April 8th marks the return of the Tempe Festival of the Arts 2016 Spring Festival presenting art, edibles and entertainment in beautiful Downtown Tempe!
The Tempe Festival of the Arts focuses on showcasing exceptional visual art and its artists in a spectacular 3-day event taking place April 8th through April 10th, 2016. Admission to the festival is Free and open daily from 10am to 5:30pm offering visitors the opportunity to explore wonderful Mill Avenue from 3rd Street to University. Since its inception, the Tempe Festival of the Arts has consistently been ranked in the Top 100 Classic & Contemporary Craft Shows in the nation and they are expecting nearly 225,000 visitors this year! Highlighting a diverse and eclectic array of artists working in 16 different visual arts categories including ceramics, jewelry, photography, wearable art, and wood just to name a few.
Mill Avenue will be lined with about 400 artist booths selected by jury, filled with unique, and hand-made artwork that offer visitors a wonderful opportunity to meet the artists and shop an eclectic collection of works. This year’s featured artist is Vicki Fish, based out of Bozeman Montana creating whimsical mixed media constructions with repurposed materials, which are “influenced by myths, nature, animals, and personal journeys incorporating a sense of humor”.
They received around 700 applicants that are then juried by members of the local art community ranks the top artisans in each category to participate in the Festival, and the highest-ranking artists receive invitations to participate. During the Festival, a new jury selects the best overall artist and the top artist in each category and these winners receive cash honoraria awards.
The Festival Stage will feature live entertainment throughout the event along with street performers, food and beverage vendors, sponsor exhibits, and entertainment booths are set up for the amusement of Festival visitors. Along the streets as well as three different stages will highlight a variety of live music including blues, jazz and bluegrass from a selection of acclaimed musicians and interactive performances.
Returning for the second year is the Festival After Dark, which kicks off 5:30 to 8pm on both Friday and Saturday nights with a special lounge paired with The Arizona Wine Festival spotlighting local wineries Arizona Strong Hold Vineyards, Keeling Schaefer Vineyards, Pillsbury Wine Company, and Sonoita Vineyards. The Art of Beer offers craft connoisseurs the chance to enjoy local brews from Tempe-based breweries Four Peaks Brewing Company and Gordon Biersch. Enjoy art, live music, craft beers and local Arizona wines before taking advantage of the dynamic nightlife downtown Tempe has to offer.
Also be sure to stop by the ASU Art Museum Ceramics Research Center and Brickyard Gallery, located at the Brickyard on Mill, which features an interesting gallery space and open storage combination handled by the Ceramics Research Center with a diverse collection of about 3,500 ceramic pieces in addition to offering special exhibitions throughout the year.
For complete Tempe Festival of the Arts details, artist line up and entertainment schedules visit them online at http://www.tempefestivalofthearts.com/. Be sure to follow them online on Twitter at @TempeFestivalArts and on facebook https://www.facebook.com/TempeFestivalOfTheArts/?fref=ts and don’t forget to share your photos throughout the festival! *All images courtesy and copyright of Tempe Festival of the Arts.
