Make September a time to remember @ Gadsden Arts

E-NEWS • SEPTEMBER 2026

Headliners

Major Exhibition

America’s Everglades through the Lens of Clyde Butcher

Public Opening • Friday, September 25, 2026, 5pm–7:30pm

Admission is Free thanks in part to Florida Humanities and The Mosaic Company

This fall, experience the beauty and scale of Florida’s Everglades through the striking black-and-white photography of Clyde Butcher. Join us for the Public Opening on Friday, September 25, from 5–7:30 PM. The exhibition is and NEA: America 250 project highlighting the mystery and resilience of this treasured landscape while honoring President Harry S. Truman’s conservation legacy.

The evening includes Priceless Ecosystems: Florida’s Gulf Coast and Everglades, a special presentation by Jack Davis, Ph.D., a live animal presentation by St. Francis Wildlife Association, and a Taste of Quincy featuring bites from restaurants around the Square, including Bantam Bay, Big Papa’s Chophouse, and Burned Beard Brewing.

Learn More

Discover what’s on the square!

Make a day of your visit on Friday, September 25, and explore Quincy’s historic Courthouse Square before the Public Opening! Stop by Bwembya’s Market to book a Quincy Historic Tour, browse the wonderful selection of jewelry at Padgett’s Jewelers, and check out the new Tobacco Barn Apparel. Consider dining downtown after our event. With unique shops and several restaurants, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

AAM Accreditation & Major Exhibitions

How do we do it? AAM Accreditation and Major Exhibitions

Gadsden Arts is thrilled to announce that for the second time we have earned American Alliance of Museums Accreditation. This is a distinction earned by only 2.9% of the nation’s estimated 35,000 museums, and makes Gadsden Arts a leader in our field.

Accreditation speaks to genuine community involvement and support, the quality of our museum and staff, and the way we do everything every day. Accreditation also makes it possible for us to host Major Exhibitions like America’s Everglades. These are the heart of all of our cultural events and education programs for all ages.

AAM Accreditation is made possible by generous community support and leadership. Donors make everything we do possible – and every year, donors to the Impact Fund provide the financial resources that make Major Exhibitions a reality.

To learn more about our Impact Fund for Major Exhibitions, or to arrange a Behind the Scenes Tour of our accredited museum, contact Grace Robinson, 850.627.5020.

Invest in the Impact Fund

Things to do

Adult Workshops

Painting Florida Swamps & Wildlife with Shawn Dell Joyce

Friday, October 2, 2026, from 10am–5pm

Learn something new with Nationally recognized artist Shawn Dell Joyce who will guide participants in creating artwork inspired by Florida’s swamps and wildlife. Participants will explore value sketches, color studies, and acrylic techniques.

All materials are included, so participants can simply come ready to paint, experiment, and enjoy the creative process together.

Only 15 seats are available, and all materials are included.

Learn More

Art for Children & Youth

Creative Futures Council – Applications closing soon!

Know a young artist? Help us spread the word.

Applications are closing soon for the Creative Futures Council, a youth employment program for art-loving high school juniors and seniors, and college freshmen and sophomores. Participants connect with professional artists, help plan museum events, gain real-world experience, and have opportunities to exhibit their work.

If you know a student who loves art and is curious about a creative career, encourage them to apply. Selected participants earn $15 per hour while building skills, connections, and confidence for the future.

Applications due: Friday, September 11, 2026, at 5 PM

The Creative Futures Council is made possible by our Art for Children & Youth Donors and sponsors Bell & Bates Ace Hardware and Sunnyside Farm Management Inc., and funded in part by a grant awarded by the Community Foundation of North Florida.

Learn More

Art for Children & Youth

Free Family Saturday: Wild about Art
Saturday, October 24, 2026, from 10am–4pm

This October, join us for Free Family Saturday: Wild About Art, presented in partnership with St. Francis Wildlife Association. Meet animal ambassadors Bobbette, a Florida box turtle, and Willow, a barred owl, all while enjoying hands-on art projects inspired by Florida’s wildlife and our America’s Everglades exhibition.

The best part? You don’t have to wait until October to join the fun. Visit us any Saturday for Free Family Saturdays, featuring creative projects in the ArtZone, the Reading Corner, a Visual Treasure Hunt through the galleries, and Art @ Home kits to continue creating after your visit.

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.

Artist Opportunities

Art in Gadsden is moving to Prime Time!

Applications open September 1, 2026

and close Friday, October 9, 2026, at 5pm

Calling all artists! Applications are now open for the 39th Annual Art in Gadsden Juried Exhibition, welcoming artists from North Florida, South Georgia, and South Alabama.

NEW! 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.

Questions? Contact Ashley.Williams@gadsdenarts.org

Apply Here

Group Tours & Field Trips

Experience the Art of Clyde Butcher with a Guided Tour

Make the most of America’s Everglades through the Lens of Clyde Butcher, on loan from Window of the Eye, Inc., with a guided group tour. An experienced Gadsden Arts guide will take your group deeper into Clyde Butcher’s life and work, the Florida Everglades, and the stories behind the exhibition.

Tours are available for groups of all ages, with optional art-making activities. Please schedule your visit at least two weeks in advance.

Children’s Group Tours

Kat Chudy (850) 627-5024 / Katherine.Chudy@gadsdenarts.org

Adult Group Tours

Kaiyla Thompson (850) 627-5023 / Kaiyla.Thompson@gadsdenarts.org

Tour Information & Online Request

What’s happening!

Art for Children & Youth

Gadsden Arts is back in schools – and Growing!

We’re thrilled to return to Gadsden County classrooms this year with three times the reach, serving K–4 students at Chattahoochee Elementary, George W. Munroe Elementary, and Stewart Street Elementary every week! Through weekly art activities and museum field trips, students will build creative thinking and problem solving skills, grow in confidence, and gain a lasting connection to the arts.

Thank you donors and funders for the opportunity to help inspire a new generation of young artists, thinkers, and museum visitors. You make all of this possible.

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. Free Family Saturdays are presented by Centennial Bank and offered in partnership with the National Hookup of Black Women – Gadsden.

Support Art for Children

Celebrating nearly four decades of Art in Gadsden

Thank you to our award-winning artists for making Conversations with Award-Winning Artists such a thoughtful and engaging program! We also extend our heartfelt thanks to Beth Appleton and David Harbaugh, whose work helped launch the very first Art in Gadsden in 1989. Thirty-eight years later, we’re proud to see this tradition continuing to celebrate and connect artists across our region.

Thank you to our Studio Visit Artists

A heartfelt thank you to Terry Francisco, Dean Gioia, Terry Hawkins, and Fred Sanguiliano for opening their homes and studios for this year’s Artists’ Studio Visits! By welcoming Gadsden Arts members into their creative spaces, our friends offered a memorable behind-the-scenes look at where ideas take shape and artwork comes to life. Thank you all!

Things to see

Jean Gard Fletcher Museum Shop

Made by artists, chosen for you!

Take a little creativity home with you from the Jean Gard Fletcher Museum Shop. Browse a unique selection of artwork, jewelry, gifts, cards, and handcrafted items by regional artists and makers. Whether you’re looking for a thoughtful gift or something special for yourself, every purchase supports artists and Gadsden Arts.