Children's Events

It is part of Fine Arts For Ocala's mission to foster the artist inside a child by providing artistic experiences for students that educate and encourage them. We host the Ocala Arts Festival each year in order to bring the fine arts to Ocala and Marion County and so that students can look at the art up-close and visit with artists. They can have one-on-one conversations with artists and ask questions about the various mediums represented at the show. It is our hope that viewing the fine arts inspires students to explore and to create their own masterpieces. With this in mind, FAFO provides a student section at the art festival that revolves around students and their artistic creations.

The Ocala Arts Festival hosts Marion County's largest student art exhibit that showcases k-12 student art work from all Marion County schools both public and private. Art teachers select student work to submit and it is displayed throughout the weekend. The student show is judged and cash and honorary awards of merit are given out, each student also receives a participation ribbon. In addition, FAFO purchases several pieces of student work and these pieces become an official, registered part of the Find Arts For Ocala Permanent Student Collection.

In our Artist Alley, students of all ages can express their own creativity by participating in the hands-on projects. Each student has an opportunity to create a unique work of art that they may take home. The students have fun while learning about different mediums and techniques.

FAFO continues to support art education for the students of Marion County by providing funding of art supplies for the Public Education Foundation of Marion County's Tools 4 Teaching free teacher resource center and the local ARC facility. We also fund art related scholarships through the College of Central Florida Foundation.