October brings something for everyone at Gadsden Arts 🙂

E-NEWS • OCTOBER 2026

Headliners

Major Exhibitions

America’s Everglades through the Lens of Clyde Butcher
On loan from Window of the Eye, Inc.

On view through Saturday, December 12, 2026

This fall, experience the beauty and scale of Florida’s Everglades through the striking black-and-white photography of Clyde Butcher, one of America’s foremost landscape photographers and a leading voice for environmental conservation in Florida. His many honors include the National Medal of Arts (2022) and induction into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame (1998), the highest honors for artists given by the U.S. government and State of Florida. Learn more about the exhibition.

Above: Tamiami Trail #12, 1996, silver gelatin print AP 1/3, 51 x 37 inches. On loan from Window of the Eye, Inc.

Support for this program is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, celebrating NEA America250: Arts Projects Honoring the National Garden of American Heroes.

Funding for this program was provided through a grant from the Florida Humanities with funds from The Mosaic Company. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication, program, exhibition and or website do not necessarily represent those of Florida Humanities or The Mosaic Company.

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Things to do

Dine & Discover Luncheon

Rachel Carson – Mother of the Environmental Movement

with Rebecca Henson

Thursday, October 22, 2026, 12pm – 1:30pm

Enjoy lunch while discovering the life and legacy of Rachel Carson, whose groundbreaking writing helped shape the modern environmental movement. Rebecca Henson, Founding Director of Springsong Museum, will share Carson’s lasting influence on conservation and her connection to the Everglades.

Make your reservations by Wednesday, October 14

Learn More

Art for Children & Youth

Wild About Art

Saturday, October 24, 2026, 10am – 4:30pm

Free and open to all ages!

Celebrate Florida’s Everglades by meeting some of its inhabitants – Willow, a barred owl, and Bobbette, a Florida box turtle, brought to us by St. Francis Wildlife Association. Create art projects inspired by these animals and the landscapes of Florida, and then explore America’s Everglades through the Lens of Clyde Butcher, on loan from Window of the Eye, Inc., with our family Treasure Hunt. Find everything to win a prize. Free Family Saturdays offer family fun every week. We hope to see you soon at Gadsden Arts!

Free Family Saturdays are presented by Centennial Bank and offered in partnership with the National Hookup of Black Women – Gadsden. All Art for Children & Youth programs are made possible by our Art for Children Donors, sponsors Bell & Bates Ace Hardware and Sunnyside Farm Management, and funded in part by a grant awarded by the Community Foundation of North Florida.

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Opportunities for Artists

39th Art in Gadsden – Applications close Friday, October 9 at 5pm

Calling all artists! Applications are open for the 39th Annual Art in Gadsden Juried Exhibition, welcoming artists from North Florida, South Georgia, and South Alabama. Artwork may be from any year, as long as it has not previously been exhibited at Gadsden Arts. The exhibition will be on view January 9–February 20, 2027, with all selected works available for purchase.

Applications close Friday, October 9, 2026, at 5pm.

Apply Now

Major Exhibitions

Experience the Everglades Together

Bring your friends, club, or organization together for a closer look at America’s Everglades through the Lens of Clyde Butcher, on loan from Window of the Eye, Inc. A museum Art Guide will lead your group through Butcher’s monumental photographs and share more about the life and career of this remarkable award-winning artist and environmentalist.

Tours are available for all ages Tuesdays – Saturdays 10am–5pm

Schedule your tour at least two weeks in advance

Schedule Your Group

What’s happening!

Our Team

Welcome Ranie Thompson to the Gadsden Arts Team!

Gadsden Arts is thrilled to welcome Ranie Thompson, the museum’s new Associate Director for Advancement. Ranie brings 25 years of nonprofit and fundraising experience and a long history of dedicated service as a Gadsden Arts Volunteer. A lifelong Gadsden County resident, Ranie will work with our larger team to grow our organization and its impacts.

Opportunities to Give

Support Gadsden Arts Year-Round

Did you know Gadsden Arts is one of only two independent, AAM Accredited art museums in North Florida? We are supported and guided by our community, hosting world-class art experiences for everyone and serving over 20,000 participants per year. Your annual gift can help support Major Exhibitions through the Impact Fund, free Art for Children & Youth Programs year-round, or general needs of the organization through Annual Giving.

Every gift counts – consider making Gadsden Arts part of your year-end giving plans.

Give

Vision 2030

A Message for the Future

Leave your mark on Gadsden Arts history—one envelope at a time. With a gift of $100 or more to the Vision 2030 Campaign: The Art of Enduring Impact, you can fill an envelope designed by children with something meaningful to be sealed inside our Time Capsule.

In 2030, the capsule will be opened during 2 Weeks with the Arts, and the envelopes will be raffled and opened, celebrating the future you helped make possible. You can purchase your envelope on your next visit to Gadsden Arts at Visitor Services.

Support Vision 2030

Coming Soon

Our Annual Fundraiser

2 Weeks with the Arts 2027

39th Art in Gadsden Sale Preview – opens Tuesday, January 12, 2027, 10am

Conversation with Collectors – Wednesday, January 20, 2027, 12pm – 2:30pm

A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Saturday, January 23, 2027, 6pm – 9:30pm

39th Art in Gadsden Collect Sale – Wednesday, January 20 – Saturday, January 23, 2027

Mark your calendar for 2 Weeks with the Arts 2027! This annual celebration returns with a free exhibition and sale preview, behind-the-scenes museum experiences, and two great events: Conversation with Collectors and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Join us for two weeks of art, creativity, and community while supporting Gadsden Arts programs in our community.

Reservations open:

Director’s Circle Members – October 15, 2026

Gadsden Arts Members – November 1, 2026

Public Enrollment – December 1, 2026

Learn More

Art Trip 2027

Explore the Berkshires with Gadsden Arts

September 21 – 25, 2027

Travel with Gadsden Arts to the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts for an inspiring journey through art, history, and New England beauty. Highlights include the Norman Rockwell Museum, Chesterwood, MASS MoCA, and a stay at the historic Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge.

Trip proceeds support Gadsden Arts programs for our community, and your deposit is tax-deductible. Travel, explore, and discover with Gadsden Arts!

Reservations open:

Director’s Circle Members – October 1, 2026

Gadsden Arts Members – November 1, 2026

Public Enrollment – December 1, 2026

Learn More

Thank you Charleston, SC Travelers!

Thank you all for a great trip! We packed a lot into a few days – gourmet food, important and illuminating historic sights, contemporary and historic art, and more… enjoying time with friends, old and new. Thank you for traveling with Gadsden Arts!

Above: Some of our travelers enjoy a beautiful day at the waterfront, Pineapple Fountain, Charleston, SC

Things to see

Regional Art

Joel’s Journey: A Life Rendered in Oil

On view through Saturday, December 12, 2026

Tallahassee-based artist Joel Thornton brings stories to life through expressive
oil paintings of people, animals, and landscapes. Explore a vibrant body of work shaped by a lifelong connection to art and a passion for storytelling.

Learn More

Fletcher Museum Shop

Shop Early, Gift Creatively

Start your holiday shopping early at the Fletcher Museum Shop. Discover affordable and original art, jewelry, gifts, and locally made treasures that make thoughtful gifts for everyone on your list.