Florida’s Paradise Coast will resonate with the heritage, sounds, dances, and visual arts of the Hispanic community.
Get ready to embark on a journey into the vibrant heart of Hispanic arts and culture as Florida's Paradise Coast gears up for another exhilarating celebration like no other. ¡ARTE VIVA! Presented by the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention and Visitors Bureau, this yearlong extravaganza promises to be an unforgettable tribute to the rich cultural tapestry of the Hispanic community, which constitutes nearly 30% of the region’s population.
¡ARTE VIVA! recently was recognized by the International Festivals and Events Association (IFEA) and the Florida Festivals and Events Association. These accolades acknowledge innovation, uniqueness, and creative collaboration. ¡ARTE VIVA earned three 2024 IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards. In its budget category, the festival won a Gold Award for Best Single Magazine Display Ad, A Silver for the Best Give-Away Item for its promotional merchandise, and a Bronze for Best Multimedia Component for the Meet the Artist Series. ¡ARTE VIVA! earned two prestigious SUNsational Awards presented by FFEA. In its budget category, ¡ARTE VIVA! secured the second-place award for the Meet the Artist video series, and third place for its promotional merchandise.
"Our CVB partners are thrilled to participate and bring new programs to our destination,” said John Melleky, arts and culture manager for the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB., “¡ARTE VIVA! provides a tremendous platform to promote Collier County’s cultural assets because we know that the arts in Collier County mean business."
The 2024-2025 season of ¡ARTE VIVA! will introduce extraordinary new programs:
- The first weekend in November brings Día de los Muertos to the area at various locations. Originating in Mexico, this vibrant holiday invites the community to come together, share cherished memories of loved ones, and celebrate the bonds that unite us. There are a variety of events and activities, which include:
- A grass wall installation at the Marco Island Center for the Arts;
- An exhibition and event on November 1 at Method & Concept;
- The free Artis—Naples Community Day event on November 2;
- The 3rd annual Día de los Muertos Celebration at Naples Botanical Garden on November 2 and 3;
- Mariachi Herencia de Mexico is visiting Artis—Naples for a performance on November 3.
- Visual arts take center stage with multiple exhibitions.
- Artis—Naples presents its Florida Contemporary 2025 exhibition with Miami artist Marielle Plaisir, whose multimedia work includes sculpture, drawing, painting and photography. In December, the organization showcases Rafel Lozano-Hemmer: Obra Sonora. This Mexican-Canadian artist is known for his participatory installations and this work will engage and experiment with sound and music as the primary medium.
- The Face of Immokalee is a captivating installation at Lipman Farms in Immokalee. Photographer Michelle Tricca honors the resilient Immokalee community through a striking series of black-and-white portraits of its children.
- In May, the Marco Island Center for the Arts will showcase works in collaboration with the Cuban, Latin American, and Hispanic artists heavily featured in the Museum of Contemporary Art of the Americas in Miami.
- In summer of 2025, Naples Art Institute will highlight the significance of Hispanic arts within our community as part of the Naples Invitational exhibition.
- ¡ARTE VIVA! will also be filled with the rhythm and melodies of talented Hispanic artists. The Marco Island Center for the Arts' Musical Interludes will introduce a variety of musical talents, including Latin Grammy nominee Leslie Cartaya and the flamenco sounds of Terra Guitarra. Meanwhile, Artis—Naples boasts a lineup with nationally renowned artists Los Lobos and a series of symphonic works. The music and performances will abound at Opera Naples’ 5th Annual Festival Under the Stars, and The Naples Players will produce the award-winning musical Man of La Mancha.
This year’s lineup will also include the 30th Annual Farmers Market at Third Street South with local Hispanic vendors, the South American Exhibit at Naples Zoo, a medley of outdoor art festivals, and much more. ¡ARTE VIVA! is set to offer residents and visitors an unrivaled assortment of events and performances throughout the year, spread across multiple locations throughout Florida's Paradise Coast. It's a heartfelt tribute to Hispanic culture's beauty, vibrancy, and unique contributions.
For a comprehensive list of upcoming events and to immerse yourself in the ¡ARTE VIVA! experience, please visit the ¡ARTE VIVA! website at www.arte-viva.com.
Full Event Schedule (as of October 1, 2024)
Now – 07/30/2025 Immokalee Lipman Family Farms
The public art installation The Face of Immokalee by Michelle Tricca aims to champion the Immokalee community through a series of boldly displayed black and white photographic portraits. This first-of-its-kind art exhibition in Collier County is presented on two 50-foot walls and two 53-foot semi-truck-trailer owned by Immokalee-based Lipman Family Farms. Free Admission.
