Call for Artists
Join Us at the 13th Annual Uptown Art Expo
Award artists section limited to 140 carefully juried artists and crafters from across the USA
Our judging team will consist of two independent judges.
11 Prestigious Awards will be presented solely at the discretion of the judges and will be awarded at the winning artists’ booths at about 4:00 PM on Saturday.
Jury Artist Booth Space: $330; $30 application fee - spaces: 31 - 161 - Electric is available for $15 for locations 31 - 143 only.
Non Competitive Artist Space: $275; $30 application fee - spaces: 1 - 23, 162 - 192. No electric is available for these locations. Double booths are available, contact us!
Application Deadline on Zapp is Feb 22, 2026.
Art Awards present by independent judges
Drive up load-in and load-out at; free adjacent parking, overnight security
Sunday morning artist brunch
Highest household buying income in the region
Major advertising and promotion: TV, newspaper, radio, social media
World-class entertainment/high public attendance
Abundant, affordable accommodations and restaurants
2026 Uptown Art Expo Layout
UpTown Art Expo Artist Hotel Special!
Hilton - Altamonte Springs if offering our artists a special room rate of $159 with buffet breakfast for 2 per room. For more information: Click Here!
Mark Parrish
A painter heavily influenced by Dutch painting and the alternative and punk cultures of the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s, Mark Parrish brings a dynamic fusion of classical technique and countercultural energy to his work.
Mark Parrish earned his undergraduate degree from the Atlanta College of Art, followed by a Master of Fine Arts from Parsons School of Design in New York City.
Beginning in the 1990s, Mark Parrish exhibited extensively in Atlanta, New York, and Philadelphia, and has since continued to show work in Brooklyn, Miami, Tampa, Los Angeles, Stockholm, San Francisco, Boston, and Ontario, Canada.
In addition to their studio practice, Mark has worked for nearly 30 years in art galleries and museums in both Atlanta and New York City. Most notably, they served as Chief Preparator at the Vero Beach Museum of Art.
Mark currently works as Associate Curator at the Museum of Art DeLand and will present an upcoming exhibition in Boston in 2026.
Jay Spalding
Jay Spalding is a native Floridian hose art emphasizes the natural beauty of the state. Drawings, paintings, woodblocks are in his repertoire, but his medium of choice is clay. Spalding’s award-winning wheel thrown sculptures, both innovative and creative, have been shown internationally and nationally.
As a Distinguished Professor of Studio Arts, Spalding’s love of the creative processes and integrity of aesthetic academics is passed on to his students. Thirty-five years at Seminoles State College, then years at UCF, Spalding immerses his students in the practice of aesthetic literacy and the joy of meaning of making.
Hi BFA is from Ringling School of Art and Design and his MA is from the University of Central Florida. Spalding’s work is shown regularly in a variety of local galleries as well. (Alice William Jenkins Gallery, Fifth Ave. Gallery, Gallery of First, The Homer and Dolly Hand Art Center, Harris House, Made By Gallery, OVAL Galleries, Orlando City Arts Factory, Orlando City Hall, The Potter House, FAVO.) In addition, he has given workshops and lectures, featured in the Orlando Sentinel , and has judged several other Art Festivals.
