Raleigh’s downtown will be packed full of multifarious exhibits, booths and shows for the 11th annual SPARKcon this weekend, highlighting the Triangle’s creative side.
With humble origins in 2006, SPARKcon has grown to a four-day spectacle with upward of 58,000 attendees. The event was initially conceptualized by Aly Khalifa, an NC State alumnus who studied product design and mechanical engineering, and Beth Khalifa, a UNC-Chapel Hill alumna.
First imagined as an open conference in hopes of uniting local creative talents, SPARKCon partnered with the Visual Art Exchange (VAE) to produce the event.
“We worked closely with the Designbox group [the Khalifas’ studio],” said Sarah Powers, past executive director of the Visual Art Exchange and new executive director of the Office of Raleigh Arts. “We had to create some structure throughout that allowed it to be open source, while also letting everybody in … so everybody’s ideas could have a part in the production.”
The set-up seemed perfect: VAE, a nonprofit that promotes the arts in Raleigh, was hosting a street art event that could bolster a communal meeting. From there, separate artists and performance groups organized their own events, “Sparks,” at the same time, with the first year attracting around 250 attendees. While VAE manages the logistics, covering factors like security, insurance and training, the focus remains largely on the independently run Sparks.
“Part of SPARKcon is that we’re not really involved,” said Chase Bryan, director of community art and events at VAE. “We provide the underpinnings — they choose what they do and their finances. We let them take it; they know what they’re doing.”
After the festival, the VAE and SPARKCon hold wrap-up meetings to go over future goals and evaluate the year’s successes. These first meetings make future SPARKcons more efficient, which makes room for new events. After this, public meetings begin January. Committees meet monthly with Sparks to plan all the necessary arrangements for the next year’s festivities.
SPARKcon’s continued growth means developing and expanding effectively, while still fostering the festival’s mission.
“Having the ability to communicate everything in a way that makes sense to a casual observer is a huge challenge,” Powers said. “If you have 200 different events, how are we going to give everything equal weight without being overwhelming or not understanding the mission of the event? As it continues to grow, it’ll likely be more diverse, more professional. As it grows, hopefully we’ll see more meaningful participation, with people learning how to better serve the creative community they’re trying to support.”
Additionally, growth means finding ways to make the experience the best for all who attend by understanding the needs of a diverse audience. This year, planners put more focus on accessibility.
“We’re working hard on it,” Bryan said. “We have an accessibility coordinator who’s providing info, like ‘these events are wheelchair-accessible, this is a quieter area, this one is visually impactful.’ We want to help everyone enjoy SPARKcon.”
This year, exhibits fall under 14 categories. Among these include artSPARK, fashionSPARK, litSPARK, musicSPARK and comedySPARK. While the festival certainly demonstrates the wider range of creativity within the Triangle, it more specifically provides an opportunity for NC State’s participation.
“I’m especially surprised at the faculty working with SPARKcon as volunteers or coordinators,” said Laken Geiger, a 2015 graduate of NC State and independent public relations practitioner for SPARKcon. “There a lot of interesting people, stories and State graduates … it’s a great way for people to get involved and get plugged in with the Arts and Raleigh.”
SPARKcon will be held Thursday-Sunday in downtown Raleigh.
A version of this article appeared in print on September 12, 2016, on page 11 with the headline: “SPARKcon 11 Preview.”
Lakeesha Fradella, the owner of Martian Creations, carefully glues yarn onto a unicorn bust on 9/19. Fradella started Martian Creations to combine her love for crocheting and her eccentric artistic style. This was her 3rd year coming to SPARKcon. The bazzarSPARK section of SPARKcon was reserved for local artisans and vendors.
