From the generous “art market” boasting fiber art, exquisite woodwork, bright ceramics and more, to live music performances across genres, to an exclusive yoga tutorial by Blue Lotus Yoga, this year’s Artsplosure! Raleigh Arts Festival’s lineup does not disappoint. The festival will take over Fayetteville Street Friday at 11 a.m. and will run through Sunday evening. Live music begins at 5 p.m. Friday.
This year’s artful event marks the 38th annual Raleigh Art’s Festival, coordinated by nonprofit Artsplosure, which works to take Raleigh’s arts scene to a new level. The nonprofit works to coordinate visual and performing arts events in support of local artists of many varieties. Artsplosure’s marketing director, Cameron Laws, is one of many who aided in coordinating the fan-favorite event.
“We have a huge cultural hub here in Raleigh, and I feel that Artsplosure brings out all walks of life in the community,” Laws said. “It’s a really festive event.”
The festival can be deemed a cultural explosion, featuring more than180 artists and craftspeople. Each of the artist’s work will be placed in one of the following categories: ceramics, fiber art, glass, jewelry, metal, painting, photography, wood or additional 2-D and 3-D pieces.
A pivotal event in Raleigh’s arts scene, Artsplosure! Raleigh Arts Festival offers the community a chance to come together in support of all that is art. As one of Artsplosure’s two most popular events, the other being the New Year’s Eve bash First Night Raleigh, the festival has been in the works for months.
“What I think is really cool about Raleigh is that we have this dynamic art scene that is growing,” Laws said. “And it’s interesting to be a part of that as one of Raleigh’s oldest arts organizations. My favorite part about that, other than just seeing it all come together, is seeing how both visual and performing arts bring together the community. You will see nothing but smiles at Artsplosure.”
This year’s participating artists have the chance to win any of the six awards granted by the acclaimed judges, who will give away a total of $3,500 in awards. Laws said Artsplosure received 400-450 artist applications this year alone, bringing a diverse palette of works to the table. These applicants are then reviewed by elected community members who used their arts knowledge to select this year’s group of shining artists. This results in a booming arts festival which highlights a multitude of art forms.
“There’s really anything you could think of,” Laws said. “You can go see a North Carolina potter and then the next tent over will be a photographer from California. It’s awesome. It’s a great place to add to your art collection, and it’s nice that there’s something for everyone at the Arts Market.”
Marie Wright is one of the many featured artists at this year’s arts festival, who will be displaying and selling her handmade, crystalline-glazed porcelain pottery pieces. Although Wright has been a potter for 17 years, it remained a hobby until just a year and a half ago, when she quit her full-time job to pursue her creative passion.
“My last job was in science and a part of me is a lot like that,” Wright said. “I do a ton of experiments with clays and the glazes, but I get to run the experiments. Whether the experiments are good or bad, I get to be the one to make that decision and follow my own path.”
Wright, who made her premiere at Artsplosure last year, has worked on each of her pieces for about a month. Working an average of 40 hours a week prepping for the show, Wright said she hopes to sell as much as possible as the event marks a major sales opportunity for artists.
“The main part of doing this show is to sell your work,” Wright said. “When selling, you want a venue with a ton of people. Artsplosure has a great location, great media coverage and was a well-organized show.”
In addition to the influx of visual art pieces, the festival’s music lineup is extensive. Boasting notable names from psychedelic rock band Lacy Jags to female rock group The Seratones, who Laws said are “just so rad,” the festival aims to satisfy multiple music tastes. The main stage, located near the Capitol building, is where the performing artists will jam out. The festival has live music planned for all three days of the festival.
Lacy Jag’s Patrick O’Neill, on guitar and vocals, said that band will mix up their usual set for Artsplosure. However, their go-to smoke machine will still accompany their psych-rock flair. O’Neill said he is most exciting to perform outside because he can wear sunglasses on stage without “trying to look cool.”
“We’re going to play a couple of older songs and we have the ability to stretch out a few songs, and have there be improvised sections that will be exploratory for us,” O’Neill said. “I think that’s something that a lot of people don’t see that often, especially not from a guy that’s not in jazz.”
Although the Chapel Hill-based group typically performs in the Triangle area, they branch out about once a month with shows outside North Carolina. O’Neill said the band plans on playing everywhere from Richmond to New York this year, but a thriving music scene exists right here in the Triangle area.
“I love being a part of it,” O’Neill said. “I think that having lived in different areas in the country, and having been from somewhere with no music scene at all, it’s something that can be taken for granted but a lot of people don’t. I think most people are aware that this is a unique thing and people should nurture it and play into it.”
Lacy Jags will perform Friday at 6 p.m. Additional information about Artsplosure! Raleigh Arts Festival can be found at http://artsplosure.org/. Admission is free.
Artsplosure, the annual Raleigh arts festival, expected more than 80,000 people downtown during its 36th anniversary. Artists showcased their work and wares during the three-day festival, from May 15-17, 2016. The festival had hundreds of regional artists working alongside national artists to expose members of the public to an explosion of artwork that they normally wouldn’t see.
