Historic Downtown Liberty, Mo. will be the site of an arts festival June 5, 2010, 10 am to 7pm. The festival is named, “Liberty Arts Squared,” for the location around the courthouse square, as well as the four categories of art featured at the festival. The festival is a juried show, which will include visual (painting, sculpture, pottery, certain crafts), literary/written, performing and children’s arts. The festival is free to the public, with plenty of free parking available.
“Our goal is to bring quality arts to the community, support local and regional artists, and host a fun, family friendly event,” said Heather Jones, who is event co-chair with Trish Hughes.
Over 100 booth spaces are available for artists to display their work. Sponsorship, food vendor and volunteer opportunities are also available.
“We are excited about the quality artists who are coming” said Carol Kariotis, member of the Liberty Arts Commission, and Director of Kaw Valley Arts and Humanities. Steve Karol, Karol Fine Arts, will be showing digital photography and paintings in Corbin Theatre. Mr. Karol has exhibited work in many area Liberty locations including Martha Lafite Thompson Wildlife Sanctuary and Crepes on the Square.
Watercolorist, Mark Anderson, will have a booth at the festival and will also include demonstrations. Mr. Anderson has exhibited widely throughout the Mid-West and Alaska including paintings exhibited in the 6th Annual Juried Art Show of Burlington, Iowa, ; Paintings exhibited in, “Not Under Glass”, a national exhibit of fine oil and acrylic paintings, St. Louis, MO; Paintings exhibited in Artists Along The KATY Trail traveling exhibit; exhibits at The Rozier Gallery, Jefferson City, Missouri; Award Winner Painting on exhibit, “Portrait of Miss Lucy” The Kansas City Museum; Soldotna, Alaska Oil painted mural commissioned, placed in permanent installation in Gourmet Gardens, Soldotna, Alaska; and numerous solo exhibits. Mark Anderson, Watercolorist, photographer and Liberty resident, teaches art at Oak Park High School.
Artist and vendor applications are being accepted now. For an application, or more information go to www.libertyartssquared.org
The festival entries are juried, with a $500.00 Best of Show, $500.00 Best Overall Booth Display prizes, and a number of other cash awards in the visual, folk arts and crafts and literary arts categories
Music performances will take place throughout the day of the festival, and all will be free to the public. Wandering performers will be on hand. Literary readings will take place at selected venues, as well as in writer’s booths.
The festival is presented by Historic Downtown Liberty, Inc. (a non-profit Main Street organization) and the City of Liberty Arts Commission.
Liberty, Mo. is located 20 minutes northeast of downtown Kansas City. To come to the festival, take the Highway 152 exit off of I-35 and go east two miles to the historic downtown.
