The Averitt Center for the Arts is set to present its first Statesboro Festival of the Arts this weekend.
Working with the Downtown Statesboro Development Authority, Visit Statesboro and other community partners, the festival will be held Saturday and Sunday inside and outside The Market at Visit Statesboro and on the McTell Trail on South Main St. Festival hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday.
This fine-arts-focused festival will bring together local and regional artists for a weekend of live demonstrations, interactive exhibits, fine art shopping and family-friendly activities. The festival will showcase 40 artist booths with a multitude of art forms, including ceramics, metalwork, woodwork, painting and more.
“Our mission is to educate people on the value of art and the impact it can have on tourism,” said Kim Riner, the visual arts director for the Averitt Center. “We have been having meetings and planning for this festival for over a year.”
Also, numerous food and beverage options from local vendors will be available and there will be live music performances throughout the event, along with activities for children.
According to the Averitt Center, all participating artists were selected through a blind jury process led by two art professionals. Jurors assessed each application based on aesthetic merit, originality, technical skill and marketability. The highest ranked artists then were invited to the exhibit.
Artist vendors will be judged by Erin Dunn, curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at Telfair Museums in Savannah, for a share of $ 5,000 in cash prizes.
“Dunn will judge each artist on originality, artistic quality, technical mastery and overall presentation,” Riner said. “The six awards include the Merit Award, Georgia Power Merit Award, Best in 2-Dimensional, Best in 3-Dimensional, Best in Show and the People’s Choice Award. Visitors can participate in choosing their favorite artist for the People’s Choice Award.”
The Statesboro Festival of the Arts is put on by the Averitt Center for the Arts, City of Statesboro, Downtown Statesboro Development Authority, Georgia Southern College of Education and Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art, Statesboro Chamber of Commerce, Statesboro Regional Arts Association and Visit Statesboro.
“The festival is designed to help the community find a new passion for art,” Riner said. “We hope people find something that they love about the arts, but mainly, we hope that they walk away thinking they had a fun time.”
For more information, go to https://www.averittcenterforthearts.org/festival-of-arts