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While museums and galleries can feel intimidating and aloof to those outside the realm of connoisseurs and collectors, art festivals and fairs across the nation connect artists to their audiences, making visual art of all kinds accessible to art lovers and future art lovers alike.
After four weeks of voting, USA TODAY 10Best readers have selected their top 10 winners.
Snagging the number one spot is the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market, an annual July weekend that sees some 170 artists from around the globe gather in the New Mexico capital – it's the largest festival of its kind on the planet.
It was a tight race between the winner and runner-up for Best Art Festival, the Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival in Pittsburgh. This free event features 10 days of public art, live performances, markets and interactive activities.
The top 10 winners in the category Best Art Festival are as follows:
- Santa Fe International Folk Art Market
- Three Rivers Arts Festival - Pittsburgh
- Artisphere - Greenville, S.C.
- ART Santa Fe
- Festival of Arts - Laguna Beach, Calif.
- Main St. Fort Worth Arts Festival
- SOFA Expo - Chicago
- Black Comix Arts Festival - San Francisco
- Red Earth Festival - Oklahoma City
- Ann Arbor Street Art Fair
Additional nominees included the Bayou City Art Festival in Houston, Cherry Creek Arts Festival in Denver, San Francisco International Arts Festival, Expo Chicago, Burning Man in Nevada, Art Los Angeles Contemporary, Art Basel in Miami, the Armory Show in New York, National Black Arts Festival in Atlanta and the High Desert Test Sites in Yucca Vally, Calif.
10Best and USA TODAY extend their congratulations to all the winners. The contest was promoted on 10Best and USA TODAY.
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About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best.
The Experts
Joe Lewis
Joe Lewis is a nationally known artist, educator,... Read More
Joe Lewis is a nationally known artist, educator, and professor of Art at the University of California, Irvine. He exhibits frequently including shows at Los Angeles County Museum, CA; The Museum of Arts and Design, the Studio Museum in Harlem, the New Museum, NY; and Smithsonian Museum, Washington DC. Joe has written for Art in America, The LA Weekly and Artforum. Recently Joe released a blues guitar CD titled “three black bungalows.” He is very active in his community serving on the boards including Project Hope Alliance and the Irvine Public School Foundation. He lives with his wife and son in Irvine, Calif..
Joe Lewis

Joe Lewis is a nationally known artist, educator, and professor of Art at the University of California, Irvine. He exhibits frequently including shows at Los Angeles County Museum, CA; The Museum of Arts and Design, the Studio Museum in Harlem, the New Museum, NY; and Smithsonian Museum, Washington DC. Joe has written for Art in America, The LA Weekly and Artforum. Recently Joe released a blues guitar CD titled “three black bungalows.” He is very active in his community serving on the boards including Project Hope Alliance and the Irvine Public School Foundation. He lives with his wife and son in Irvine, Calif..
Chip Conley
Fest300, the online guide to the world’s best... Read More
Fest300, the online guide to the world’s best festivals, was founded by Joie de Vivre Hospitality founder, Burning Man board member, New York Times bestselling author and Head of Global Hospitality and Strategy at AirBnB, Chip Conley. Fest300 is about discovery and helping connect people – with a wide spectrum of interests – to the festival experiences that are most relevant to them. As the world grows ever more virtual people increasingly crave genuine face-to-face community and are finding it at festivals, where a shared interest can lead to transformative experiences. That’s the premise of Fest300, which presents personalized information on 300 festivals around the world, from the Bali Spirit Festival to Oktoberfest to Burning Man.
Chip Conley

Fest300, the online guide to the world’s best festivals, was founded by Joie de Vivre Hospitality founder, Burning Man board member, New York Times bestselling author and Head of Global Hospitality and Strategy at AirBnB, Chip Conley. Fest300 is about discovery and helping connect people – with a wide spectrum of interests – to the festival experiences that are most relevant to them. As the world grows ever more virtual people increasingly crave genuine face-to-face community and are finding it at festivals, where a shared interest can lead to transformative experiences. That’s the premise of Fest300, which presents personalized information on 300 festivals around the world, from the Bali Spirit Festival to Oktoberfest to Burning Man.