Now – 07/30/2025 Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens
Visit Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens to discover the South America Trail, featuring many new species, including the Baird’s Tapir, Capybaras, Toco Toucan, and Southern Screamers. Ticket Information.
10/04/2024 - 11/21/2024 Marco Island Center for the Arts
Día de los Muertos Grass Wall - Outdoor Art Installation
Visit the installation of the multidimensional Grass Walls that will be decorated with crafts that celebrate the Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). The project on display in the Art Center’s courtyard in October and November of 2024. Free Admission
10/12/2024 Marco Island Historical Museum
Honrando Nuesta Historia: Dia de los Muertos Family Fun Day
Part of the Honrando Nuestra Historia Series, this family-friendly event will include the importance of Día de los Muertos and how it differs from Halloween. There will be crafts with calaveras (skull decorations) and offrendas (altars). Free Admission
10/19/2024 - 06/29/2025 Artis—Naples
This annual exhibition presents a select group of notable visual artists practicing in Florida. Highlighting the diversity of artistic approaches to personal, local and global themes, Florida Contemporary invites visitors to celebrate the state’s vibrant art scene. The artists selected for the 12th edition of the exhibition are Amer Kobaslija, Jacksonville; Cynthia Mason, St. Petersburg; and Marielle Plaisir, Miami. Ticket Information
10/21/2024 - 11/06/2024 Method & Concept
Día de los Muertos Art Exhibition
Embracing our local heritage of Hispanic traditions, the Día de los Muertos art exhibition connects to the memory of beloved family and friends, visually depicted using a variety of art media. Traditionally a Mexican cultural celebration, this exhibition combines paintings, sculpture and mixed media to unite our community in joyful remembrance. The exhibition highlights include a large-scale ofrenda (altar) as well as traditional hand-made wears from Mexico for an interactive flea market installation (mercado de pulgas). Artist interpretations of the traditional Mexican mask will also be on display throughout the gallery. Free Admission
11/01/2024 - 11/02/2024 Artis—Naples
Naples Philharmonic Masterworks: Pictures with Alexander
The Naples Philharmonic Masterworks series begins with newly appointed conductor Artistic and Music Director Alexander Shelley and Pablo-Sáinz-Villegas on the guitar. Ticket Information
11/01/2024
An evening event to celebrate and remember our loved ones for Dia de los Muertos! Method & Concept gallery will artfully transform into a vibrant Mexican market with themed artwork, mesmerizing festive décor, and the best live 6-person mariachis in SW Florida. Ticket Information
11/02/2024
Community Day Celebrating Dia de los Muertos
Artis—Naples welcomes the entire community to the Kimberly K. Querrey and Louis A. Simpson Cultural Campus for a day of art, music and fun. This free event includes hands-on activities in The Baker Museum, musical performances, and special activities throughout the day. The Fall 2024 Community Day will feature a celebration of Día de los Muertos and include music, activities and vendors that celebrate Mexican culture. The Baker Museum will be open from noon-4pm and feature both English and Spanish tours of the exhibitions. Free Admission
11/02/2024 - 11/03/2024 Naples Botanical Garden
Día de Los Muertos Celebration
Join Naples Botanical Garden for a joyous Día de los Muertos Celebration! With origins in Mexico, this colorful holiday is a time for our community to share memories of loved ones and celebrate our families and friends together. Discover the significance of this holiday and its rich culture through special displays, tours, and more. Immerse yourself in live music, dance performances, and delicious dishes. Bring the whole family for an adventure in color, aroma, and flavor. Ticket Information
11/03/2024
Romantic, passionate, emotional and expressive, Mariachi Herencia de Mexico is one of the hottest Mexican folk bands to arrive on the music scene in decades. Wearing matching sombreros and charros — the elaborate and embroidered suits often adorned by equestrians and mariachi music performers — Mariachi Herencia de Mexico celebrates Mexican tradition and culture through song, transporting listeners to the rural streets of Guadalajara. Ticket Information
11/09/2024 – 04/06/2025 Third Street South
Third Street South Farmers Market
There is no better way to experience the heart of a culture than through its food. As part of the larger city-wide celebration, the Third Street South 30th Annual Farmers Market will feature a focus on the culinary delights of many Hispanic and Latin cuisines, with many of our favorite vendors returning and exciting new vendors joining the lineup. The Third Street South Farmers Market was first established in 1994 and today reflects the participation of nearly 60 vendors, the majority of whom are local agriculturally based businesses. Free Admission
11/14/2024 Marco Island Center for the Arts
Musical Interludes with Leslie Cartaya
