Coconut Grove has always attracted artists with its lush landscape, peaceful bay front setting and casual ambiance. Artists from all over the US and as far away as Europe, settled in Coconut Grove and established studios in the 1950’s. The Grove then became known as an artist’s colony, and it was not unusual to see artists setting up their easels on the sidewalks and painting the local scene. By the 1960's there were many thriving art gallery Miami in Coconut Grove as well as Grove House, an artists' co-op. In 1963, the Coconut Grove Arts Festival, now recognized as one of the leading arts festivals in the country, was established. Rising real estate prices in the 1980's and 1990's caused most of the Grove’s art gallery Miami to close, but the artists have remained.