¡ARTE VIVA! – Celebrating Hispanic Heritage and Artistic Diversity
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: ¡ARTE VIVA! Presented by the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), it is a yearlong extravaganza that promises to be an unforgettable tribute to the rich cultural tapestry of the Hispanic community, which makes up nearly 30% of the region’s population.
¡ARTE VIVA! was recently recognized by the Florida Festivals and Events Association (FFEA), earning four 2026 SunSational Awards. The festival won two Silver Awards for the 2025-2026 Commemorative Poster and the Social Media Campaign and two Bronze Awards for the Website and Magazine Advertisement.
"Our CVB partners are thrilled to participate and bring exciting 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 Collier County is the place to feel the cultural pulse of Paradise."
The 2026-2027 season of ¡ARTE VIVA! will introduce extraordinary new programs, family activities, and returning favorites:
- Families take the stage with many activities for everyone, which include:
- The Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples celebrates with ¡VIVA Mexico!, a colorful interactive journey into the culture, history and traditions of Mexico;
- A grass wall installation for Día de los Muertos at the Marco Island Center for the Arts;
- Children’s activities take center stage with Día de los Muertos at the Marco Island Historical Museum;
- COCO Gallery begins its Young Creators series by celebrating five years of ¡ARTE VIVA!.
- Día de los Muertos is celebrated with returning events. 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:
- The free Artis—Naples Día de los Muertos Celebration event is part of the monthly Art After Hours on October 28. Dance performances, family-friendly activities, art exhibitions, including Florida Contemporary 2026-27 and live art demonstration by Naples artist Nicario Jiménez-Quispe can be found at this free event;
- The annual Día de los Muertos Celebration at Naples Botanical Garden on October 31 and November 1. They will have their eight-foot Calaveras sculptures created by Ricardo Soltero, children’s activities, ofrendas, music by Sudamerican Latin Groove, Mariachi Sol Azteca, and Orquesta Tropical Sound; and dance performances by Ballet Folklorica Jaliscience and Danza Azteca Guadalupana.
- Visual arts take center stage with multiple exhibitions and installations.
- Currently on display, the Immokalee Pioneer Museum at Roberts Ranch showcases the experiences of the Immokalee community through Self-Documented: Community Memory and Lived Experience;
- Now through December 23, 2026, the Naples Depot Museum displays the origins of the Railroad Braceros Project through The Untold Stories of the Mexican Railroad Braceros of World War II;
- Artis—Naples, The Baker Museum presents The Surrealist International: Fifty Years of Dreams, showcasing the trajectory and broad reach of surrealism through a texture of paintings, sculptures, photographs, and objects, drawn from the collection of Tate, United Kingdom from October 17, 2026 - February 14, 2027;
- Naples Art Institute will bring the work of Spanish artist Pablo Picasso for the exhibition Picasso: Back to the Origins from February 6, 2027 to May 2, 2027;
- In March, the Naples Art District will celebrate its 20th anniversary through an exhibition that showcases nature’s endurance, resilience, and transformation of Wings of Wonder: The Miraculous Migration of the Monarch Butterfly to Central Mexico;
- The Face of Immokalee is a captivating public art 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.
- ¡ARTE VIVA! will be filled with the rhythm and melodies of talented Hispanic artists.
- The Marco Island Center for the Arts' Musical Interludes series will introduce a variety of musical talents, including Brazilian guitarist Everton Azevedo; Latin Grammy winner Leslie Cartaya; and the best of Brazilian music with Brazilian Voices;
- Opera Naples Festival Under the Stars runs over two months and will include Hispanic artists and productions created by Artistic and Music Director Ramón Tebar, who himself hails from Valencia, Spain.
This year’s lineup will also include the 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.