Emerging Artist Program to Add Value to Festival for Second Year

05 Feb 2007

by: Sarah McClellan-Brandt

FORT WORTH, TX (February 5, 2007) – MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival has invited 12 new artists this year to participate in the Emerging Artists program presented by CHASE, up from last year’s seven. Last year’s new Emerging Artists Program was such a success in providing exposure and art business experience for up-and-coming talent, the program has been expanded by over 50%.

“Last year, the program helped local and regional artists showcase their work and sell their art to our audience in order to get their careers under way,” said festival producer Jay Downie. “Creating art is one thing. Learning to sell it is quite entirely another, and by expanding the experience this year we hope to make a huge difference to even more industry newcomers. MAIN ST. would love to see these artists succeed.”

Verna Ragland of Chase Bank echoes this sentiment. “Chase has as one of its community goals the expansion of career opportunities for young people in all areas. This program helps bring another training area into play for those wishing to step into the commercial side of their artistic endeavor. Chase is pleased to support this program for Fort Worth and the entire community.”

Downie adds the program helps to perpetuate the art exhibition industry and grow the number of local artists succeeding in business.

The artists accepted into the program are Texas artists. Applicants had to submit five images of their body of work that was judged by a jury. The awards list for the festival has been expanded to accommodate a “Best Emerging Artist” award with a $500 cash prize.

Emerging artists exhibiting this year are: Brenda Benson, Benbrook, TX, Stephen Bomar, Fort Worth, TX, Courtney Hamilton, Fort Worth, TX, Alena Hennessey, Asheville, NC, Joel Hester, Dallas, TX, Richard Jarowitz, Austin, TX, Uri Kelman, Houston, TX, Marian Masteller, Clear Lake, IA, Gerhard Satz, Fort Worth, TX, April Smith, The Woodlands, TX, Eric Verret, Austin, TX, Brad Watson, North Richland Hills, TX.

MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival

Regarded as one of the nation’s premier fine art and fine craft fairs and winner of international awards, MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival is produced by Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc., and is presented by Coors Light. The festival hosts tens of thousands (over 450,000) of people annually during the four-day visual arts, entertainment and cultural event. MAIN ST. showcases nationally recognized artists, savory food, live concerts, performance artists and street performers on the streets of downtown Fort Worth. This year’s festival will be held April 19-22, 2007, and is ranked 9th in the nation among fine art and fine craft shows by the prestigious Harris List and 10th in the Art Fair Source Book.

About Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc.

Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc., is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to assist in making downtown Fort Worth a vibrant, healthy and attractive place in which to work, live and visit. As a nonprofit, Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc., relies on the contributions of its many corporate sponsors and individual supporters in order to maintain the quality of the special events it produces, including the Sundance Square Parade of Lights and MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival. These events recently won 11 Pinnacle awards from the International Festivals and Events Association (IFEA), and five awards from the Texas Festivals and Events Association.