Meet the Artists: Inside One of the Nation’s Most Exclusive Art Shows

Photo credits: Eric Theodore, Michaela Yoro, Eri Sugimoto, Madison Shen

Standing next to his paintings of competitive divers, frozen mid-air in oil and canvas, East Tennessee-native figurative artist Eric Theodore watched as a woman in a wheelchair was slowly pushed through the gallery by her son, pausing at painting after painting along the way. When they reached his display, she stopped—and began to cry.

This was just one of many moments that have stayed with Theodore since joining the Festival of the Arts in 2025. “[It’s] only happened that one time,

but it was amazing,” Theodore said. “Art can be really powerful. Art is meant to be viewed, and it all comes from the inside of the artist, but it's meant to be shared with other people. I love seeing people coming around and just enjoying and getting up close to the paintings and interacting.”

Theodore is one of 120 artists selected each summer to exhibit their art at the Festival of Arts, one of the nation’s oldest and most highly acclaimed fine art shows, according to the Festival of the Arts website. Running from early July until early September, the show sets itself apart from other art fairs in the country by giving artists two full months of exposure, complete with live music on select days, a nightly showing of the Pageant of the Masters, and a gallery full of high-end fine art.

For contemporary realism oil painter Michaela Yoro, the extended run makes the Festival of the Arts so unique. “[It’s] really amazing that the festival is a long show that’s two months long when most art fairs are just a weekend,” Yoro said. “It really gives the artists so much exposure; I don’t even know of another art fair in the whole US that gives you this much exposure for this amount of time.”

However, the extended exposure isn’t the only thing that sets this festival apart, according to Yoro. Unlike traditional galleries, which typically take a significant cut of an artist’s sale, the Festival of the Arts allows artists to keep the full profit from anything they sell. The festival’s setup also means artists have the opportunity to meet the people buying their work face-to-face—something Yoro said rarely happens in the traditional art show world.

“The thing that keeps artists wanting to come back is the fact that there's like a lot more profit in [the Festival of Arts], which is really rare,” Yoro said. “Plus, the opportunity to be able to talk to your client face-to-face. A lot of times when I sell in galleries, I never meet my collector because the gallery made the sale for me and I never know who bought my painting. But it feels kind of weird because I put so much of myself into my painting and I don't even know who has it. Being here at the festival and being able to talk one-on-one with the person who is gonna buy my stuff is just more meaningful.”

But for many artists, what keeps them coming back isn’t just the exposure or the sales. It’s the community they form with one another along the way. For ceramic artist Eri Sugimoto, a Japan-born sculptor now based in Orange County, the community is one of the festival's most valuable offerings.

“Since the festival lasts for two months, it is also a great place for artists to get to know one another and build a stronger community,” Sugimoto said.

Theodore has felt that sense of connection too, so much so that he makes a habit of purchasing small pieces from fellow artists whenever he sells one of his own.

“Something I try to do is invest a little bit of [my sales] money into buying something small for another artist,” Theodore said. “I believe in the energy of it all and that we can all be helpful to each other in certain ways. I've also started collecting my own small collection of art that I've bought from other artists from sales that I've made.”

This same belief in connection extends to how Theodore approaches his artistic work. Drawn to sports like diving and the expression of the human body, Theodore decided if he was going to paint divers, he should also try becoming one himself.

“I've always loved watching diving,” Theodore said. “When I moved out here so close to Mission Viejo Nadadores, where a lot of Olympians have trained, I found out that I could take lessons there. I'm always surrounded by really amazing divers, so it’s inspired my latest series of work featuring divers”

Theodore's paintings aren't direct reproductions of what he sees, either. Whether it’s through photographing divers at the Junior National Championships or watching fellow divers jump off a 10-meter tower during training sessions at Nadadores, he simply treats photos as a starting point.

“I never just directly copy the photo,” Theodore said. “The photo is like the jumping off point, and then I'll arrange the composition myself.”

Shown in one of his most recent pieces, Progression, Theodore said he created his work by rearranging three different photos of his old coach and Team USA diver, Grayson Campbell, into one creation.

"Progression," an oil painting by Eric Theodore, exhibited at this year's Festival of Arts. (Photo courtesy of Eric Theodore)

Yoro’s own subject matter is guided by a similar instinct to look closely at the world around her, but her inspiration comes from a different setting. As a still-life painter, Yoro is drawn to the organic shapes and vibrant colors of fruits and vegetables, often opting to paint round shapes from multiple angles in one composition.

“I like to paint round things but incorporate a lot of structure in it myself,” Yoro said. “I'm really inspired by the Cubists and the way that they depicted different perspectives in one viewpoint. I love the idea of seeing all angles of something when you're just looking at it from one viewpoint. In a lot of my paintings, I was inspired by what it does in the end because it's hard to understand what you’re looking at. It makes the viewer have to try to figure it out”

"Onion Trio," an oil painting by Michaela Yoro (Photo courtesy of Michaela Yoro)

Beyond the visual influence, painting has served a deeper purpose in Yoro’s life since she first picked up a paintbrush at seven years old.

“I started when I was seven, and it was just always in me,” Yoro said. “It was enjoyable because it was something that I was naturally good at. A lot of times, painters paint what they're painting because it's a way for them to process their feelings or thoughts. But for me, it's my therapy; everything shuts off, and I can just focus on painting.”

Unlike Theodore and Yoro, Sugimoto finds her work rooted in something less visual and more philosophical. Sugimoto uses patterns to reshape how a piece’s form and shape are perceived, rather than treating it as a simple decoration. Sugimoto said this approach is closely tied to phenomenology, a branch of philosophy centered on consciousness and experience.

“My inspiration comes from many things,” Sugimoto said. “I’m interested in how people see and experience objects, patterns, and the space around them, and recently I realized that this approach is closely connected to philosophy, especially phenomenology. That connection has been really interesting for me to recognize.”

"Poise on the Pebbles," a ceramic sculpture by Eri Sugimoto, exhibited at this year's Festival of Arts. (Photo courtesy of Eri Sugimoto)

Especially for Yoro, who grew up visiting the art show as a guest, being selected to exhibit at the Festival of the Arts is a special experience.

“It’s really such an honor because I've been going to this festival as a guest for all my life,” Yoro said. “I've come here really just admiring all the art and artists and just thinking that one day, this would be so cool to be a part of. So a few years ago, I was walking through [the gallery], and I thought I should just apply because why not. I got in right away, and it feels very surreal sometimes, but it's a really great exhibit to be a part of.”

But being part of the festival isn’t just meaningful for the artists who make it in. It’s also an experience Theodore believes is worth seeing for yourself. With dozens of artists, each bringing their own style and story to the gallery walls, he said there’s something for nearly every visitor to connect with.

“The [Festival of the Arts] doesn't compete with other [art shows],” Theodore said. “Here is more of a night where you can get dressed up and come to a more high-end experience where everything is so professional looking. It's a great full experience if you want to come for a little bit. I also love being around so much great art. Everyone's got their really unique style and voice.”