Caribbean, Afro-American, Afro-Latin, and Latin American musical rhythms create a harmonious fusion in Leslie Cartaya's music. Cartaya is a Grammy and Latin Grammy Nominee singer-songwriter and producer. Born and raised in Cuba, Cartaya has a wide range of repertoire going from the most dance-able and hot Latin rhythms to more soothing and romantic sounds that incorporate Salsa, Son, Rumba, Funk, Pop, and Reggae. Ticket Information
11/14/2024 - 11/16/2024 Artis—Naples
Naples Philharmonic Masterworks: Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3
The Naples Philharmonic Masterworks series presents a program of symphonic masterpieces under the baton of acclaimed conductor Joana Carneiro, and piano virtuosa Yeol Eum Son. Ticket Information
11/27/2024 Artis—Naples
Encanto: The Sing-Along Film Concert
Experience the magic of Disney’s Encanto like never before as Hayes Hall transforms into the vibrant wonderland of Encanto for one enchanting night! Watch the beloved Academy Award-winning film and sing along with Banda de la Casita as they perform Grammy-winning hits like We Don’t Talk About Bruno, Surface Pressure and Dos Oruguitas. Ticket Information
12/05/2024
Opera Naples celebrates An Evening in Paris that features classic operative performances by Hispanic artists and curated by Artistic and Music Director Ramón Tebar. Ticket Information
12/07/2024 – 06/15/2025 Artis—Naples
Rafael Lozano-Hemmer: Obra Sonora
For over three decades, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer has integrated art, science, architecture and technology into his trailblazing artistic practice. This exhibition includes monumental works such as Atmosphonia, a sound and light environment featuring 3,000 audio channels playing back natural field recordings; Volute 2, a speech bubble presented as an oversized aluminum sculpture; and Sphere Packing: Bach, a 10-foot diameter sphere that supports 1,128 loudspeakers—each playing a different composition by Johann Sebastian Bach. This will be the first museum exhibition to explore Lozano-Hemmer’s use of sound as a
medium of expression and image-making. Ticket Information
01/06/2025
For more than a half-century, perhaps no band has defined the East Los Angeles sonic landscape better than the Mexican-American rock band Los Lobos. Offering a heady blend of rock, Tex-Mex, brown-eyed soul and traditional music, Los Lobos has created a sound uniquely their own. The band’s journey to fame began in the early 1980s, but it was their rendition of La Bamba for the 1987 Ritchie Valens biopic that catapulted them into international stardom, topping the Billboard 100 chart. Ticket Information
01/09/2025 – 01/11/2025 Artis—Naples
Naples Philharmonic Masterworks: Carmen and La Mer
The Naples Philharmonic Masterworks series continues with Artistic and Music Director Alexander Shelley leading the orchestra. Pianist Javier Perianes serves as a special guest. Selections include Bizet’s – Carmen Suite No. 1. Ticket Information
01/17/2025
Luciano Pavarotti Foundation Opera Naples Academy: Don Pasquale
Experience the comedic masterpiece Don Pasquale like never before as the talented Luciano Pavarotti Foundation Opera Naples Academy participants, featuring rising opera stars from around the world, bring their exceptional vocal prowess and artistry to this beloved opera. Ticket Information
01/23/2025
Musical Interludes: Terra Guitarra
Master guitarist Bruce Hecksel and singer-songwriter Julie Patchouli blend music from their two musical projects Patchouli and Terra Guitarra. Terra Guitarra® is reviewed as “one of the top nuevo-flamenco groups in the world” – Zone Music Reporter. Their soulful fusion of blazing Spanish and world guitar instrumentals, heartstring-tugging lyrics, lush vocal harmonies, and epic folk-rock anthems infused with visible onstage chemistry guarantees to make the night an uplifting one of music that will leave you uniquely inspired and excited to pick that old guitar back up. Ticket Information
01/25/2025– 01/26/2025 Mercato
Experience the sophisticated, fun, and vibrant Mercato Art Celebration Art Show hosted by Naples Picasso Events. This two-day extravaganza offers Naples residents and visitors the perfect blend of shopping under the sunshine and memorable evenings filled with dining, drinks, entertainment, and captivating fine art from renowned national and international artists. Free Admission
02/27/2025 – 03/16/2025 Opera Naples
Festival Under the Stars 2025
Join Opera Naples’ Festivals Under the Stars at Cambier Park a variety of musical activities, events, concerts, dance, and operas featuring Hispanic performers. Ticket Information
03/03/2025 – 03/31/2025 United Arts Collier
Latin Surrealism: An ¡ARTE VIVA! Exhibition
United Arts Collier presents this exhibition at The Norris Center. It celebrates Latin American heritage and will feature works in the spirits of artists such as: Leonora Carrington, Frida Kahlo, Wilfredo Lam, Remedios Varo, and Salvador Dali. Free Admission
03/08/2025 – 03/9/2025 Marco Island National Fine Art Show
2nd Annual Marco Island National Fine Art Show
Beautiful Veteran’s Community Park on Marco Island is the home for this art show, hosted by MauRich Productions, where you can personally engage with the artists and indulge in delicious culinary treats. Free Admission
