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FORT WORTH–MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival (MAIN ST.) surveys 25 years in music–from icons Leon Russell and Kirk Whalum to young guns Jonny Lang and Los Lonely Boys–in its 2010 Music on MAIN schedule of live concerts.

“We’re celebrating 25 years of Music on MAIN with the soundtrack of a quarter century,” Dr. Marie Holliday, Entertainment Committee chair for festival producer Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc., said. “The music schedule is a retrospective of audible art with a range that encompasses institutions of the music scene as well as new voices.”

MAIN ST. jams with live music daily on three stages at the 25th annual festival April 8-11. Follow the full concert line-up, including local bands and festival favorites, at www.mainstreetartsfest.org.

ROCK
Los Lonely Boys, the latest little band from Texas, brings Texican rock to MAIN ST. for the festival’s top-billed concert at 9 p.m. Saturday, April 10 on the Sundance Square Stage. Los Lonely Boys’ tour follows its latest release, 1969, which bridges generations with covers of 1969 hits like Santana’s “Evil Ways” and The Beatles’ “She Came In Through The Bathroom Window.”

Leon Russell singled with tunes like “Lady Blue” and “Tightrope” but is best known as a session man whose work has spanned musical eras in collaboration with artists from Jerry Lee Lewis to The Rolling Stones. See him at 7 p.m. Friday, April 9 on the Green Mountain Energy Company Stage.

BLUES
Blues wunderkind Jonny Lang isn’t 30 but has spent half of his life onstage. Lang recorded his first independent album at age 14, just two years after he took up the guitar, and his multiplatinum release, Lie to Me, came at age 16. Hear Lang live at 9 p.m. Friday, April 9 on the Sundance Square Stage.

JAZZ
Jazz holds sway with a marquee performance by smooth jazz saxophonist Kirk Whalum, an eight-time Grammy nominee and icon of the Caravan of Dreams era of live music downtown. See his opening night concert at 9 p.m. Thursday, April 8 on the Sundance Square Stage.

Jazz pianist Patrice Rushen takes the Green Mountain Energy Company Stage at 9 p.m. Saturday, April 10. Rushen will be joined onstage by friends Eric Marienthaland award-winning guitarist Paul Jackson, Jr., both stars in their own right.

DEFIES CLASSIFICATION
Voted a Windy City favorite in the 2009 Chicago Reader poll, Poi dog pondering fuses rock, soul, orchestral, electronic, Americana, rock band disco and international music to carve out a genre of its own. See and hear the ensemble, which has roots in Austin’s music scene, at 9 p.m. Friday, April 9 on the Green Mountain Energy Company Stage.
Brave Combo’s nuclear polka ignites the Green Mountain Energy Company Stage in concert at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, April 11.

LATIN & TEJANO
If it’s Latin, Latin Express plays it for a North Texas audience that has made these hometown heroes a MAIN ST. tradition. Catch their show at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, April 11 on the Green Mountain Energy Company Stage.

GOSPEL
James Kings Gospel opens the Sunday (April 11) music schedule at 11 a.m. on the Sundance Square Stage, but the influence of this sound will be felt across the music schedule, whether in performances by preacher’s son Kirk Whalum or in Jonny Lang’s Grammy winning and nominated work.

COUNTRY
Kelly Willis’ alternative country sound was honed in Austin’s music scene and blends with contemporary to cowboy country performers appearing across the Music on MAIN schedule of concerts on stage and street. See Willis at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 10 on the Green Mountain Energy Company Stage.

MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival celebrates its 25th year April 8-11 with a celebration of fine arts and crafts, music, film and food a mile long, stretching from the Tarrant County Courthouse to the Fort Worth Convention Center.

More than 200 juried artists and fine crafts exhibitors will line brick-paved Main Street, joined by musicians and dancers on three stages. Performance artists and food and drink vendors complete the scene.

The festival is among the most honored shows in its class. MAIN ST. is ranked among the top shows nationwide in Art Fair SourceBook, the bible of the art show world, and was chosen one of the American Bus Association’s Top 100 Events in North America for group travel in 2010.

MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival is presented by Coors Light and produced by Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc. Festival hours will be 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday, April 8; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 9-10; and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, April 11, 2010. Admission is free to the public.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Media should contact Diane Wolfe at metro 817-577-1779 [email protected].

For public information, visit MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival online, and get all the news from MAIN ST. as a Facebook festival fan at http://www.facebook.com/mainstreetartsfest.

FORT WORTH, Texas—MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival (MAIN ST.) celebrates its 25^th year April 8-11 and is making news in fine art, film, technology, environmental stewardship and just plain fun.

Opportunities for coverage in this year’s festival include:

Fun: there’s an app for that
MAIN ST.’s new iPhone app and social media communities combine to make the 25^th annual downtown art festival a state-of-the-art experience. Visit www.mainstreetartsfest.org to get started.

MAIN man: 25-year volunteer John Gantt
He’s seen it all: John Gantt has volunteered in each of the 25 MAIN ST. festivals, and for him, it’s a family affair. Gantt met his wife, Kris, at the event, and the couple married in a ceremony on the MAIN ST. main stage the night before opening of the 20^th annual show. Talk to MAIN ST.’s main man for a 25-year perspective on downtown’s big event.

An artist’s perspective
Fort Worth artist Gregory Story travels more than 20,000 miles a year to show at major art festivals from coast to coast, but there will be no place like home April 8-11. That’s when his hometown show, MAIN ST., opens for its 25th year. Story is the go-to guy for tips on what to see and do when MAIN ST. takes the town.

Fearless Film Festival comes of age
It’s a coming of age tale: more than 200 short films were submitted for this year’s Fearless Film Festival, and organizers have selected 16 from across the world to screen at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 10 and and 1:15 p.m. Sunday, April 11 at the David L. Tandy Lecture Hall in the Fort Worth Central Library. Filmmakers’ panels return this year and include a special presentation of One Square Mile, a documentary series that is really putting Fort Worth filmmakers on the map.

All in good taste: food, wine and more
Preview what’s cooking, including selections from Kincaid’s Hamburgers, Reata Restaurant and Cantina Laredo or dining rooms at the Omni, and don’t miss seated tastings of the finest from Times Ten Cellars, another stellar addition to the festival’s menu for its 25th year.

Art on Tour presented by Chesapeake Energy
Talk about an allowance: Chesapeake Energy is giving a group of teens $8,000 to spend at MAIN ST. as student curators of Art on Tour presented by Chesapeake Energy, a year-round, traveling exhibit created by and for young artists.

Green days: MAIN ST. makes an environmental statement
John Darling has a dirty job, and he loves it. Darling, a.k.a. the king of compost at the University of Texas at Arlington, is part of the green team that aims to keep the 25th annual MAIN ST. Festival earth-friendly. Joining the bid this year is Green Mountain Energy Company, which offers patrons a rewarding way to help make MAIN ST. carbon-neutral.

Music on MAIN
From icons Leon Russell and Kirk Whalum to young guns Jonny Lang and Los Lonely Boys, MAIN ST. presents the best in audible art in its 2010 Music on MAIN schedule of live concerts, and they’re all free.

Funny business
You can laugh, and it’s all in a day’s work for entertainers bound for the 25th annual MAIN ST. festival. Look into the funny business that’s coming to town, and follow links to YouTube videos that preview all the fun.

Creative kids: Young People’s Art Fair presented by XTO Energy
MAIN ST. helps youth channel their creative energy and grow in the process as participants in its Young People’s Art Fair presented by XTO Energy from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 10 and 11. The Young People’s Art Fair showcases original works of art created by youth ages 7 to 17.

Get here: ways to go
Hike, bike or take a bus or train to MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival and skip parking hassles. Note street closures starting Monday, April 5.

MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival celebrates its 25^th year April 8-11 with a celebration of fine arts and crafts, music, film and food a mile long, stretching from the Tarrant County Courthouse to the Fort Worth Convention Center. More than 200 juried artists and fine crafts exhibitors will line brick-paved Main Street, joined by musicians and dancers on three stages. Performance artists and food and drink vendors complete the scene.

Festival hours will be 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday, April 8; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 9-10; and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, April 11, 2010. Admission is free to the public. For more information, visit www.mainstreetartsfest.org.

MAIN ST. is made possible by a host of generous corporate citizens who support the festival year in and year out, bringing the finest entertainment to North Texas.Official Sponsors are Chase, Green Mountain Energy Company, Sundance Square, Texas Lincoln Mercury Dealers, and XTO Energy. Media Sponsors include CBS 11/TXA 21, D Magazine and the Star-Telegram as well as radio stations Mix 102.9, 102.1 The Edge, 106.1 KISS FM, 95.9 FM The Ranch, Country Legends 92.1, and Lone Star 92.5. Supporting Sponsors include Chesapeake Energy Company, Coca-Cola Bottling Company of North Texas, Dallas/Fort Worth Professional Musicians Association, Fort Worth Transportation Authority, Pizza Hut, Target and the University of Texas at Arlington.

More than 200 short films were submitted for this year’s Fearless Film Festival, and organizers have selected 16 from across the globe for screening in the four-year-old short film fest that brought moving pictures to MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival (MAIN ST.).

Fearless Film Festival screenings are scheduled at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 10 and 1:15 p.m. Sunday, April 11, at the David L. Tandy Lecture Hall at the Fort Worth Central Library.

Filmmakers’ panels return this year, and the festival program also includes a special presentation of One Square Mile, the documentary series that is putting Fort Worth filmmakers on the map.

The film festival complements visual and performing arts showcased in MAIN ST., one of the nation’s top fine arts fairs, and celebrates the short film format, organizers said.

“There’s a growing recognition of the role short films play in feature filmmaking careers,” Fearless Film Festival coordinator and filmmaker Melissa Kirkendall said. “The spotlight that this year’s Academy Awards program put on short films is just one example. Every major film festival has a short film component, but it’s our pleasure to devote our entire schedule to short films and the people making them.”

Fearless Film Festival is open to short films of up to 20 minutes and honors the best in categories ranging from documentary and narrative to experimental, animation, dance, music video and trailer as well as best of show. Winners are awarded cash and non-cash prizes.

Fearless Film Festival has an international appeal, and foreign films have won Best of Show in three of the four years of competition.

Winners in the fourth annual Fearless Film Festival are:

The Tea Master (10min)Winner: Best in Show
Dir: Aaron Au (Vancouver, BC, Canada)

The Ah of Life (2min 50 sec) Winner: Best Trailer
Dir: Banks Helfrich (Florida)

Superstitious? (4min.) Winner: Experimental
Dir: David Magnier United Kingdom)

Frames (3min 19sec) Winner: Best Student Film & Rose Marine Theater Award
Dir: Jaime Chapin (Argyle, Tx.)

They Can’t Deport Us All (3min) Winner: Best Music Video

Dir: Rocky Curby (Northridge, Ca)

Skylight (4min 37sec) Winner: Best Animation
Dir. David Baas (Toronto, ON)

So As Through Fire (11min) Winner: Best Narrative
Dir: Tony Pauletto (North Hollywood, CA)

Eric/Derailed (19min) Winner: Foreign Film
Dir. Nicolas Simonin Simonin (Paris, France)

Winning films and eight more selected by jurors from the local film community will be screened in the festival. Fearless Film Festival is presented as part of the “Off MAIN!” series of performances in venues both on and off Main Street during the fine arts festival.

Filmmakers’ panels for 2010 take on the personal documentary and distribution alternatives as well as resources available to Texas filmmakers in sessions Saturday and Sunday, April 10 and 11 in two downtown locations. Panels and special presentations are:

Saturday, April 10

Chappell Meeting Room, Fort Worth Central Library

• 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. One Square Mile Special Presentation
• 1 to 2 p.m. Webisodic series & short film on the net
• 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Self Distribution
• 4 to 6 p.m. Texas Filmmakers’ Production Fund workshop

4 Day Weekend Theater

• Noon to 1:30 p.m. The Personal Documentary with Kelley Baker, a.k.a. the Angry Film Maker
• 2 to 3 p.m. One Square Mile Special Presentation

Sunday, April 11

Chappell Meeting Room, Fort Worth Central Library

• 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. One Square Mile and Angry Film Maker special documentary presentation series

MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival celebrates its 25^th year April 8-11 with a celebration of fine arts and crafts, music, film and food a mile long, stretching from the Tarrant County Courthouse to the Fort Worth Convention Center.

More than 200 juried artists and fine crafts exhibitors will line brick-paved Main Street, joined by musicians and dancers on three stages. Performance artists and food and drink vendors complete the scene.

MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival is presented by Coors Light and produced by Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc. Festival hours will be 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday, April 8; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 9-10; and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, April 11, 2010. Admission is free to the public. For more information, visit www.mainstreetartsfest.org.

MAIN ST. is made possible by a host of corporate citizens who support the festival year in and year out, bringing the finest entertainment to North Texas. Official Sponsors are Chase, Green Mountain Energy Company, Sundance Square, Texas Lincoln Mercury Dealers, and XTO Energy. Media Sponsors include CBS 11/TXA 21,D Magazine and the Star-Telegram as well as radio stations Mix 102.9, 102.1 The Edge, 106.1 KISS FM, 95.9 FM The Ranch, Country Legends 92.1, and Lone Star 92.5. Supporting Sponsors include Chesapeake Energy Company, Coca-Cola Bottling Company of North Texas, Dallas/Fort Worth Professional Musicians Association, Fort Worth Transportation Authority, Pizza Hut, Target and the University of Texas at Arlington.

# # #

FORT WORTH, Texas—MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival’s new iPhone app and social media communities that interface with its home on the web combine to make the 25^th annual downtown art festival a state-of-the-art experience.

MAIN ST. has moved with the breathless pace of technology, creating an iPhone app to help guests navigate its mile-long festival site and launching social media communities that make everyone part of the show’s story.

The MAIN ST. iPhone app is available free at the iTunes Store, and the festival’s renovated, social media-friendly home on the web, www.mainstreetartsfest.org, is live online. Join MAIN ST. social media communities at:

• • Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mainstreetartsfest 
  • YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/MainStreetFortWorth
  • Twitter: http://twitter.com/mainstreetfest 

“Technology now exists to allow guests to share an experience like MAIN ST., and we saw opportunities to give patrons new ways to get a buzz going around one of the most anticipated events of the year,” said Ken Lentz, partner in the said Ken Lentz, partner in the Enilon Group, which developed the iPhone app and retooled MAIN ST.’s website for festival producer Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc.

“We wanted to do two things: the first was to create an iPhone app because the single best tool is one that gives you information when you’re at MAIN ST. It’s like having a guided tour the festival.

“Then we wanted to freshen up the website, open it up and make it interactive. Now patrons can contribute content as well as consume it, thanks to a social media interface that offers the best of both web generations.”

Printed programs for the 25th annual festival also will be available.

MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival celebrates its 25th year April 8-11 with a celebration of fine arts and crafts, music, film and food a mile long. More than 200 juried artists and fine crafts exhibitors will line brick-paved Main Street from the Tarrant County Courthouse to the Fort Worth Convention Center.

They’ll be joined by musicians and dancers on three stages. Performance artists and food and drink vendors complete the scene.

The festival is among the most honored shows in its class. MAIN ST. is ranked among the top shows nationwide in Art Fair SourceBook, the bible of the art show world, and was chosen one of the American Bus Association’s Top 100 Events inNorth America for group travel in 2010.

MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival is presented by Coors Light and produced by Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc. Festival hours will be 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday, April 8; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 9-10; and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, April 11, 2010. Admission is free to the public. For more information, visit www.mainstreetartsfest.org.

