fayettevillearts.org

Annual event will focus on visual and performing arts during two-week celebration

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS – August 20, 2008 – Fayetteville Downtown Partners announces that the 2008 Fayetteville Arts Festival will take place beginning Friday, August. This year’s festival will focus on both visual and performing arts, with each area representing a week-long celebration of accomplishments by regional artists. Visual Arts events are scheduled to take place August 29th – 31st, while Performing Arts Events will take place September 5th – 7th.

Tickets for all events both weekends may be purchased at the door.  All visual arts events will take place at the Fayetteville Town Center, located at 15 W. Mountain Street off the Downtown Square in Fayetteville. All performing arts events will take place at the Nadine Baum Studios, located at the corner of Spring St and West Avenue, one block south of Dickson Street in Fayetteville.

The Visual Arts Festival will begin on Friday, August 29th with the Open Spaces Arts Party, scheduled for 7:00pm-9:00pm at the Fayetteville Town Center.

According to DeDe Peters, owner of DDP Gallery in Fayetteville, “The Fayetteville Town Center is partnering with the Festival on the Open Space Art Party.  The staff will use their skills of being one of the preeminent hosting facilities to present a fantastic event.”  Tickets for the Open Spaces Art Party have been reduced this year from $50 to $25.  Patrons attending the event will have the opportunity to view and purchase art prior to the festival’s public opening, which takes place on Saturday, August 30th from 9am-5pm and on Sunday, August 31st from 11am-4pm.

As in previous festivals, artists were selected from a juried application process.  Work produced by 40 chosen artists includes two and three-dimensional mediums such as paintings, sculptures, ceramics, textiles and jewelry.  “Many of the artists live and create in the region by also exhibit nationally,” says Peters.  Previous festivals have seen more than $50,000 worth of visual arts purchase.

The Performing Arts Festival continues the following weekend, September 5th -7th, with a kick- off reception on Friday, September 5th from 6-7.30pm at Nadine Baum Studios.  Beginning at 8pm that evening, TheatreSquared - Northwest Arkansas’ resident professional theatre company - opens its 2008-09 season with the Ron Hutchinson comedy, Moonlight and Magnolias, a smart, behind-the-scenes comedy about the making of Gone With the Wind.  Tickets to this event are available for $22 or $18 for seniors.

On Saturday, September 6th, Ceramic Cow Productions - producers of the popular Dupont, Mississippi series and most recently Pearl’s Sixth Wedding - will present Pearls of Wisdom at 12 noon. Tickets to this event are available for $10.

The Arkansas Playwrights Workshop, under the direction of Bob Ford, will present Fresh Theatre, selected 10 minute plays at 2pm. Tickets to this event are available for $7, and a free reading from the National Writer’s Project follows the event 3.45pm.

Also on Saturday, September 6th, TheatreSquared presents Moonlight and Magnolias at 8pm.

On Sunday, September 7th, Moonlight and Magnolias plays at 2pm and at 6pm the weekend’s perennial favorite event, The 24 Hour Play Festival, to be hosted by Pearl Covington begins.  In the 24 Hour Play Festival, competing teams composed of five members each have 24 hours to write and rehearse a 10- minute script.  Performances begin at 6pm on Sunday evening until 8.30.  Plays are judged by a three member panel and cash prizes will be awarded for first, second and audience choice.  Tickets to this event are available for $10.

Following the 24 Hour Play Festival and as the votes are being tallied, TheatreSquared and Ceramic Cow Productions will present an exhibition performance of Splash Theatre.  “In Splash Theatre we will have two teams - One from TheatreSquared and one from Ceramic Cow.  TheatreSquared will write a 10 minute script for the Ceramic Cow team, and the Ceramic Cow team will write one for TheaterSquared,” said Mark Landon Smith, Co-Founder of Ceramic Cow Productions.  Two actors from each company will receive the script written for them a month in advance, however neither actor knows who their acting partner is.  There are no rehearsals.  The actors memorize their lines independently and discover who their fellow actor is the moment the curtain goes up at the performance.

An estimated 9,000 people will attend Fayetteville Arts Festival events over these two weekends, providing increased revenue to local businesses while promoting the arts community.

For additional information regarding the Visual Arts Festival events, call Fayetteville Downtown Partners at 479.571.3337.  For additional information regarding the Performing Arts Festival events, please call Ceramic Cow Productions at 479.571.4879, and for additional information regarding TheatreSquared’s production of Moonlight and Magnolias, please call 479.445.6333.

2008 Fayetteville Arts Festival Schedule of Events

VISUAL ARTS WEEKEND

All events take place at the Fayetteville Town Center
15 West Mountain Street
Fayetteville

Friday, August 29th
7-9pm
Open Space Art Party
Entertainment, food, beverages (alcoholic and non)
$25 per ticket

Saturday, August 30th
9am-5pm
Artist Booths and Interactive Events
FREE

Sunday, August 31st
11am-4pm
Artist Booths
FREE

PERFORMING ARTS WEEKEND

All events take place at the Nadine-Baum Studios
505 West Spring Street
Fayetteville

Friday, September 5th

6-7.30pm
Kickoff Reception
Entertainment, food, beverages (alcoholic and non)
FREE

8.00pm
Moonlight and Magnolias
Presented by TheatreSquared
Tickets at $22/$18 seniors

Saturday, September 6th

12 noon
Pearls of Wisdom
Presented by Ceramic Cow Productions
Tickets at $10

2pm
Fresh Theatre
Presented by the Arkansas Playwright’s Workshop
Tickets at $7

3.45pm
National Writer’s Project
Free Event

8.00pm
Moonlight and Magnolias
Presented by TheatreSquared
Tickets at $22
Sunday, September 7th

2pm
Moonlight and Magnolias
Presented by TheatreSquared
Tickets at $22

6pm
The 24 Hour Play Festival
Followed by
Splash Theatre
Presented by TheatreSquared and Ceramic Cow Productions
Tickets at $10

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For more information, contact:
Daniel Keeley, President
Fayetteville Downtown Partners
479.530.8347
danielkeeley@sbcglobal.net
www.fayettevilledowntown.org