforming everyday elements—such as bike racks, benches, seating, decorative fencing, and tree guards—into meaningful public art that enhances the rider experience and reflects the identity of Gainesville.
Artists are encouraged to consider clarity and communication in their work, incorporating representational, narrative, or commemorative approaches that connect with the public and strengthen a sense of place.
Through this RFQ process, three or more finalists will be selected to develop proposals for creatively designed functional artwork. The project budget is $32,534.38, inclusive of all design, fabrication, and installation costs. Three (3) finalists will each receive an honorarium of $1,000 to develop and present a site-specific proposal, either in person or virtually.
Submissions are open to professional artists with experience in large-scale, site-specific work.
For full details and application instructions, visit:
Submission Details
352walls/Urban Art Initiative
352walls/The Gainesville Urban Art Initiative is part of an international urban art movement that will strengthen our cultural stature and will change the nature of our community with creativity.
Downtown Festival & Art Show
North Florida’s art scene swings into high gear for two days each November with the arrival of the highly acclaimed Downtown Festival & Art Show. The streets of historic downtown Gainesville are transformed into a celebration of art and creativity, complete with live music, performing arts and a spectacular array of food. The festival features 240 local and national artists displaying original oils and acrylics, vibrant watercolors, unique sculptures, dazzling jewelry, decorative ceramics and vivid photography. For music lovers enjoy continuous, live entertainment on three stages by local bands, solo musicians and dance companies. The festival weekend kicks off with a free Downtown Blues Concert on Friday featuring incredible blues performances.
For more information, please visit www.gainesvilledowntownartfest.net.
Thomas Center Galleries
Since opening in February 1979, the walls of the Historic Thomas Center have featured the very best work of our region’s creative community, as well as that of its budding young talent. Each season of exhibits features a broad mix of painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, mixed media and textile works by superb visual artists from Florida and beyond. In addition, four student exhibitions and one by Alachua County Public Schools staff showcase the district’s thriving art programs and talented workforce.
We invite you to join us and experience our tradition of excellence!
Please visit our galleries page for information on the latest exhibitions.
352arts.org
Here you can stay informed on Gainesville, Florida's and Alachua County's great cultural offerings. Visit our local events listed in our 352Arts Event Calendar. We also have an informative Directory with listings of our talented local artists and support organizations.