MAIN ST. is made possible by a host of generous corporate citizens who support the festival year in and year out, bringing the finest entertainment to North Texas.Official Sponsors are Chase, Green Mountain Energy Company, Sundance Square, Texas Lincoln Mercury Dealers, and XTO Energy. Media Sponsors include CBS 11/TXA 21, D Magazine and the Star-Telegram as well as radio stations WRR 101.1, Mix 102.9, 102.1 The Edge, 106.1 KISS FM, 95.9 FM The Ranch, Country Legends 92.1, and Lone Star 92.5. Supporting Sponsors include Chesapeake Energy Company, Coca-Cola Bottling Company of North Texas, Dallas/Fort Worth Professional Musicians Association, Fort Worth Transportation Authority, Pizza Hut, Target and the University of Texas at Arlington.

# # #

FORT WORTH–Acrobats, dancers, magicians, jugglers, Yo-Yo stunt couples and spoof artists hit the streets in MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival (MAIN ST.) April 8-11, and it’s all in a day’s work for performers who represent some of the world’s most remarkable occupations.

MAIN ST. has amused and amazed guests for a quarter century, and entertainers at its 25^th annual show carry on that tradition with performances ranging from Chinese acrobatics rooted in centuries of tradition to shows that raise the mundane to art forms

ACROBATS OF HEBEI CHINA
As much athletes as entertainers, the Acrobats of Hebei China trained from childhood to perform Chinese acrobatics under the direction of Hou Chunyan, whose credits include work with Cirque du Soliel. Chinese acrobatics have been handed down like traditions, and acrobats’ vivid costumes and authentic props add a touch of theater to their amazing, athletic art form. Highlights include Chinese Poles, a highly technical acrobatic number described in drawings dating back more than 1,000 years, Martial Arts and the comical Chinese Lion performance.

EL GLENO
El Gleno, the alter ego of Glenn Singer, returns to MAIN ST. with his street-theater spoof of a circus equestrian act. Sight gags, optical illusions and a MAIN ST. essential–audience participation—are all part of Singer’s act, which has taken El Gleno to every continent except Antarctica and engagements at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, Universal Studios in Hollywood, major international festival and “Ed’s Big Top in Hurricane,” according to Singer’s website.

GEIST
Pete Geist, a.k.a. the Wacky Waiter, combines magic, pantomime, juggling and physical comedy to rave reviews. Modeled on the antics of European clowns, who rely more on physical comedy than their costumed American counterparts, Geist’s one-man show has won praise even from critic Leonard Maltin and appeals to all ages. “Kids like this stuff because it’s silly. It’s visual. They can listen with their eyes instead of their ears,” Geist said. “But this is not just a ‘kiddie show,’ this show is for everyone.”

GHICI
George “Ghici” Draghici makes painting performance art in his live shows, in which the Romanian-born artist creates onstage accompanied by music. Ghici has captured the moment on canvas at festivals, conferences, even weddings coast to coast and will have designs on MAIN ST. Saturday, April 10 at the Performing Arts Stage.

LUCKY BOB
Lucky Bob returns for another crowd-pleasing engagement at MAIN ST., part of a busy schedule of more than 500 shows a year for this professional juggler, magician and funny man. Kids often share the limelight with Lucky Bob, who makes audience members stars of the show that has taken him places across North America and overseas.

ROBERT FROEHNER MUSICAL SAW
He had lessons in piano, organ, clarinet, and bassoon, but North Texas virtuosoRobert Froehner is self-taught on the instrument that made him a featured performer with symphony orchestras: the Craftsman saw. Froehner’s musical saws range from a 16-inch “piccolo saw” to a 36-inch “bass saw,” all hardware-store models ordinary except for the sound Froehner coaxes from them. Wikipedia describes the musical saw sound as “an ethereal tone, very similar to the thereminor a woman’s clear voice.”

YO-YO PEOPLE
Work is play for John and Rebecca Higby, the husband and wife who are the Yo-Yo People. John took up the yo-yo at age 10 and turned pro in his teen years, ultimately performing yo-yo feats in festivals and for U.S. troops abroad. His talent scored Higby a job running yo-yo contests for a toymaker and led to love with funny lady Rebecca. The happy couple announced their engagement on “Letterman” and has competed on “America’s Got Talent.” In 2008, John earned the official Guinness World Records for the fastest time to knock a coin off the ear of 15 participants with a yo-yo (1 minute, 50 seconds). Preview the Yo-Yo People’s world-class act with video of the show that delighted crowds at Disney World in Orlando.

MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival celebrates its 25^th year April 8-11 with a celebration of fine arts and crafts, music, film and food a mile long, one stretching from the Tarrant County Courthouse to the Fort Worth Convention Center.

More than 200 juried artists and fine crafts exhibitors will line brick-paved Main Street, joined by musicians and dancers on three stages. Performance artists and food and drink vendors complete the scene.

The festival is among the most honored shows in its class. MAIN ST. is ranked among the top shows nationwide in Art Fair SourceBook, the bible of the art show world, and was chosen one of the American Bus Association’s Top 100 Events in North America for group travel in 2010.MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival is presented by Coors Light and produced by Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc. Festival hours will be 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday, April 8; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 9-10; and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, April 11, 2010. Admission is free to the public. For more information, visitwww.mainstreetartsfest.org.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Media should contact Diane Wolfe at metro 817-577-1779 [email protected].

For public information, visit MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival online, and get all the news from MAIN ST. as a Facebook festival fan at www.facebook.com/mainstreetartsfest.

FORT WORTH–Enter short films in Fearless Film Festival, the event that brought moving pictures to MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival, through March 15, and catch free Fort Worth and Dallas screenings of winning films from last year’s Fearless fest.

Cost to enter Fearless Film Festival is $20 per film through March 15. Information on the submission process is available online, or contact Melissa Kirkendall at [email protected] for more information.

Free screenings will showcase a selection of last year’s festival winners February 24 in Fort Worth and March 3 in Dallas. Q&A sessions with festival coordinator Melissa Kirkendall and winning filmmakers will follow screenings at:

Fort Worth
7 p.m. Wednesday, February 24
Lola’s Saloon on 6th
2736 West 6th
Street, Fort Worth, Texas 76107
(817) 877-0666
http://lolasfortworth.com/

Dallas
6 p.m. Wednesday, March 3
La Grange
2704 Elm St.
Dallas, Texas 75226
(214) 741-2008

アイベックスエアラインズの特徴

Fearless Film Festival 2009 shorts to be screened February 24 and March 3 are:

• Best Documentary – Icky Twerp: The Electronic Baby Sitter
• Best in Show & Panavision Award – Pleasant Dreams
• Best Foreign Film – Tropezones
• Best Student Film – Gillface
• Best Music Video – Voice Rock for President

See the 2009 Fearless Film Festival trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SyYoCnZ5G0.

Launched in 2007, Fearless Film Festival has attracted short films, music videos and trailers from across the world. International entries won best of show the festival’s first two years, but North Texas filmmakers took top honors in 2009 with , a sci-fi short directed by Lam Chui and written and produced by Evan Odell.

The 2009 festival also introduced film industry panels that, like all events at MAIN ST., are free and open to the public. The eclectic roster of films and bonus panels featuring respected industry experts attracted standing-room-only crowds last year, and organizers expect film fest crowds to grow again in 2010.

Fearless Film Festival is open to short films of up to 20 minutes and honors the best in categories ranging from documentary and narrative to experimental, animation, dance, music video and trailer as well as best of show. Winners are awarded cash and non-cash prizes.

2010 winning films will be screened Saturday and Sunday, April 10 and 11 during MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival’s 25^th annual show.

MAIN ST. packs downtown Fort Worth each spring with a celebration of fine arts and crafts, music, film and food stretching from the Tarrant County Courthouse to the Fort Worth Convention Center. More than 200 juried artists and fine crafts exhibitors line brick-paved Main Street, joined by musicians and dancers on three stages. Performance artists and food and drink vendors complete the scene.

