2017 Main St. Fort Worth Arts Festival to Showcase 213 Of The Nation’s Finest Artists

More than 1,340 artists applied to exhibit their work at the 32nd annual MAIN ST.

FORT WORTH, Texas (March 30, 2017) – The 2017 MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival (MAIN ST.) will bring 213 locally, nationally, and internationally recognized artists to Downtown Fort Worth on April 20-23. More than $4.6 million worth of art is expected to be sold throughout the four-day festival, which will also feature live music, authentic Texas cuisine, and arts-and-crafts activities for the whole family.

Ranked as one of the top juried fine arts festivals in the country, MAIN ST. represents a diverse blend of artists and mediums each year along Main Street’s “Magnificent Mile.” This year’s art medium categories include ceramics, jewelry, mixed media, printmaking, digital, fiber, leather, painting, sculpture, drawing pastels, glass, metalwork, wood, photography, and the “emerging artist” category, a festival-favorite featuring new, local artists from throughout Texas. 

Awards totaling up to $11,000 are given to artists every year, including one “Best of Show” winner, one “Best Emerging Artist” winner, seven “Merit Award” winners, and 14 “Juror Award” winners. Returning to this year’s festival is the highly anticipated “People’s Choice Award,” selected by festivalgoers through social media. MAIN ST.’s Facebook followers are encouraged to cast votes for their favorite artist throughout the four-day event, and the winner will be announced on the following Monday, April 24.

Award winners from MAIN ST. 2016 selected to return in 2017 include:

  • John Deng (Roslyn, New York) Best of Show Award – Photography – Booth 602: Specializing in travel and fine art photography, John Deng’s artwork captures the beauty of ordinary places through a unique perspective that infuses humanity into landscapes.
  • Danika Ostrowski (Austin, Texas) Best Emerging Artist – Booth 402: Danika Ostrowski’s impressionistic paintings explore the lively color and forms found in scarce environments.
  • Maria Navarra Pino (La Mesa, New Mexico) – Merit Award – Fiber – Booth 314: Primarily weaving with tinsel, bamboo, West Texas organic cotton and silk, Maria Navarra Pino creates a work of art that is both visually and tactilely pleasing.
  • John Herbon (Saint Ignace, Michigan) – Merit Award – Ceramics – Booth 452: John Herbon’s early craftsman style and Japanese influence results in timeless stoneware and porcelain ceramics for generations to enjoy.
  • Jeffrey Cannon (Austin, Texas) – Merit Award – Drawing/Pastels – Booth 315: Inspired by the mysteries of nature, Jeffrey Cannon uses a large palette of soft pastels to capture the feelings of a particular landscape.
  • Brian Beam (Fulton, Michigan) – Merit Award – Ceramics – Booth 509: Brian Beam utilizes multiple techniques in his artwork, including stretching, etching, paddling and carving, to ensure that each and every piece of pottery is vibrant and unique.
  • Richard Wilson (Greenville, North Carolina) – Merit Award – Drawing/Pastels – Booth 520: Specializing in soft pastels, Richard Wilson is known for creating figurative and southern landscapes that are nostalgic and expressive of human connections found through family.
  • Samuel Yao (Ann Arbor, Michigan) – Merit Award – Fiber – Booth 615: Samuel Yao’s sculptural baskets are hand-woven with material from palm trees, each with a unique combination of texture, shape, color and size.
  • Aaron Hequembourg (Monticello, Georgia) – Merit Award – Mixed Media – Booth 604: Formally trained in engraving and printmaking, Aaron Hequembourg creates abstracted figurative paintings and portraits engraved into salvaged wood panels.
  • Greg Davis (Austin, Texas) – People’s Choice Award – Photography – Booth 418: Greg Davis works as a creative photographer for “National Geographic,” traveling the world and showcasing the diversity of the planet through his photographs.

MAIN ST. is annually produced by Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc., and is free to the public. The official hashtag for 2017 is #MainSt2017. Festival hours for 2017 are:

  • Thursday, April 20, 2017: 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
  • Friday, April 21, 2017: 10 a.m. – 11 p.m.
  • Saturday, April 22, 2017: 10 a.m. – 11 p.m.
  • Sunday, April 23, 2017: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.

For more information, download the updated-and-free MAIN ST. iPhone or Android mobile app, or visit / follow MAIN ST. online at:

ABOUT MAIN ST. FORT WORTH ARTS FESTIVAL

The MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival celebrates its 32nd year in 2017 and is presented by Blue Moon Brewing Company®, which is distributed throughout the DFW Metroplex by Andrews Distributing Company. Official sponsors for 2017 are Sundance Square, The University of Texas at Arlington, Tarrant County College and Wells Fargo. Media sponsors are the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Fort Worth Transportation Authority (The T), and the Trinity Railway Express (TRE). Radio sponsors are 92.1 HANK FM (KTFW-FM) and 95.9 The Ranch (KFWR-FM). Supporting sponsors are the Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau, Frost Bank, and the Music Performance Trust Fund. Hotel sponsors are Omni Fort Worth Hotel, The Ashton Hotel, Worthington Renaissance Fort Worth Hotel, Courtyard Fort Worth Downtown / Blackstone, Hilton Fort Worth, and Sheraton Fort Worth Downtown Hotel. For more information, visit www.MainStreetArtsFest.org.

ABOUT DOWNTOWN FORT WORTH INITIATIVES, INC.

Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization formed in 1988 to complement the work of Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. and the Public Improvement District by providing a funding pathway for charitable, educational and public-purpose activities, such as community festivals, residential development and park management. Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc. produces the annual MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival and the annual XTO Energy Parade of Lights. These events have an economic impact of more than $28 million annually and attract thousands of visitors to Downtown Fort Worth each year. For more information, visit www.DFWI.org.


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