ArtFields 2016 to Draw Tens of Thousands to Lake City for Unforgettable Competition and Festival
LAKE CITY, S.C., April 8, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 20,000 art enthusiasts, artists and visitors from across the Southeast are expected to attend ArtFields 2016, the South's largest and most engaging art competition and festival, April 22-30 in downtown Lake City, South Carolina, for a nine-day celebration of contemporary Southern art, culture and community.
Designed to cultivate artists and offer arts-based programs for the public, ArtFields will transform Lake City businesses, venues and restaurants into living art galleries, exhibiting nearly 400 works of art and representing the talent across the 12 Southeastern states – Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
"Our goal for ArtFields is simple: Provide a creative springboard for emerging and established artists across the Southeast, and celebrate and enhance the culture of a historic Southern town," said ArtFields director Hannah L. Davis. "With the promise of more than $100,000 in cash prizes awarded to artists, based on visitor input and a panel of acclaimed jurors, the program has added energy, vibrancy and culture to our area and the region since 2013."
In 2014, CNN's "50 States, 50 Spots" named ArtFields "South Carolina's Top Spot to See." An economic engine for Lake City, ArtFields 2016 will feature world-class southern art, nationally-acclaimed entertainers, award-winning chefs and family fun. Event highlights include:
Public Art, Saturday, April 23, through Saturday, April 30, during competition viewing hours
Free public art experiences are abound at ArtFields, where visitors are invited to experience the unexpected. Check out Columbia, South Carolina, Power Company Collaborative's interactive installation – The Home Project – build a three-dimensional sculpture with 2015 People's Choice 3-D prize-winning artists Patz and Mike Fowle. Also, check out our newest community mural created by the South Carolina Rural Arts Project, artist Herman Keith and local students.
Color Me ArtFields 5K: Be the Canvas, Saturday, April 23, from 7:30 a.m. – 11 a.m.
The Color Me ArtFields 5K Walk/Run is not your typical road race – "You become the canvas!" Taking place in downtown Lake City, participants are encouraged to come be a part of this colorful ArtFields experience. To register, visit the website.
Makers Market, Saturday, April 23, from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
The Makers Market will showcase unique handcrafted and grown goods by artists and farmers from across the Southeast. Products and goods for sale include ceramics, jewelry, traditional fine art, woodwork and furniture, specialty foods and more unique treasures to explore. Demonstrations include natural indigo dyeing, ceramics, blacksmithing, soap making and woodworking.
Music on the Green, Saturday, April 23, from 6:30 – 10 p.m.
Local band Hercules Farms opens the event with folk and soul tunes and bluegrass/Americana group Mountain Faith Band, a 2015 semi-finalist on NBC's "America's Got Talent," will follow.
Family Fun & Art on the Green, Sunday, April 24, from 1 – 6 p.m.
Join us on the Village Green for a day filled with outdoor art, games, music and art vendors. From 2-5 p.m. ArtFields Jr. ArtMakers Workshop will take place, which is an explosion of art experiences for children grades K-12. Participants can select from a variety of art-based activities and create their own personal works of art with artists and organizations from across the state. For $5.00, students can become part of the ArtFields Jr. ArtMakers Workshop. Tickets available on the website.
Dandelion Gala – A Culinary & Musical Experience in White, Thursday, April 28, from 6 – 10 p.m.
Chef LaTasha Mac, season 13 winner of FOX's "Hell's Kitchen," will prepare a variety of handcrafted hors d'oeuvres. Louise Latour, founded in 1797, will provide a selection of French wines paired to enhance the flavors of the evening accompanied by a full bar. Guests decked out in all white attire will enjoy the sounds of gospel, soul and R&B-infused artist Liz Vice from Portland, Oregon. Tickets are available on the website.
Foodies, Film and Music, Friday, April 29, from 6 – 9:30 p.m.
To start the evening, Plastic Musik will perform in the Village Green complete with boomwhackers, buckets and kiddie pools as they put their radical twist on the greatest hits of our time. Guests can grab some grub from one of the food trucks and watch the premier outdoor screening of award-winning films from the Indie Grits film festival, held this spring in Columbia, South Carolina.
Portrait Contest, Saturday, April 30, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Twenty-four Southeastern artists compete for "Best in Show" and a $1,000 cash prize by creating timed portraits of local educators.
Finale, Saturday, April 30, from 6:30 – 11 p.m.
Celebrate the competition artists of 2016 and the selected winners. There will be excellent food, "Air Art" and the soulful sounds of The Heather Hayes Experience, daughter of famed singer-songwriter Isaac Hayes.
To learn more about ArtFields 2016 events and to plan your trip, visit www.artfieldssc.org. Join the conversation by following the festival on Twitter (@ArtFieldsSC) and using and searching the hashtag (#ArtFields2016). For even more ArtFields 2016 updates, like ArtFields on Facebook and follow the competition on Instagram.
About ArtFields
ArtFields is a charitable program and event of the Lake City Creative Alliance, which is sponsored by Lake City Partnership Council, a federally-recognized Section 501(c)(3) organization located in Lake City, South Carolina. Its mission is to improve the quality of life and promote the well-being of citizens residing within the greater Lake City area through, among other things, educational offerings and activities that foster and develop culture and arts within the community. To learn more about ArtFields, visit www.artfieldssc.org.
Media Contacts:
Seth Kingdon
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704-374-9300 ext. 2222
Amanda DeWeese
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704-374-9300 ext. 2237
SOURCE ArtFields
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