Janis FontaineArmory Art Center’s annual juried weekend arts fest is coming in November.
Get ready to kick off the art season, my friends!
The Armory Art Center’s signature event — the annual juried art festival – is coming up Nov. 8-9.
Why it matters: The Armory’s mission is to inspire the creation and experience of art.
- Dozens of artists enter its juried contest each year. Alongside paintings and sculpture, fans will find fine crafters and artisans who produce unique art forms and wares.
- The Amory’s dedication to “supporting creatives in a more significant way” extends to other arts, and guests will find performing artists as well as culinary artists and purveyors of craft food and beverages at the festival.
CEO Jill Brown joined the Armory in January 2024 and she’s been listening to the community to find out what they want. “I leaned in,” Brown said last year. “Now we’re undergoing a bit of a renaissance.”
Flashback: The Armory Art Center was born of need in 1986 when the Norton Museum of Art closed its art school. Art teachers and artists, art lovers and art history buffs joined community members to find a new site.
- They found the neglected building that had served as the National Guard Armory from 1929 to 1982, which was scheduled for demolition by the city of West Palm Beach. With help from the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County and concerned neighbors, the group stopped the demolition and by the time the Armory Art Center was incorporated as a not-for-profit in 1986, they had a full array of classes ready to go.
By the numbers: Since its inception, the Armory staff have mentored and nurtured thousands of artists through artist-in-residence programs, art classes, workshops, and its popular summer camp. It serves more than 3,000 students annually, offering 160 courses in drawing, painting, photography, jewelry, fiber and textiles, ceramics and sculpture.
“This institution has so much to offer,” Brown said last year. To serve the public better, “We’re offering shorter classes because people said eight weeks was too long a commitment. We offer more classes on weekends and we’ve extended our hours. We’re open until 7 pm Tuesday through Thursday and we stay open later on Saturdays.”
“But people tell me, ‘We didn’t know you were here’ or ‘You’re the best kept secret.’ We don’t want to be a secret.” Brown hopes that moving the festival to November will garner new fans and catch folks while they still have holiday gifts to buy.
“We’re surrounded by the arts in West Palm Beach,” Brown said, so there’s tremendous competition for eyeballs and foot traffic. But the Armory offers something distinctive. Brown says the Armory recognizes the holistic and therapeutic benefits of the arts offering opportunities like the BraveHeARTS program that promotes the rehabilitation of military service veterans through artistic expression.
“You don’t have to be an artist to come enjoy a class.”
Two exhibitions debut in November
The 40-year-old organization is also preparing for two more exhibitions this winter, running from Nov. 3 to Dec. 27.
Through intricately woven fiber portraits, collages, prints and paintings, Kandy G. Lopez’s solo exhibition, “Past the Eyes,” captures the soul of individuals often overlooked. This exhibition invites viewers to witness more fully and engage with communities through empathy, memory, and connection.
For the juried exhibition “Full Circle,” artists created work depicting subjects with a circular form, or exploring symbolism, metaphor, or traditions expanding the basic circle. From oranges to eggs and drum rolls to figure eights, artists will find original ways to close the loop, spiral out of control, and share their sphere of influence.
If you go: The Armory’s Ninth Annual Creative Market
- 9:30 am-5 pm Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 8-9.
- The Armory Art Center, 811 Park Place, West Palm Beach.
- www.armoryart.org or 561-832-1776.
Editor’s note: This story was originally published in October 2024 and updated in October 2025.