The festival is among the most honored shows in its class. It is ranked among the top three nationwide in the 2009 edition of Art Fair SourceBook, the bible of the art show world, and was chosen one of the American Bus Association’s Top 100 Events in North America for group travel in 2010. The film festival has added yet another art form to what has become an internationally recognized event, one garnering its second Grand Pinnacle Award from the International Festivals and Events Association in as many years.

MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival is presented by Coors Light and produced by Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc. Art festival hours will be 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday, April 8; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 9-10; and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, April 11, 2010. Admission is free to the public. For more information, visit MAIN ST. online at www.mainstreetartsfest.org.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Media should contact Diane Wolfe at metro 817-577-1779 or [email protected].

For public information, visit www.mainstreetartsfest.org.

# # #

Don’t judge MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival (MAIN ST.) by its good looks alone—downtown’s main event is an economic engine that generated $33 million in overall dollars in 2009, even in the depths of recession.

A study conducted by Birchhill Enterprises for festival producer Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc. shows the four-day MAIN ST. festival, which celebrates its 25^th year in April, injects millions daily into local coffers, according to Richard Ruddell, president of The T and chairman of the Festivals and Events Committee for Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc.

“MAIN ST. pours more than $5 million to $8 million a day into the local economy, whether in overall spending and impact or total dollars generated. That adds up to some serious fun,” Ruddell said.

A snapshot of the festival’s economic benefits shows:

· Overall dollars generated by the festival in 2009 were more than $33 million, over $8 million daily.

· Direct and indirect impact of the festival in 2009 grew by 20% compared to 2006 ($21,778,023 and $18,121,632 respectively) and was more than $5 million daily.

· Visitors spending onsite grew by 14.5%, rising from $1,190,329 in 2006 to $1,363,444 in 2009.

· Visitors spending in the region of the festival grew by 38.4% from $2,284,921 in 2006 to $3,163,761 in 2009.

· Visitors’ length of stay in the area grew by 19% in 2009 from 2006 (71.28 to 59.76 hours respectively).

Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. surveys crowds every three years to gauge economic impact as well as guest satisfaction, patron spending and other facets of the nationally ranked show.

To say MAIN ST. is a crowd-pleaser would be an understatement. Exit surveys at last year’s festival found that all respondents—100% of those surveyed–would recommend the event to friends, and 95.8% rated MAIN ST. good or excellent.

These high marks join a growing list of bests and firsts for MAIN ST., one of the most honored shows in its class. MAIN ST. is ranked among the top festivals nationwide by Art Fair SourceBook, the bible of the art show world, and has been selected one of the American Bus Association’s Top 100 Events in North Americafor group travel in 2010.

MAIN ST. won back-to-back International Festivals & Events Association’s (IFEA) Grand Pinnacle Awards in its class in 2008 and 2009 and swept the 2009 Texas Festivals and Events Association awards, receiving the Zenith—or best event honors—in its category as well as a glittering collection of gold and silver awards.

MAIN ST. packs downtown Fort Worth each spring with a celebration of fine arts and crafts, music, film and food stretching from the Tarrant County Courthouse to the Fort Worth Convention Center. More than 200 juried artists and fine crafts exhibitors line brick-paved Main Street, joined by musicians and dancers on three stages. Performance artists and food and drink vendors complete the scene.

MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival is presented by Coors Light and produced by Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc. Festival hours will be 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday, April 8; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 9-10; and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, April 11. Admission is free to the public. For more information, visit MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival online. For information on downtown Fort Worth and its events, please visit Downtown Fort Worth, Inc.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Media should contact Diane Wolfe at metro 817-577-1779 [email protected].

For public information, visit www.mainstreetartsfest.org.

Fort Worth, TX — He’s been everywhere, man. Fort Worth artist Gregory Story travels more than 18 weeks a year, logging 20,000 miles or more to show at major art festivals from coast to coast, but there will be no place like home April 8-11, 2010.

That’s when Story’s hometown show, MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival, opens for its 25th year and spreads a mile-long public gallery of fine art and entertainment across the heart of a city that’s home to some of the world’s most celebrated art collections.

MAIN ST., one of the nation’s top three fine arts fairs, combines with the city’s museum district to lure artists, art and music lovers and collectors who pack downtown Fort Worth each year with crowds numbering in six figures. An estimated $4 million in art is bought and sold at the show, and Story has been a part of it for 10 years as an exhibitor, volunteer, juror and member of its Artists Advisory Committee.

He’s the go-to guy for tips on what to see and do when MAIN ST. takes the town. Get the inside track on MAIN ST. here.

FORT WORTH–MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival (MAIN ST.), one of the nation’s best of shows, swept this year’s Texas Festivals and Events Association awards for marketing, receiving the Zenith—or best event honors—in its category and a glittering collection of gold and silver awards.

“MAIN ST. is simply the best of shows in its class, and these awards echo the experience of everyone who is a part of the event,” said Richard Ruddell, president and executive director of the T as well as festival and events committee chair for MAIN ST. producer Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc.

The awards are presented by the Texas Festivals and Events Association, an official affiliate of the International Festivals & Events Association and professional trade association for Texas-based festival and event planners, volunteers and suppliers.

Since its debut in 1986, MAIN ST. has grown in stature to rank among the top U.S. fine art fairs, making it only fitting that festival marketing campaigns be created under the direction of Gladys Pinkerton, a classically trained artist as well as award-winning advertising creative director and principal at Pinkerton Design.

The fine arts might have won out in her own choice of careers, Pinkerton said, had Texas and its communities offered 30 years ago the kind of support that events and programs like MAIN ST. and its outreach efforts provide artists today.

“Fine artists face the facts of life like everyone else,” Pinkerton said. “We can starve just so long. Without the level of support artists receive from MAIN ST. and its programs, talented people in every generation would make the decision to go another route. That makes it a real pleasure to be a part of MAIN ST. and know that this show and the underwriters who support it make it possible for young people to choose fine arts as a career,” she said.

Pinkerton praised MAIN ST.’s award-winning education and outreach programs, which include the Emerging Artist initiative that offers those with limited art fair experience a place at MAIN ST.; the Young People’s Art Fair presented by XTO Energy, in which artists ages 7 to 17 show and sell their own original art; and Art on Tour, a traveling exhibit of work by MAIN ST. artists that is collected and curated by Fort Worth district art students. Art on Tour was launched by Chesapeake Energy and festival organizers to drill down fine arts education at the high school level, and the program equips young artists with practical skills needed for a career as fine artists.

The festival’s TFEA trophies, including 14 gold awards, were received for advertising and event collateral created by Pinkerton in cooperation with Concussion, a Fort Worth advertising and marketing agency, and provide a fitting overture for the 25th annual MAIN ST. festival, scheduled April 8-11, 2010.

MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival packs downtown Fort Worth each spring with a celebration of fine arts and crafts, music, film and food stretching from the Tarrant County Courthouse to the Fort Worth Convention Center. More than 200 juried artists line brick-paved Main Street, joined by musicians and dancers on three stages. Performance artists and food and drink vendors complete the scene.

MAIN ST. is presented by Coors Light and produced by Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc. Jay Downie, CFEE, is festival director.

FORT WORTH–If the festival and events world gave an award for winning awards, MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival would be collecting that honor, too.

For the second year running, MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival received the International Festivals & Events Association’s (IFEA) Grand Pinnacle Award as best in its class in event marketing and promotion as well as a host of other IFEA awards for its 2009 MAIN ST. marketing campaign.

The Grand Pinnacle Award announced this week is the highest honor IFEA gives event producers, and the festival won it for the first time last year. Back-to-back wins as top event are especially gratifying for the festival marketing team, according to Richard Ruddell, president and executive director of The T as well as festival and events committee chair for MAIN ST. producer Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc.

