Welcome to the Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival!

2025 Show Dates and Time

Friday, November 7, 2025 8am - 5pm
Saturday, November 8, 2025 9am - 5pm
Sunday, November 9, 2025 9am - 4pm

You must be open for business by 9:00am, and be present all three days of the show from opening to closing. Artists located on the outer loop will need to be open by 8am on Friday for Judging. No commercial dealers, agents, friends or relatives are permitted to represent the artist. The Show reserves the right to close or remove any booth in which the artist is not present.

Festival Layout

View Layout

Weather

The show will open rain or shine, and all artists are expected to have their spaces open during all show hours. You should be prepared to protect yourself and your work in the event of rain or wind. We take this seriously and non-compliance may result in exclusion from our shows for a minimum of 2 years. If the weather turns severe, the GGAF Board reserves the right to close the show for safety reasons.

If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911!

If for any reason, you will be delayed in your arrival any day of the show, or unable to exhibit, please notify us ASAP. Send a voice message or text to the Art Show Chair, Curtis Beck, at 850-332-3546

The GGAF is a well-attended festival with over 90k visitors over a 3-day period. A lot of artists report very good sales, and want to come back!

Awards

Cash prizes totaling $26,000 will be awarded. Awards are not given based on medium categories; PLUS 2025 winners will be exempt from jurying for the 2026 show. PLUS 2025 winners will also have first choice of booth location for 2026!

• Best of Show - $5,000
• Five - $1,400 Awards of Distinction
• Five - $1,200 Awards of Excellence
• Five - $800 Awards of Honor
• Five - $600 Awards of Merit
• Two - $500 Judges’ Awards

Hospitality

• Complimentary coffee, fruit, and doughnuts will be available Friday–Sunday.
• An informal buffet (with a wide selection of great food, free beer and wine) and awards presentation will be held for all exhibitors at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7th, immediately following the festival.
• Volunteers are available for booth sitting throughout the festival.
• ATMs are available at festival site.

How do I apply?

Applications are available on Zapplication.org from March 1st till May 31st each year. The application fee is $40. Application fees for award winners from the previous year are waived, and those artists will receive a code to use.

Can I apply in multiple categories?

Yes, but a separate application is needed for each category. 

This is a Fine Art show. Original art created by the artist is expected and all work must be for sale. All work must be of the same quality and in the same medium as the work accepted by the jury. A limited amount of functional work, offset reproductions, giclees, prints, posters, postcards or personal merchandise may be sold at this event.

Artists who misrepresent their work or break these rules will be dismissed from the show and forfeit all fees.

If an artist’s work is juried into the festival or is an award winner, it may be displayed at the artist party, placed on the GGAF website, and used in other promotional materials for the festival.

What Medium Categories are allowed?

• Ceramics
• Drawing
• Fiber / Leather
• Glass
• Printmaking / Graphics
• Jewelry
• Mixed Media
• Painting (oil, acrylics or watercolor)
• Photography
• Sculpture
• Wood

What is not allowed?

Art not eligible in this show include: buy-sell and/or imports; crocheting; knitting; novelty shell items; art supplies; picture frames; mailboxes; velvet paintings; decoupage; carpentry; commercial photography; fork-spoon jewelry; manufactured belts, handbags and all other leather goods; mass-produced jewelry; ram-pressed pottery; decorated eggs; T-shirts; candles; art based on embellishing commercially produced items, such as painting, stitchery or appliques on commercially produced garments and decoration on commercially produced furniture; non-original; CNC or kit work.

Heritage Arts

Artists work which falls into one of the ineligible art descriptions may apply to our sister event, Heritage Arts, which is held on the same weekend in a different part of the festival. More information can be found on the Heritage Arts Page (application available May 2025).

May I apply with a collaborating artist?

A two-person team producing a product may qualify as a single exhibitor, but this arrangement must be explained in the description space on the application. Both artists must be present during the Festival hours in the booth during the entire three-day festival.

