Patron Jean Reynolds of Reston with husband, Jim: “We come to the Fine Arts Festival every year. I was drawn to this work because of the beautiful pastels.” Drawing Artist Donna Grande of Montclair, New Jersey: “This is my fourth time juried in, and it is always a fabulous show.” Photo by Mercia Hobson.
Board Chair, Greater Reston Arts Center, Robert Goudie: “The draw is our artists, some of the best in the country. They are the reason this is a national reviewed (arts festival). We are a content organization, all about celebration.”
Executive Director and Curator of Greater Reston Arts Center, Lily Siegel: “I think this is one of our strongest festivals yet. It's because we listen to our artists and continue to make improvements based on their feedback. Thank you to all our artists. It's great to connect with old friends and new.”
Reston Community Center Executive Director, Leila Gordon, with husband, Robert: “I think the Fine Arts Festival is remarkable for the caliber of the artists, the enthusiasm of the community and the beauty of the setting.”
Patron Michelle Johnson of Reston with son, Atlas, 1, and Sanderjn Johnson of Reston: “What I like about this show is all the art is very different. They did a good job curating.”
A recipient of the 2019 M Group Architects Award of Excellence, Kue King: “There is no other show that I would consider doing other than the GRACE Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival during the season. The collectors here are sophisticated and dedicated to supporting the arts and me. I will continue coming back as long as I can.”
Mixed Media 3D Artist Don McCullough, Kissimmee, Fla.: “I read GRACE put on a great show. This is my first year and one of the top five shows I've ever done. The hospitality of the show stands out. GRACE treats us, the artists, well. They ask about booth sitting and water. There is a constant connection with the artists from application to show. I'll apply next year.”
Mixed Media 2D Artist Tanya Kirouac of Toronto, Canada: “I've never done this show before, and I have artist friends who highly recommended it. Nice show, nice venue and they treat us very well.”
Mixed Media Artist Lisa Norris of Chattanooga, Tenn.: “I've done this show at least four times, and the crowds, the art buyers, are exceptional. If they see something, they buy it. This is our art gallery for the weekend. People like to ask about the process, how'd you come up with an idea.”
Artist Mick Whitcomb of Missouri: “This area has a lot of sentimental attachment to me. I grew up in Fredericksburg. The show publishes statistics for average sales. This is my business and dollars count.”
Jewelry Artist Zbigniew Chojnacki of Philadelphia, Pa.: “We used to do the show a long time ago. We came back because the quality of the show is very high… It didn't go down like other shows. We are very impressed.”