“MAIN ST. is simply the best of shows, and the entire team is proud to have defended that title at the international level,” Ruddell said.

In addition to the Grand Pinnacle in its class, MAIN ST. won four Gold, six Silver and two Bronze IFEA awards for its advertising, merchandise and printed materials. The Chesapeake Energy Parade of Lights won a Bronze award for outdoor advertising in the competition. The IFEA Pinnacle Awards recognize outstanding marketing and promotions for events around the world. Go towww.ifea.com for more information.

The IFEA honors join a growing list of firsts and bests making MAIN ST. among the most honored shows in its class. It is ranked among the top three nationwide in the 2009 edition of Art Fair SourceBook, the bible of the art show world, and was chosen one of the American Bus Association’s Top 100 Events in North America for group travel in 2010.

In July, the festival swept the Texas Festivals and Events Association awards for marketing excellence, receiving the Zenith—or best event honors—in its category and a glittering collection of gold and silver awards. .

Creative concepts and advertising were the work of Pinkerton Design in association with Concussion High Impact Communications, and publicity was managed by freelancer Diane Wolfe. Jay Downie, CFEE, produces the event, working with a dedicated staff and an experienced group of volunteers.

Work is underway on next year’s MAIN ST. festival, the event’s 25^th annual run, and the MAIN ST. marketing and events team also is preparing for the Chesapeake Energy Parade of Lights November 27 in Sundance Square. The parade kicks off Fort Worth’s holiday season and includes lighting of the Fort Worth Christmas Tree in Sundance Square.

MAIN ST. packs downtown Fort Worth each spring with a celebration of fine arts and crafts, music, film and food stretching from the Tarrant County Courthouse to the Fort Worth Convention Center. More than 200 juried artists and fine crafts exhibitors line brick-paved Main Street, joined by musicians and dancers on three stages. Performance artists and food and drink vendors complete the scene.

MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival is presented by Coors Light and produced by Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc. For more information, visit MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival online. For information on downtown Fort Worth and its events, please visit Downtown Fort Worth, Inc.

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Fort Worth, Texas—Art on Tour is on exhibit at the Fort Worth Community Arts Center through August 30, giving the public a chance to see a one-of-a-kind homework assignment as kids head back to school.

Art on Tour is a traveling collection of work by artists exhibiting at MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival and is curated by Fort Worth district art students. The exhibit was launched by Chesapeake Energy, the Fort Worth Independent School District and festival organizers to drill down fine arts education at the high school level, and the program equips young artists with practical skills needed for a career as fine artists.

Tour the collection from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the community arts center at 1300 Gendy Street in Fort Worth.

Art on Tour, an extension of the MAIN ST. festival, is a traveling collection designed to bring fine arts education to young people and adults where they are. Original works acquired from the festival’s participating artists are exhibited in Art on Tour in schools, libraries, community centers and other public venues.

Art on Tour debuted in 2007 as an eight-piece exhibit assembled with acquisition dollars donated by Chesapeake Energy. Thanks to the energy giant’s generosity, Art on Tour has grown to a collection of nearly 40 works created by MAIN ST. artists and purchased by teen curators.

About Us
MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival celebrates its 25th year in 2010 and is presented by Coors Light. It is produced by Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc. (DFWII), a 501 (c) 3 organization formed in 1988 to complement the work of Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. and the Public Improvement District by providing a funding pathway for charitable, educational and public-purpose activities. DFWII produces MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival and the Chesapeake Energy Parade of Lights, which includes lighting ceremonies for the city’s Christmas tree.

Fort Worth, Texas—The call for artists has been issued for the 25^th annual MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival (MAIN ST.), the best of its class. 

The application process opened July 15 for artists hoping to exhibit at the 25^thannual show, scheduled April 8-11, 2010. Applications will be accepted through October 23, and artists can apply at www.zapplication.com.

Exhibitors at MAIN ST. are selected in a juried process so competitive that less than one in seven who applies receives an invitation. Those who do profit from a resilient regional market for fine art, one that has propelled MAIN ST. to a ranking among Art Fair Sourcebook’s top three fine arts shows based on artists’ sales.

Artists sell an estimated $4 million in art annually at the show, which pumps approximately $10 million into the local economy each year. At the same time, MAIN ST. shines a spotlight on Fort Worth’s cultural community, which extends from the downtown entertainment district and its galleries and performance halls to the city’s verdant museum district, which boasts the Kimbell Art Museum and the Amon Carter Museum.

Since its debut in 1986, MAIN ST. has grown in stature to rank among the top U.S. fine art fairs and is among the most honored shows in its class. The 2009 show swept this year’s Texas Festivals and Events Association Zenith Awards for distinction in festival and event marketing, receiving the Zenith—or best event honors—in its category and 14 golds, along with a collection of silver and bronze awards.

MAIN ST. packs downtown Fort Worth each spring with a celebration of fine arts and crafts, music, film and food stretching from the Tarrant County Courthouse to the Fort Worth Convention Center. More than 200 juried artists line brick-paved Main Street, joined by musicians and dancers on three stages. Performance artists and food and drink vendors complete the scene.

MAIN ST. is presented by Coors Light and produced by Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc. Jay Downie, CFEE, is festival director. Festival hours will be 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday, April 8; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 9-10; and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, April 11, 2010. Admission is free to the public. For more information, visit www.mainstreetartsfest.org

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The Green Palette: Art and environment meet on MAIN ST.

13 Apr 2009

by: Diane Wolfe

Fort Worth, Texas—Artists exhibiting at MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival (MAIN ST.), downtown’s main event presented by Coors Light and produced by Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc., are showing their color—green—in working with festival producers and The University of Texas at Arlington to promote eco-friendly art and entertainment.

MAIN ST. and UT Arlington, the festival’s environmental resources partner, will give a green thumbs-up to artists whose work or processes are environmentally friendly. Those who make the grade will display a green thumbprint seal in their booths, a proud symbol of their commitment to art in harmony with the environment.

“MAIN ST. has a strong commitment to environmental stewardship, and we’re proud to partner with The University of Texas at Arlington in public education and action on green initiatives,” Richard Ruddell, chairman of this year’s MAIN ST. festival, said.

The green thumb environmental program salutes artists who use earth-friendly techniques, materials or themes in their work, including:

· Non-toxic, non-polluting materials and methods

· Organic, natural, sustainable, reclaimed and/or recycled materials or fibers

· Use of solar or other renewable energy sources during production, transportation or presentation

· Use of digital methodologies in creating artwork

· Applications of ecological themes, including nature, its processes or environmental problems

· Integration of environmental forces, such as creating artwork affected or powered by wind, water, light, etc.

Artists whose work represents the best of art and environment include Richard and Deborah Bloom, who responded to the festival’s green art survey with an enthusiastic, “Yes, I am a green artist!”

“We use organic, natural, sustainable and reclaimed materials exclusively in our work. We also use no toxic sealers of any kind, only beeswax as a coating on some of the pods. We consider our theme ecological,” the Blooms, who will exhibit at Booth 814, said. “A designation as a green artist seems entirely appropriate and we appreciate the attention to this. Way to go!”

Like the Blooms’ creations, UT Arlington’s booth at MAIN ST. is itself a statement in sustainability. Students in the university’s school of interior design created the booth out of materials that are both easy on the earth and on the eye.

The green thumb recognition program and partnership with UT Arlington is the latest addition to an environmental movement at MAIN ST. that began in 2007, when the festival dramatically reduced its carbon and environmental footprint with a major recycling initiative and the introduction of biodegradable plates, cups and utensils in food and beverage service as well as the use of bio-diesel fuels in equipment on site. Use of public and alternative transportation to the festival also is encouraged in partnership with the Fort Worth Transportation Authority, Bicycles, Inc., and the Fort Worth Bicycling Association and promotes better air quality.

