History:

Ruthie and Noel Wright, with The Isle of Hope Artisans League, started The Isle of Hope Art Show in year 2000.

Residents and artists joined together for the first show, which took place in front of Noel and the late Ruthie Wright's house on Bluff Drive. Eventually, it expanded to the Isle of Hope Marina & Pavilion.

In 2011, they moved the festival up from its annual November date to coincide with the IOH 275th Anniversary Celebration, which also included a parade, band performances and speeches by political officials.

Re-enactors fired a cannon to signal the start of the parade. Isle of Hope residents and homesick natives descended on the island’s marina and scenic Bluff Drive to celebrate the two-and-three-quarter centuries since three Englishmen were granted plantations on the island. Vendors dotted Bluff Drive, selling everything from barbecue to handmade items. Under the pavilion at the IOH Marina, island artists and artisans displayed their work.