A new, free, outdoor juried fine arts festival in Ridgeland May 30-31 pictures itself a family event, a shopping mecca, a regional tourist draw and a showcase for artists from around the country.
More than a year in the planning, the Renaissance Fine Arts Festival will feature about 80 artist vendors spread out over the village-like mall's green spaces with creations that range from traditional to contemporary.
The artists hail from 22 states, as far away as Washington, New York and Wisconsin.
"It's really quite a collection of individuals that felt that this could be an important opportunity to exhibit in an area that they've never been exposed to," says festival artistic director H.C. "Chris" Porter, a Mississippi artist who'll also have a booth.
"It's exciting on both ends, for us as Mississippians to welcome them, and for them to experience our state."
Some Mississippi artists and artists with state ties are among the mix.
Artist creations are two- and three-dimensional works in 14 media. The emphasis is on original works but some prints are available. In addition to paintings and sculpture, fine contemporary crafts such as ceramics and jewelry will be featured.
Several activities enhance the family aspect. Winnie the Pooh and Clifford the Big Red Dog will appear at Barnes & Noble. Hat-making, gyotaku (art of Japanese fish prints) and toy demonstrations, face painting and free helium balloons from The Learning Express are part of the event. Performances bring a variety of music, from traditional West African and Irish to classical, blues and jazz, to the event both days.
There will be limited beverage options on the festival grounds, but sales of food and alcoholic beverages in some instances, will be handled at the mall's seven eateries.
The launch of this major festival comes amidst an economic downturn. Some Jackson area galleries' assessments of the current art market have it trending up from grim and concentrating on smaller, more affordable works. Others say it's booming or at least OK.
While the economy is a concern for event organizers, the festival's free admission amounts to a plus. "People looking for something to get out of the house for a day, take the family out for a day, have fun, you can't beat that," says Ricky McCraw, Ridgeland Tourism director of public relations. Advertising within a 250-mile targeted those with an art interest.
The festival's variety of art will include items to suit all budgets.
"This is something that we face all the time, even in good times," says artist Dale Rayburn. A large percentage of festivalgoers are first-time art buyers and collectors who aren't comfortable dropping really big bucks right off the bat.
"If we have successful shows anywhere ... we have to have works that are economically available for the public," Rayburn says. "You'll see high-end work but most of the artists who have that will also have things that are affordable for that first-time buyer."
He and his wife, Mamie Joe, also an artist, live near Atlanta but have Mississippi roots; they've been exhibiting at art shows for more than 20 years and were jurors for this festival.
The event's primary appeal for the public is its informal, relaxed access to those who make the art.
"People who might be a little uncomfortable going into a gallery or into a museum seem to be a lot more comfortable coming out to a festival-type atmosphere and meeting the artist face to face," says Rayburn.
"It's a camaraderie that develops between the artist and the viewer that you really don't get any other way."
Even artists who are in museum and corporate collections and national galleries find it important and exhilarating for them to be in front of the public with their work, one-on-one, Porter says.
You never know what can spark a lifetime of collecting, she says. Or where it can strike.
"This event is for everybody. It's not just for the art patron. This is for the art curious, the Sunday painter, the everyday shopper."