UT Arlington also is lending its educational muscle to this year’s Off MAIN! series of lectures and other programming in venues on and off Main St. Catch these sessions at The University of Texas at Arlington’s Fort Worth Center, 1401 Jones St. in downtown Fort Worth, during MAIN ST.

MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival celebrates its 24th year in 2009 and is presented by Coors Light. Official Sponsors for 2009 are American Airlines, Chase, Sundance Square, Target, Texas Lincoln Mercury Dealers, and XTO Energy. Media Sponsors include CBS 11/TXA 21 and D Magazine as well as radio stations WRR 101.1, Mix 102.9, 102.1 The Edge, 106.1 KISS FM, 95.9 FM The Ranch, Country Legends 92.1, and Lone Star 92.5. Supporting Sponsors include Coca-Cola Bottling Company of North Texas, Dallas/Fort Worth Professional Musicians Association, Fort Worth Transportation Authority, Green Mountain Energy, the Star-Telegram, and The University of Texas at Arlington.

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Sponsors Make MAIN ST. a Gift to North Texas

Fort Worth, Texas—MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival (MAIN ST.), downtown’s main event presented by Coors Light and produced by Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc., brings art to life for the people of North Texas April 16-19 and admission is free of charge, thanks to generous support by a community of corporate sponsors.

“We’re grateful for a family of sponsors whose donations year in and year out allow us to showcase fine art in a central business district that is itself a thing of beauty,” said Richard Ruddell, chairman of this year’s festival, said.

Coors Light leads the list, returning as presenting sponsor for MAIN ST.

“MAIN ST. is one of the things that make Fort Worth a great place to live, work and do business, and Coors Distributing Company of Fort Worth is proud to be part of this event,” said Marvin Branch, marketing manager of Coors of Fort Worth.

Sponsors of MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival this year include:

Presenting Sponsor

• Coors Light – A family-owned Fort Worth company since the 1960s, Coors Distributing Company of Fort Worth takes pride in presenting MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival. Community service is a high priority for Coors, which distributes Coors Brewing Company products and other imported/domestic beers and malt beverages to accounts in Johnson and Tarrant counties. 

Official sponsors include American Airlines, official airline of MAIN ST., and Sundance Square, the festival’s main stage sponsor and a MAIN ST. supporter since the festival’s beginning in 1986, as well as Chase, Target, Texas Lincoln Mercury Dealers, and XTO Energy 

Official Media Sponsors extend an invitation for all of North Texas to attend and include CBS 11/TXA 21, Clear Channel Radio and D Magazine.

Supporting Sponsors include Coca-Cola Bottling Company of North Texas, Dallas/Fort Worth Professional Musicians Association, Fort Worth Transportation Authority, Green Mountain Energy, Star-Telegram and The University of Texas at Arlington, which this year is partnering with the festival to expand its efforts at good environmental stewardship.

Radio Sponsors are WRR 101.1, Mix 102.9, 102.1 The Edge, 106.1 KISS FM, 95.9 FM The Ranch, Country Legends 92.1, and Lone Star 92.5.

MAIN ST. packs downtown Fort Worth each spring with a celebration of fine arts and crafts, music, film and food stretching from the Tarrant County Courthouse to the Fort Worth Convention Center. More than 200 juried artists and fine crafts exhibitors line brick-paved Main Street, joined by musicians and dancers on three stages. Performance artists and food and drink vendors complete the scene.

Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday, April 16; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 17-18; and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, April 19. Admission is free.

ABOUT US
MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival is produced by Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc. (DFWII), a 501 (c) 3 organization formed in 1988 to complement the work of Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. and the Public Improvement District by providing a funding pathway for charitable, educational and public-purpose activities, such as community festivals, residential development and park management. DFWII produces MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival and the Chesapeake Energy Parade of Lights, which includes lighting ceremonies for the city’s Christmas tree. These events have an economic impact of more than $19 million annually and attract more than 500,000 visitors to downtown Fort Worth each year.

Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. was founded in 1981 on the belief that downtown could be more than a place to work; it could be a thriving center of commerce and culture.

Downtown revitalization had already begun, thanks to two visionary men–Charles Tandy and Sid Bass—and the Tandy Center and Worthington Hotel, then called the Americana, laid the foundation for the future of Fort Worth’s center city.

Office towers, restaurants, nightclubs and retail stores opened downtown, and people began to return to the core in large numbers. New residential options encouraged downtown living, and improved hospitality and entertainment offerings brought renewed economic activity. Popular events invited new audiences to rediscover the appeal of downtown Fort Worth. Downtown Fort Worth has since become a national model for exciting, safe and walkable urban areas. Through it all, Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. has helped make it happen, forging productive partnerships with the city, property owners, business developers and corporations.

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Fort Worth, Texas—Fort Worth filmmaker Evan Odell has broken the hold of foreign films on Fearless Film Festival’s top honor with Pleasant Dreams, the 3F3 2009 Best of Show winning sci-fi take on living a dream directed by Lam Chui and written and produced by Odell.

Winners include Best Locally Produced Film Forgotten Frames 2.0, the sequel to Jeremy Snead’s Fearless Film Festival 2 winning entry in the same category; The Mirror, which won Best Animation and Best Youth film, by Rachel Racanelli, director; and Best Student Film Gillface, an unconventional love story from David McGinnis, director and student at The University of Texas at Arlington. A full list of winners and the schedule of screenings is attached.

Though narratives were the trend among this year’s entries, films entered ran the gamut from sci-fi thrillers to historical drama, even a musical.

“This year’s field was quite impressive,” 3F3 organizer and filmmaker Melissa Kirkendall said. “The panel of judges had a tough time making the final selections.”

Jurors from the local film community screened entries and selected winners in 3F3, the film competition that makes moving pictures part of MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival.

Winning films in 3F3 will be screened free to the public from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and from 1:15 to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 18-19 in the David L. Tandy Lecture Hall in the Fort Worth Central Library. 3F3 is presented as part of the “Off MAIN!” series of performances in venues both on and off Main Street–including the library, the Jubilee Theater, UT Arlington/Fort Worth Center, Circle Theater, Four Day Weekend Theater, McDavid Studio, and Bass Hall–during MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival.

Filmmakers’ panels, new this year to the Fearless Film series, survey legal frameworks for as well as resources available to Texas filmmakers in three sessions Saturday, April 18 in the downtown library’s Chappell Meeting Room.

Panels are:

• Copyright Law & Fair Usage, 1 to 2 p.m.
  Panelists are Tamera Bennett, a copyright attorney; Linda Kordek, music talent agent for The Agency Group; Carty Talkington, feature film director/producer best known for Love and a .45; and Mark A. Nobles, producer.
• Texas Filmmakers Resources, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.
  Panelists are Meg Gould, assistant director Dallas Film Commission; Bryan Poyser, director of artist services for the Austin Film Society; and Tiffany Kieran, DFW area producer and production manager.
• Texas Filmmakers Grant workshop by Bryan Poyser, 3:45 to 4:45 p.m.
  Poyser, director of artist services for the Austin Film Society, leads this Texas Filmmakers’ Production Fund workshop. Since 1996, the Austin Film Society’s Texas Filmmakers’ Production Fund has supported Texas filmmakers by awarding $930,000 in cash, goods and services to 265 film and video projects. Deadline for the 2009 cycle is June 1, and filmmakers who have resided in Texas for at least one year are eligible to apply for up to $25,000 in project funding. Poyser will leader filmmakers through the application process step-by-step.

3F3 is open to short films of up to 20 minutes and honors the best in categories ranging from documentary and narrative to experimental, animation, dance, music video and trailer as well as best of show. Winners are awarded cash and non-cash prizes including a coveted $5,000 rental credit with Panavision.

The film festival complements visual and performing arts showcased in MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival, now one of the nation’s top three fine arts fairs, and the short film focus was a natural, Kirkendall said.

