Naples Art Fest this weekend

COURTESY PHOTO The 11th Annual Invitational Art Fest, this Saturday and Sunday at Fleischmann Park in Naples, is one of the best in the country. The 11th Annual Invitational Art Fest is Jan. 26 and 27 at comes to Fleischmann Park in Naples on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 26 and 27.

Consistently ranked as one of the top art shows in the country, the event benefits Eden Foundation's autism programs and features over 200 artists from the U.S. and Canada.

"It's a great event," said Julie Stanley who has a 19-year-old son with autism who has received assistance from Eden since he was 6. "Over the years, he has received a lot of help and we have relied on them a lot."

The number of children affected by autism each year has climbed from 1 in 10,000 a decade ago to 1 in 150 today, Eden estimates.

Autism in Florida also is on the rise, with school cases rising from 582 in 1993 to 6,902 in 2005, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

This year's ArtFest includes drawings, fibers, glass, jewelry, mixed media, sculpture, pottery, photography and painting.

COURTESY PHOTO This year's ArtFest includes glass, jewelry, sculpture, pottery, photography and painting. The show is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday. Admission is $4. Children under 12 are free.

A gourmet food court is a visitors' favorite. The show also features an "Art for Autism" silent auction on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Auction proceeds pay for summer-school tuition. In all, the ArtFest raised $105,000 to support Eden Florida programs last year, said Taire Malloy, assistant director of development.

Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner Personal Injury Attorneys, Outback Steakhouse, Carrabbas Italian Grill, Harris Bank and Bank of America sponsor the event

"This is our major fundraiser," Malloy said. Eden Foundation provides schooling, early intervention and clinical services, consultation and adult residential services to those afflicted with autism.

Stanley said ArtFest provides the community with a great art show that benefits a great cause.

"It's a fun event," she said. "But it's also a chance for us to have some awareness out in the community about autism."