PRESS RELEASE—STUART, FLA—This month brings one of the Treasure Coast’s signature arts celebration ArtsFest in Downtown Stuart March 23 and 24, 2013. In addition to 150 juried artists, live entertainment, and food, this year….ArtsFest GOES FISH!
Produced annually by the Arts Council of Martin County, ArtsFest 2013 will feature marine-life in a big way. Not only do many of the artists depict the marine genre in their work, both this year’s commemorative print and the interactive Kids KreARTivity Korner will embrace the marine theme.
Artist, Nancy Tilles, the ArtsFest 2013 Commemorative Print Artist, has created a marine-life image, a well-respected subject matter for Tilles, which will be the “voice” of this year’s event. Tilles has been commissioned numerous times throughout her career by Florida venues to create scenes depicting Florida marine life.
This year’s commemorative print will be featured on an 8 ½ by 11 giclee print. Each of the limited edition giclees will come with certification and numbering.
The Arts Council of Martin County and its members have been supporting the “Speak Up for the St. Lucie” campaign launched by the Martin County Board of County Commissioners last year to educate residents and visitors on the need to advocate for improving the water quality of the St. Lucie estuary, not only for public health, wellbeing and health of the local economy but also the health of native marine life. It was only fitting that the selection of the ArtsFest 2013 Poster sent a message.
Executive director Nancy Turrell explains, “We wanted this year’s artwork to feature what our region is so well known for and what the many artists who create here are inspired by – marine life. That’s why Nancy Tilles’ work came to mind. That’s also why our Kids KreARTivity Korner will be themed around the ocean and Janeen Mason’s nationally acclaimed OCEAN COMMOTION Children’s Books.”
Many locals are familiar with author and artist, Janeen Mason’s colorful work which appears in schools, libraries, museums, aquariums, and zoos nationwide. She is the author and illustrator of the national award winning OCEAN COMMOTION series, Ocean Commotion: Sea Turtles!, Ocean Commotion: Life on the Reef, and Ocean Commotion: Caught in the Currents.
This year, ARTSFEST will feature the OCEAN COMMOTION theme in the Kids KreARTivity Area. The KreARTivity Area will be an interactive, hands-on area offering free marine-life art activities. Some of the art will stay at the festival throughout the weekend while ArtsFest attendees are invited to work on it before the elements are displayed as public art throughout Martin County. Other activities will be make-and-take projects for guests to create.
“The ArtsFest Kids Area Committee has been fabulous to work with,” says Mason, “it’s a great, eclectic group of area children’s organizations all collaborating to teach the children and their families while exposing them to marinelife, hands-on art projects and ArtsFest – the community’s heritage Arts Celebration.”
So, whatever you reason for going this year….to see the artists, to enjoy the entertainment, to enjoy the food, to create at the Kids KreARTivity corner….whatever it is, this March 23 and 24th…..GO FISH AT ARTSFEST!