CUMMING — Art lovers are in luck — Cumming First United Methodist Church has plenty to share over the next two weeks.

The eighth annual Festival of Arts is open to the public starting today and lasting through May 3 at the church, with galleries daily from noon to 8 p.m.

“We have a record number of 2-D and 3-D pieces this year, and we have a record number of entering artists,” said John Hutchinson, director of music, worship and arts and organist at the church. “There’s lots to see in terms of the galleries.”

Attendees can peruse more than 350 pieces in the professional art show and about 750 pieces of student artwork. Student artists are all part of the Forsyth County school system or the church’s preschool.

Many of the pieces are for sale, Hutchinson said, with prices ranging from $50 to $10,000.

“We have artists coming from five states,” he said. “We really are recognized as one of the leading regional art festivals now.”

There is more than visual artwork at the festival, including “one of our biggest guests of the year.”

The Atlanta Ballet will perform its world premiere of “Angels Share” at noon Monday as part of the box lunch series. The performance will be followed by an optional light lunch for $5.

At 3 this afternoon, Todd Wilson, an organ professor from the Cleveland Institute of Music will open the festival.

“He is truly an internationally renowned performing artist,” Hutchinson said.

The “mIfilm” Student Film Festival will showcase local high school-aged filmmakers, with films premiering at the AMC Theater at The Collection at 7:30 p.m. April 27.

Hutchinson said his favorite part of the festival is anything that incorporates young artists.

“I am a big believer in raising up the next generation of visual and performing artists, and I’m just thrilled that we have the opportunity to do that in a meaningful way to them,” he said.

A “Rising Stars” concert and competition will be held April 29 for classical trained young musicians around the region.

“We have string players, pianists, a harpist, an organist,” Hutchinson said. “There’s a nice variety of performers. There is amazing young talent there.”

Almost everything is free to attend, he said, except for the film festival and the North Georgia Symphony, which performs at 7:30 p.m. May 2. Last year, “a little over 6,000” people visited the festival, Hutchinson said.

“We hope they come several times,” he said, “because it changes over every day, especially with the performances. There’s just so much artwork.”