(Joplin, MO) – The ninth annual Joplin Arts Fest will be held on Friday, September 15 from 5:00 to 9:00 pm and on Saturday, September 16 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm at the Harry M. Cornell Arts & Entertainment Complex (212 W. 7th Street).
The festival will feature 40 artists, both local and from further afield. Disciplines featured include painting, printmaking, jewelry, ceramics, mixed media, sculpture, woodworking, and more! Artists will be outside on the Leggett & Platt Green and inside the Beshore Performance Hall.
This is the second year that Joplin Arts Fest has awarded a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) Scholarship, and the 2023 awardee is fiber artist Amanda Calderón-Kidston. The scholarship is meant to encourage greater accessibility and inclusion through waiving all festival fees and offering cash stipends to assist with other festival-related costs. This year’s scholarship was funded by Naomi Gonzales and Sean Hickey, and Heather and Kile Lesmeister.
Eight live performances, both music and dance, will be held on the stage to the north of the Leggett & Platt Green. Visitors can enjoy piano music, folk, rock and roll, jazz, ballet, swing dancing, and much more. Live performing arts at the festival are made possible by Connect2Culture.
Food will be available both inside and outside on the east side of the facility. Offerings will include BBQ, burgers, sandwiches, snow cones, a variety of funnel cake treats (including funnel cake hot dogs), lemonade, and local coffee.
The Pique-Nique pop-up will be inside the lobby of the Complex and features elevated bites perfect for dining al-fresco. Enjoy items such as Miso Banana Muffins, Truffle Madeleines, Za’atar Mixed Nuts, and other delights. Bring a picnic blanket and sit on the Green to eat, or use one of the provided tables. Indoor and outdoor bars will serve wine, beer, and cocktails.
Other activities include: William Jeffrey Jones from The Clay Cup performing live pottery wheel demonstrations; and an art station where visitors of all ages are invited to make Sharpie Tie-Dye t-shirts and bandanas or colorful Whirligigs with Spiva Center for the Arts.
Joplin Arts Fest is a collaborative partnership between Connect2Culture, Downtown Joplin Alliance, Post Art Library, and Spiva Center for the Arts. Joplin Arts Fest 2023 is generously sponsored by Joplin Regional Artists Coalition, Greenlight Dispensary, and Visit Joplin.
Reference:
Ivy Hagedorn, Programming and Marketing Director
Downtown Joplin Alliance
928.514.7713
ivy@downtownjoplin.com
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