The Painted Fern Art Festival is the North Georgia Arts Guild’s premier members’ show. The festival showcases the broad variety of talent and unique artwork of our NGAG artists and artisans.   

The annual members’ show was introduced in 2008 as Art at the Lake, a one-day, outdoor show at the Lake Rabun Pavilion. In 2015 we moved the show in-town and indoors to allow space for a greater number of artists to participate, and overnight security to expand to a second day. Today, the Painted Fern Art Festival showcases over 40 artists during a full weekend at the Rabun County Civic Center.

While the Painted Fern Art Festival is an NGAG members show, non-members are invited to exhibit as space allows. The show presents original artwork and fine crafts that are unique, varied, and represent a spectrum of mediums such as: painting, jewelry, clay, wood, metal, fiber, floral, glass, multi-media. 

Each year, two talented artists are awarded Best of Show (aka Peoples’ Choice voted by visitor ballot) and Producers’ Choice, selected by the show committee. In 2022, Danny Young received Best of Show for his amazing photographs of wildlife and mountain landscapes. The Producer’s Choice award went to Michael Mason, who creates beautiful wood-turned bowls.