“A short film festival works especially well for MAIN ST. because the public is able to see many films in a short period time, just as they can enjoy the work of many artists on the street. You can stop in at the library and see three completely different kinds of film, and it’s all part of a day at MAIN ST.,” Kirkendall said.

The film festival has an international appeal, and a foreign film won Best of Show in the Fearless Film Festival for each of the previous two years. Spanish filmmaker Ciro Altabas’ entry, Made in Japan, was named Best Foreign Film and Best of Show in 2008. Another Spanish filmmaker, Lucas Figueroa, took Best of Show honors for Boletos Por Favor in the premiere Fearless Film Festival in 2007.

MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival packs downtown Fort Worth each spring with a celebration of fine arts and crafts, music, film and food stretching from the Tarrant County Courthouse to the Fort Worth Convention Center in downtown Fort Worth.

More than 200 juried artists and fine crafts exhibitors will line brick-paved Main Street, joined by musicians and dancers on three stages. Performance artists and food and drink vendors complete the scene, and Fort Worth’s signature skyline blending turn-of-the-century buildings and modern skyscrapers frames this regional favorite. Admission is free.

MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival April 16-19 celebrates its 24th year in 2009 and is presented by Coors Light. Official Sponsors for 2009 are American Airlines, Chase, Sundance Square, Target, Texas Lincoln Mercury Dealers, and XTO Energy. Media Sponsors include CBS 11/TXA 21 and D Magazine as well as radio stations WRR 101.1, Mix 102.9, 102.1 The Edge, 106.1 KISS FM, 95.9 FM The Ranch, Country Legends 92.1, and Lone Star 92.5. Supporting Sponsors include Coca-Cola Bottling Company of North Texas, Dallas/Fort Worth Professional Musicians Association, Fort Worth Transportation Authority, Green Mountain Energy, the Star-Telegram, and The University of Texas at Arlington.

# # #

Fort Worth, Texas—MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival (MAIN ST.), downtown’s main event presented by Coors Light and produced by Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc., will hit the streets April 16-19 as one of the top three fine art shows in the nation and the region’s biggest entertainment showcase.

“The nation is discovering what North Texans have known for years: MAIN ST. is a major venue for fine art from across the country and the world, and it’s a lot of fun” said Richard Ruddell, festival and events committee chair for Downtown Fort Worth, Inc., which produces MAIN ST.

MAIN ST. packs downtown Fort Worth each spring with a celebration of fine arts and crafts, music, film and food stretching from the Tarrant County Courthouse to the Fort Worth Convention Center. More than 200 juried artists and fine crafts exhibitors line brick-paved Main Street, joined by musicians and dancers on three stages. Performance artists and food and drink vendors complete the scene.

Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday, April 16; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 17-18; and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, April 19. Admission is free.

THE MAIN ATTRACTION: JURIED FINE ART 

Visual art is the centerpiece of MAIN ST., and exhibiting artists work in media ranging from sculpture, painting and photography to woodcarvings, glasswork, jewelry, fashion, multimedia and more. More than $4 million worth of art may be sold during the festival at prices ranging from $50 for signed, limited edition prints to thousands for original works.

MUSIC ON MAIN 

MAIN ST. jams with live music on three stages starting at noon daily during the festival and brings the biggest names in Texas R&B, blues, jazz, Latin rock–even traditional African instrumentals—to Main Street, Fort Worth.

The schedule mixes it up, blending different musical styles on every stage, and an eager public can follow the full concert line-up at www.MainStreetArtsFest.org.

Music is a family affair for featured performers like native son Jimmie Vaughan and singer Shemekia Copeland, daughter of blues legend Johnny Copeland. These two greats give R&B and the blues center stage in this year’s Music on MAIN schedule, but jazz holds sway on the Sundance Square stage with performances by George Duke,Najee and Lizz Wright.

Catch the American roots rock sound of the BoDeans, the Latin rock of Austin’s Del Castillo and hometown favorites Latin Express at this year’s show, or discover Mamadou Diabate on the kora.

The sonic sculpture of Mass Ensemble makes beautiful music and is a wonder to behold. More than 10 appearances across the Music on MAIN schedule make Mass Ensemble’s a don’t-miss performance.

OFF MAIN!

Pillars of the downtown arts community host Off Main!, a series of performances, exhibits and lectures that celebrate fine art, film and theater in venues both on and off Main Street.

FEARLESS FILM FESTIVAL 3

Fearless Film Festival 3, a.k.a. 3F3, returns as the sequel to the sequel of the event that brought moving pictures to MAIN ST. Winning films in 3F3 will be screened free to the public from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and from 1:15 to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 18-19 in the David L. Tandy Lecture Hall in the Fort Worth Central Library, and organizers are adding two panels—“Copyright Law” and “Texas Filmmakers Resources”—to this year’s film festival.

GOOD TASTES – FESTIVAL FOOD

MAIN ST. is all about good taste, and the city’s finest have something cooking–from tamales and burritos, wraps and gyros, and turkey legs and funnel cakes to barbecue, burgers and hot dogs—for every palate and preference at MAIN ST. Save time and skip the lines by purchasing food and beverage coupons in advance through April 13. Strips of 12 coupons cost just $8 at the Festival Store at www.MainStreetArtsFest.org.

YOUNG AND EMERGING TALENT

Award-winning outreach programs bring the magic of fine art to young people and spotlight undiscovered talent. MAIN ST. CREATES! presented by CHASE draws families north past 2^nd Street and into a world of pure imagination, where kids immerse themselves in arts and crafts. The Young People’s Art Fair presented by XTO Energy releases the energy and enthusiasm of budding artists ages 7 to 17 who show and sell their art from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 19 and 20. The Emerging Artist Program is in its fourth year and offers an opportunity for artists who have little exhibition experience to sell their work at MAIN ST. Discover these rising stars on Third Street.

THE GREEN TEAM: MAIN ST. & UT Arlington 

The 2009 show also will feature an expanded emphasis on environmental awareness, thanks to a partnership between MAIN ST. and the green team at The University of Texas at Arlington.

GET HERE 

Use of public and alternative transportation is encouraged, and MAIN ST. guests will have a new option—T bus shuttle service—for transportation to and from the festival this year. The shuttle will operate every 20 minutes from 5 to 11 p.m. Friday and noon to 11 p.m. Saturday from free parking at Billy Bob’s Texas in the Fort Worth Stockyards. Trinity Railway Express and the T’s regular city bus service also offer hassle-free transportation, or bike to the festival, then secure your wheels at the popular Bike Corral, where cyclists enjoying valet parking courtesy of Bicycles, Inc. and Fort Worth Bicycling Association.

Parking options this year include free parking starting at 3 p.m. Thursday, April 16 and 3 p.m. Friday, April 17 as well as all day Saturday and Sunday, April 18-19 at Tarrant County’s parking garage at 101 Calhoun St. The county’s employee parking garage at 601 W. Weatherford St. also will offer free parking all day Saturday and Sunday, April 18-19. For more parking options and information on transportation, visit www.MainStreetArtsFest.org or www.fortworthparking.com.

MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival celebrates its 24th year in 2009 and is presented by Coors Light. Official Sponsors for 2009 are American Airlines, Chase, Sundance Square, Target, Texas Lincoln Mercury Dealers, and XTO Energy. Media Sponsors include CBS 11/TXA 21, D Magazine and the Star-Telegram as well as radio stations WRR 101.1, Mix 102.9, 102.1 The Edge, 106.1 KISS FM, 95.9 FM The Ranch, Country Legends 92.1, and Lone Star 92.5. Supporting Sponsors include Coca-Cola Bottling Company of North Texas, Dallas/Fort Worth Professional Musicians Association, Fort Worth Transportation Authority, Green Mountain Energy, and The University of Texas at Arlington.

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Fort Worth, Texas—Ingenuity and good taste have given the world many ways to eat on the street, and some of the finest names in food here join the festival faithful in preparing a menu for MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival (MAIN ST.) April 16-19 in downtown Fort Worth.