03/12/2025 – 04/13/2025 The Naples Players
This timeless and captivating musical will take you on an epic adventure alongside the indomitable dreamer, Don Quixote. Inspired by Miguel de Cervantes’ 17th-century masterwork Don Quixote and set during the Spanish Inquisition, this is the story of the elderly Alonso Quijana who renames himself Don Quixote and goes on a quest to right all the wrongs in the world. With a score that will tug at your heartstrings and a tale that inspires the dreamer in us all, Man of La Mancha delivers a poignant and uplifting theatrical experience. Ticket Information
04/03/2025 – 04/04/2025 Artis—Naples
Naples Philharmonic Masterworks: Strauss and Storytelling
The Naples Philharmonic Masterworks series continues with Artistic and Music Director Alexander Shelley and guest pianist Gabriela Montero performing works by Strauss, Mozart, and Prokofiev. Ticket Information
05/05/2025 – 07/29/2025 Marco Island Center for the Arts
Miami to Marco is a collaborative exhibition with the Cuban, Latin American, and Hispanic artists that are heavily featured in the Museum of Contemporary Art of the Americas located near Miami. Free Admission
07/12/2025 – 09/14/2025 Naples Art Institute
The second edition of the Naples Invitational exhibition will highlight the significance of Hispanic arts within our community. Like the first iteration, Latino artists will be showcased in both the main exhibition and a special IN FOCUS installation located in the lobby of Naples Art Institute. Ticket Information
For more information about participating in ¡ARTE VIVA, please contact John Melleky, Arts and Culture Manager, for the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB at john.melleky@colliercountyfl.
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About Florida’s Paradise Coast
The Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) is the official source for travel and tourism information about Florida's Paradise Coast. Located in Southwest Florida, this premier vacation and meeting destination offers leisure, group, and business travelers a variety of exceptional year-round options – the sophistication of Naples, the charm of Marco Island and the authentic, rural beauty of Everglades City. Boasting a 30-mile coastline along the Gulf of America ribboned with soft, white-sand beaches, visitors enjoy a refined yet relaxed atmosphere and a variety of accommodations from luxurious beachfront resorts to upscale boutique hotels and welcoming family-friendly lodging. The destination is renowned for its thriving arts and culture scene, exceptional restaurants, art galleries, designer boutiques and eclectic shopping experiences. A mecca for sports enthusiasts, it is home to over 90 public and private golf courses and is the host destination to three major PGA and LPGA championship tournaments, as well as the U.S. Open Pickleball Championships. The Paradise Coast Sports Complex is home to the United Soccer League’s FC Naples team and hosts national and regional sports tournaments year-round. Water activities abound, ranging from world-class fishing and sailing charters to kayaking, paddleboarding and airboat rides. Outdoor adventure activities include exploring the world-famous Everglades – the only sub-tropical mangrove wilderness in the U.S. that features endangered and rare wildlife species in their natural habitat, including the elusive Florida panther, alligators, bobcats, Florida black bear, and over 350 species of birds.
Florida’s Paradise Coast is truly where the high life meets the wildlife. Accolades include being named the No. 1 “Best Place to Live in the U.S.,” the No. 1 “Healthiest and Happiest City in America” and “One of the Best Small Cities in the U.S.” Located just two hours from Miami, three hours from Tampa, and four hours from Orlando, Florida’s Paradise Coast is easily accessible by Interstate highway. Travelers outside of the Sunshine State can fly into Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW), Punta Gorda (PGD), Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Miami (MIA). For more information about Florida’s Paradise Coast, call 800-688-3600, visit ParadiseCoast.com, and follow us on X, (Formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook.
About ¡ARTE VIVA!
¡ARTE VIVA! is a collaborative initiative that brings together the arts and culture organizations and hospitality partners of Florida’s Paradise Coast to communally celebrate the artistic contributions of the Hispanic community. The year-long celebration features local events, exhibitions, performances, and educational opportunities throughout the destination. Presented by the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB and supported by the Collier County Board of County Commissioners, ¡ARTE VIVA! will enhance the visitor experience as well as offering residents community-wide educational and entertainment experiences throughout the year. For the most recent information about the event schedule, please visit ¡ARTE VIVA!. For information about participating in this yearlong project, contact John Melleky at john.melleky@colliercountyfl.