The Selection Process

GGAF is a juried art show. To ensure impartiality during the jurying process, artists' names, company names, or other personal identifiers must not be visible on any of the artists' images or image descriptions during the selection process. GGAF's goal is to present a well-rounded show, but there is no predetermined number or percentage of "spaces" established for any medium category. The Art Show Committee reserves the right to determine "what is art" as it applies to this event and to make final judgment on all rules. Artists will be notified of their acceptance on July 15, 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter.

Jury Details

Average number of applications submitted each year: 575

Average number of artists selected from the jury to participate in the event: 200

Number of "exempt from jury" artists who are invited to participate in the event: 23

How exempt artists are selected: Received an award

How images are viewed by jurors: Computer monitor

Within a medium category, applications are sorted and viewed by: Application ID (number generated when application is started by artist)

Jurors score applications using the following scale: 1 – 7

Number of jurors scoring applications: 2

The show organizes the jurors for a: Single jury panel that scores applications for all medium categories

Jurors score: Separately from various locations

Am I allowed to observe the jury process? Jury process is closed

Go to your “My Zapplication” page and choose to accept or decline the invitation. Please make sure that your website, and all other information is up to date. This will be how you are listed on our website.

What does a booth space cost?

• $350: 10’ x 10’ space
• $525: 10’ x 15’ space
• $700: 10’ x 20’ space

How do I choose my booth location?

2024 Award Winners will have first choice of booth location.

All other booth assignments will be made in the order of the BOOTH PAYMENT DATE  which is TIME-STAMPED on the ZAPP website. (Booth payment opens starting on August 20th at noon CDT) The deadline for payment is September 14th 2025. There will be an email sent out with a link to a form where you choose your space location, as well as any brief comments.

No additional cost for corner booths. You will be charged additional fees if you exceed the area allocated for your space. And there is no GGAF  commission due on sales.

Wait List FAQs

As part of the jurying process, approximately 70 artists will be selected as alternates by medium category and selected to participate if there are cancellations in that category. Artists who are not on the wait list may not participate in the festival.

I am waitlisted, what should I do?

If you plan on staying on the waitlist, make sure your contact details are correct!

Should I contact the festival?

Only if your plans change, and you would not be able to participate if invited.

We will contact you should a space open up in your medium.

Each medium has its own waitlist. You can check in to see what your status is by emailing [email protected]

The GGAF Emerging Artist Program is a mentoring program designed to help create the opportunities for up-and-coming artists. Our goal is to give this next generation of Artists the foundation they need to begin their art show careers

Requirements:

• Resides in Escambia, Santa Rosa or Okaloosa County preferred.
• If not a local resident, must be willing to travel to Pensacola and provide their own housing during the festival.
• Has not participated in a major juried art festival.
• Must be 18 or older to participate in this program.
• College or University is not required.

If you meet these criteria and would like to apply please visit our Emerging Artist webpage or email [email protected]

Judges have previewed your work prior to the festival during the jurying process. Judging will commence at 8:00am on Friday and be completed by 3pm. (The 8:00am shift begins with the outer perimeter street-side booths and Renoir booths 1-9.) Judges take short breaks, and will break for lunch between 12-1pm. If you would like to be in your booth when judges visit, plan on being there between 8:00am. till noon and between 1-3pm.

Artwork will be judged in the following three areas:

ORIGINALITY: Is the design of the artwork consistent in its originality and uniqueness? Does the artist approach his/her subject matter in a fresh and creative way? Was there a WOW! factor when the judge walked into the booth?

EXECUTION: Does the artwork reveal excellence in skill, talent, and accomplishment in the execution of the work and does it advance the state-of-the-art form? Does the finished work reveal the individual style and signature of the maker?

PRESENTATION: Is the presentation of the artwork and booth visually appealing, well organized and professional? Does the entire body of work show consistency of thought and process?

