2027 Florida Artists Group Annual Exhibition and Symposium
Sidney & Berne
Davis Art Center
(SBDAC)
2301 First Street
Fort Myers, FL 33901
You are destined to have a wonderful time in this art-filled town as the members of FLAG “merge” to demonstrate the variety of fine art created in Florida today.
Get ready for fun and networking. We are bringing back the successful Plein Air Paint-Out and are seeking members to offer public workshops (see details below).
Important Dates
Exhibition Submission Deadline: Wednesday, December 16, 2026
Art Delivery – Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center: Monday, February 1, 2027, 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Art Pickup – Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center: Friday, February 26, 2027, 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Exhibition Dates – Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center: February 5 – 25, 2027
Opening Reception – Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center Galleries: Friday, February 5, 2027, 6:00 –10:00 p.m.
Symposium Presentations – Sidney & Berne Art Center Galleries: Saturday, February 6, 2027, 10:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Plein Air Outing with Lizzie Hunter – Centennial Park and rooftop of Sidney & Berne Art Center, 2000 W. First St, Fort Myers: Saturday, February 6, 2027, 1:30 p.m.
Awards Gathering – Azalea’s on the Corner, 1544 Broadway, Fort Myers: Saturday, February 6, 2027, 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Events
Opening Reception
The main galleries will be open throughout the evening. Light appetizers and drinks will be served. Guests are invited to enjoy Sidney’s Rooftop with panoramic views of the city and sunset over the Caloosahatchee River. Sidney’s Sculpture Garden and reception areas will also be open.
Symposium Presentations
Juror Mary Laube will begin the program at 10:00 a.m., followed by artist talks and additional presentations. More information will be announced as details are finalized.
NEW! Member-Presented Workshops
This is a new opportunity for our members to provide workshops for FLAG members and the public. More details will be sent by email. The workshop rooms are free; the venue will sell tickets and keep 25% of the per-attendee fee. Contact Margaret Hodge at FLAGPresident25@gmail.com for more information.
Plein Air Outing with Lizzie Hunter
Open to members and the public. Join FLAG member Lizzie Hunter for an afternoon of plein-air drawing and painting at a nearby riverside location or on the rooftop of the Davis Art Center. Click here for more information about the outing.
Awards Gathering
The FLAG Board of Directors invites members and guests to gather at historic Azalea’s on the Corner, 1544 Broadway, Fort Myers, for an informal evening of fellowship and celebration. Enjoy a generous selection of hors d’oeuvres (Shrimp cocktails and warm sweet meatballs with quality cold meats, cheeses, crackers, breads, dips, veggies, fruits, and nuts) and a cash bar to celebrate our organization and this year’s award recipients. Cost is $30 per person. Bring a guest or two. We will have drawings for door prizes. Azalea’s accepts cash, credit cards, and Apple Pay for your drinks.
Important Links
Award Gathering Ticket(s) 2027:
2027 Fort Myers Hotels
The cutoff date for the block of rooms in both hotels is Tuesday, January 5, 2027. Both hotels provide breakfast and onsite parking.
Hampton Inn Downtown by Hilton
2151 Johnson Street, Fort Myers, FL 33901
1 King with microwave and fridge $212.00 per night plus tax and fees.
2 Queens with microwave and fridge $222.00 per night plus tax and fees.
https://www.hilton.com/en/attend-my-event/florida-artists-group
This newer hotel is downtown. You are a short walk from the river and parks, the Davis Art Center, and Azalea, where our Awards Gathering will be held. The city also provides a bus service during February, and there is a bus stop nearby. Plenty of parking spaces in the area. Cancel without penalty 3 days before your scheduled check-in. Contact Jessica Smalls to extend your stay or need help with your reservation: Jessica.Smalls@hilton.com
13021 N Cleveland Ave, North Fort Myers, FL 33903
1 King with microwave OR 2 queens $179 per night plus tax and fees.
https://www.bestwestern.com/en_US/book/hotel-rooms.10277.html?groupId=D63WR8X8
This hotel is on the west side of the bridge and is a 1.8-mile drive to the Davis Art Center and Azalea, where we are having our Awards Gathering. The downtown area has several public parking options. There are no buses that come from this hotel to downtown. Cancel without penalty 2 days before your scheduled check-in. Contact Kim Hawxhurst, Hospitality Manager, Hotel (239) 997-5511 / Direct (239) 333-1122 to extend your stay or if you need help with your reservation.
Judge for Florida Artists Group 78th Annual Exhibition
Mary Laube is Associate Professor at University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She received her MFA (2012) from The University of Iowa. Laube has held recent exhibitions at Morgan Lehman Gallery (NYC), Ortega y Gasset Projects (NYC), Groundfloor Contemporary (Birmingham, AL), The Warbling Collective (London), the Knoxville Museum of Art, and Tiger Strikes Asteroid Philadelphia. Laube’s work questions how cultural objects accumulate meaning across time and space. Through the abstraction of historical objects her work gives form to the de-territorialized conditions of a globalized and colonized world. In doing so, the works become artifacts themselves, antagonizing our relationship to culture, and the fraught process of defining it. See Mary’s work at https://www.marylaube.com