Scores are based on the artist’s entire body of work rather than an individual piece. No work is “tagged” and no work is removed from the booth for judging. Awards will be presented on Friday at the Artists’ Party at 5:30pm, Phineas Phogg’s, Seville Quarter.

Our judging procedure includes initiatives that:

• Require each judge spend 40 seconds of time in each booth,
• Eliminate fly-bys at the end of the day because the judge ran out of time.
• Ensure a fair assessment of each artist’s work by each judge.
• Remove or at least reduce bias from any judge.

The judging philosophy of the Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival is to give all artists an equal opportunity to be fairly judged and assessed. This can be accomplished only by adhering to a strict time schedule and limiting the time (40 seconds) a judge spends in a booth, as well as requiring each judge spend that amount of time in every booth. With that in mind, it is suggested you avoid long dissertations about what you do and how you do it, as that may drastically decrease the time the judge has to look at your work. Answer judges’ questions as briefly and succinctly as possible.

As part of our judging protocol, you will be given as much advance notice as possible of the judge’s arrival at your booth. Each judge will introduce himself/herself to you upon entering your booth or prior to departing, depending on whether or not you are talking to a patron.

SET UP ON THURSDAY

Members of the GGAF Committee will be on site to help coordinate your efforts. In addition, we will have our security team, uniformed police officers, and a team of volunteers in place. Patience and cooperation will be key to a smooth set up.

Check In
Pick up your ARTIST’S PACKET, BADGE AND BOOTH SIGN at the GGAF check in area in the Gazebo. Your check-in time is based on your booth location. At this point you will receive your barricade pass, which allows you to park on the streets surrounding the park. This is for unloading only, once you have done so, you will be required to move your vehicle!

To create a more pleasant and smooth experience, we have staggered set up times. You will receive a chart showing your space number and set up time. It must be stressed that you should not arrive earlier than your scheduled time.

• You will have a 2 hour window to unload and dolly your display and work to your space.
• You will be required to move your vehicle once your time slot is over, and before the next group of artists arrive.
• Do not park on the streets surrounding the festival, or attempt to unload unless it is during your time slot or after hours.
• If you cannot arrive at the scheduled time, you will have to wait until after 5:00pm Thursday evening or very early on Friday morning. ​
• NOT following these instructions may result in your expulsion from the festival, with no refunds, as well as exclusion from future events.
• PLEASE TRUST THE PROCESS! There WILL be space for you to park during your unloading window!!!!

BARRICADE PASS REQUIRED for Set up and Breakdown, or to access the streets around the festival. This is only allowed after festival hours to replenish stock or to remove items for safekeeping, Once you arrive at your scheduled time, a GGAF committee member will give you a Barricade pass. This pass will also be required for Breakdown. The barricade pass should be placed on the dashboard, on the driver's side. Make sure it is legible (not covered) or your vehicle may be towed!

LOAD IN is done by parking near your booth, next to the curb of the perimeter sidewalk at your scheduled time. No vehicles are permitted inside Seville Square at any time. Unload and remove your vehicle prior to setting up your display. ​

Curbside street parking is available only during the following times:

1. For Set Up during your scheduled time on Thursday.
2. Until 7:45am on Friday morning, and 8:45am on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
3. If you’d like to remove your work from your booth each night, you may not pull your vehicle up to the curb until closing time each day.
4. For breakdown on Sunday.

Booth Set Up

• All booths and displays must be secured in place by weights, a minimum of 40 lbs per leg. Expect medium to strong winds. A member of the GGAF will conduct weight checks.
• All tents, canopies, display panels, etc. must be free standing. Ground stakes are not to be used to secure your tent. All tents or canopies must be white.
• Displays must be professional in appearance, and consistent with application shots. Keep all extra boxes, supplies, extra work, etc. out of sight.
• Electricity is not provided. NO GAS GENERATORS are allowed. Only battery power packs for electricity are allowed.
• Exhibitors may not display ribbons, awards or prizes received at previous shows.
• All artists are responsible for picking up trash around their display area.
• We are looking for a professional, appealing display. Your booth is your art gallery, reflecting the quality of your work and pride of ownership. Unprofessional or amateurish displays will not be tolerated. All tables must be covered to the ground. Boxes cannot be stored within view of your display and must be covered if kept inside of your display.
• Exhibiting artists may demonstrate musical instruments displayed in their booth at a sound level that does not impinge on adjacent exhibitor spaces. Demonstrations are permitted only within the boundaries of the artist's booth. Amplification is not allowed.

There will be police officers and volunteers patrolling the park during open festival hours in addition to the regular on-duty police officers assigned to the area throughout the duration of the show. Display panels and canopies may remain up overnight. It is advisable that you remove your artwork from your booth each night to eliminate the risk of damage or theft. In all cases, exhibitors will be responsible for their own space and property. Leaving anything in your space is done at the artist’s discretion. GGAF claims no responsibility. Security should be considered a deterrent but provides no guarantee against damages, theft, or vandalism. You are strongly encourage to obtain liability insurance for your booth and contents.

If GGAF has worked out any special rates, these will be emailed to you directly when available and listed on the website. There will also be a list of other lodging options, although not all are listed. Hotels in the Pensacola area tend to fill up quickly. I would suggest making reservations early, being aware of their cancellation policies. Check out Priceline.com, Orbitz.com, Expedia.com, Kayak.com, Trivago.com, Hotels.com etc. You may also look for rooms in surrounding towns, which may be less expensive.

WHERE CAN I PARK?

Parking in Pensacola can be difficult and expensive. Please read our notes on street and public parking. We have also worked out a deal with the city of Pensacola for RV, trailer and vehicle parking in a nearby lot, Currently the cost is $16 for all 4 days. Permits may be purchased through the festival.

We have numerous food trucks at our festival, and all are excellent, having been curated by our Culinary Arts Committee.

There are also 3 restaurants within walking distance.

• Dharma Blue
• Hub Staceys
• Lucy’s

And a Brewery:

• Pensacola Bay Brewery

RESTROOM FACILITIES
Portable facilities are available at every corner of the park, except for the northeast corner of the park.

WHAT IS THE Refund Policy?

Artists who cancels prior to September 15, 2025 and requests a refund in writing will receive a 90% refund of the booth fee. After this date, no refunds will be issued.

Late cancellations, after 10:00 a.m. CDT on Monday, October 20th, causing gaps in the art show layout may be subject to the artist's exclusion from the 2026 festival pending a review of the circumstances by the committee.

Booth fees will not be refunded due to inclement weather or other circumstances beyond GGAF's control. This is an outdoor festival and weather, wind and dust. Depending on your location in the park, you may need to bring a mat to cover the ground to help keep the dust to a minimum.

Request for refunds may be submitted via email to: [email protected]

Any breach of the rules forfeits all rights of the artist and may result in immediate removal from the show without a refund.

THE GREAT GULFCOAST ARTS FESTIVAL CODE OF CONDUCT

The Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival is committed to providing an environment free from discrimination and harassment. We ask all Show participants to embrace our values of treating others with dignity and respect to to create a welcoming and festive atmosphere. At every Show, there is a designee as the first point of contact for any who thinks they have experienced discriminatory, harassing, or otherwise unacceptable behavior.

DO I NEED TO PAY STATE SALES TAX?

All exhibiting artists are responsible for City and State taxes. The current rate is 7.5%

FLORIDA STATE SALES TAXES If you do not already have a State of Florida tax identification number we provide you with a form that is to be filled out and sent in. If you need this form, but did not receive it in your artists packet, please let us know! More information can be found at the General Tax webpage with links to instructions: floridarevenue.com
Contact for tax questions: Andrea Carr, [email protected] or 850-471-6943