While a sit-down meal is certainly an option, many MAIN ST. guests choose to eat on their feet, and those cooking up something for MAIN ST.–from tamales and burritos, wraps and gyros, turkey legs and funnel cakes, to barbecue, burgers and hot dogs—are preparing great tastes that are good to go.

NATURE MADE TO GO
Mere man cannot know how festivals fit into the designs of creation, but the turkey leg seems custom made for festival fare. It is nature’s first food on a stick, and Nick’s BBQholds the corner and concession on turkey legs at MAIN ST. as one of the festival’s longest-running vendors.

Roasted corn on the cob is a treat that’s wrapped as well as portable by nature, and it looks as good as it tastes when The Original Corn Roast is doing the cooking.

IT’S A WRAP
Wraps are a relatively recent food phenom, but they share the advantage of edible wrapping with such favorites as gyros, tacos, burritos, fajitas and tamales. Sandwiches like the all-American hamburger (with or without cheese) and hot dog (with or without chili) and sliced or chopped barbecue make sure there’s a mobile main course for every taste on the street.

Ala Carte is making grilled chicken Caesar, Southwestern beef, and veggie wraps, andMario’s serves chicken oregano, pork Tuscany and veggie gyros.

Look for Reata’s refined tenderloin tamales and chicken tacos, or brisket tacos and beef fajita tacos by Cantina Laredo, and fajitas, tamales, bean and meat burritos and quesadillas from Bobby’s Fajitas.

Nick’s BBQ and Riscky’s Bar Be Que are smoking beef for sandwiches at MAIN ST., and you can stop by Schmidt’s of German Village or Little German Kitchen for a sandwich with a German accent or your favorite sausage. Pick up a steak sandwich atTexas Skillet, or try their tortilla dog. Traditional hot dogs and hamburgers are cooking at Leisure Foods and Tequila Red’s Hot Dog Cart.

REGIONAL SPECIALTIES AND LOCAL FAVORITES
Laissez les bons temps rouler with jambalaya, gumbo, crawfish and other Cajun cooking at Crawfish Connection, or pick up Mama’s Pizza by the slice, a Fort Worth favorite.

SWEET SOMETHINGS & SNACKS
Schakolad Chocolate Factory lends a touch of class to any occasion, and its chocolate-covered strawberries, bananas and caramel apples are a treat. Enjoy German Kettle Popcorn between meals.

IT JUST WOULDN’T BE MAIN ST. WITHOUT . . .
Some eats have become essentials. Funnel cakes, Dippin Dots Ice Cream,Spudzilla’s ribbon-cut potatoes, cream puffs from Little German Kitchen or Schmidt’s of German Village, corn dogs at Nick’s BBQ, fried corn at Riscky’s, and Tequila Red’s sausage on a stick are just a few.

LIBATIONS
Soft drinks, smoothies, ice tea and lemonade as well as beer, margaritas and Texas wines quench thirsts at MAIN ST.

MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival (MAIN ST.), downtown’s main event presented by Coors Light and produced by Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc., will hit the streets April 16-19 as one of the top three art shows nationwide and the region’s biggest entertainment showcase.

The festival packs downtown Fort Worth each spring with a celebration of fine arts and crafts, music, film and food stretching from the Tarrant County Courthouse to the Fort Worth Convention Center. More than 200 juried artists and fine crafts exhibitors will line brick-paved Main Street, joined by musicians and dancers on three stages. Performance artists and food and drink vendors complete the scene, and Fort Worth’s signature skyline blending turn-of-the-century buildings and modern skyscrapers frames this regional favorite. Admission is free.

Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday.

For information on event sponsorship, contact producer Jay Downie at 817-336-ARTS, ext. 21.

ABOUT US
MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival celebrates its 24th year in 2009 and is presented by Coors Light. Official Sponsors for 2009 are American Airlines, Chase, Sundance Square, Target, and XTO Energy. Media Sponsors include CBS 11/TXA 21, D Magazine and theStar-Telegram as well as radio stations WRR 101.1, Mix 102.9, 102.1 The Edge, 106.1 KISS FM, 95.9 FM The Ranch, Country Legends 92.1, and Lone Star 92.5. Supporting Sponsors include Coca-Cola Bottling Company of North Texas, Dallas/Fort Worth Professional Musicians Association, Fort Worth Transportation Authority, Green Mountain Energy, and the University of Texas at Arlington.

The festival is produced by Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc., a 501 (c) 3 organization formed in 1988 to complement the work of Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. and the Public Improvement District by provide a funding pathway for charitable, educational and public-purpose activities, such as community festivals, residential development and park management. Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc. produces MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival and the Chesapeake Energy Parade of Lights, which includes lighting ceremonies for the city’s Christmas tree. These events have an economic impact of more than $19 million annually and attract more than 500,000 visitors to downtown Fort Worth each year, all building to a sterling celebration of 25 years on MAIN ST. in 2010.

Fort Worth, Texas—MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival presented by Coors Light is mustering an army of volunteers for the 2009 festival April 16-19, and they’ll be guided by a group of veterans who know downtown’s main event inside out.

Many like Volunteer Coordinator Christine Boren have been hitting the bricks as MAIN ST. volunteers for years. With five years’ tenure, she’s a relative newcomer to the leadership group but is in a unique position to know that volunteering for MAIN ST. isn’t just fun—it’s habit forming.

“My kids have grown up working MAIN ST., and the whole family gets involved,” said Boren, who compared MAIN ST. volunteers to members of an extended family. “Over the years, we’ve helped build MAIN ST. and are proud of what it’s become. We have a good family.”

She has 1,600 volunteer slots to fill over the four days of this year’s festival, and assignments range from beverage service and merchandising to an array of other duties like artist hosting. Shifts vary by assignment.

In return for their service, volunteers get an insider’s look at world-class art, food and entertainment as well as “an awesome street team t-shirt” that regulars consider collectible, Boren said.

She has served as both an individual and corporate volunteer and welcomes all offers of service but emphasizes the advantages of working MAIN ST. as part of a team. Individuals as well as corporate teams should e-mail [email protected] or call 817-336-2787, ext. 24 for more information. Sign up at www.mainstreetartsfest.org.

MAIN ST. packs downtown Fort Worth each spring with a celebration of fine arts and crafts, music, film and food stretching from the Tarrant County Courthouse to the Fort Worth Convention Center. More than 200 juried artists and fine crafts exhibitors will line brick-paved Main Street, joined by musicians and dancers on three stages. Performance artists and food and drink vendors complete the scene, and Fort Worth’s signature skyline blending turn-of-the-century buildings and modern skyscrapers frames it all. Admission is free.

Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. For information on parking and transportation, visit www.MainStreetArtsFest.org or www.fortworthparking.com.

MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival celebrates its 24th year in 2009 and is presented by Coors Light. Official Sponsors for 2009 are American Airlines, Chase, Sundance Square, Target, and XTO Energy. Media Sponsors include CBS 11/TXA 21, D Magazine and theStar-Telegram as well as radio stations WRR 101.1, Mix 102.9, 102.1 The Edge, 106.1 KISS FM, 95.9 FM The Ranch, Country Legends 92.1, and Lone Star 92.5. Supporting Sponsors include Coca-Cola Bottling Company of North Texas, Dallas/Fort Worth Professional Musicians Association, Fort Worth Transportation Authority, Green Mountain Energy, and the University of Texas at Arlington.

The festival is produced by Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc. (DFWII), a 501 (c) 3 organization formed in 1988 to complement the work of Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. and the Public Improvement District by providing a funding pathway for charitable, educational and public-purpose activities, such as community festivals, residential development and park management. DFWII produces MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival and the Chesapeake Energy Parade of Lights, which includes lighting ceremonies for the city’s Christmas tree. These events have an economic impact of more than $19 million annually and attract more than 500,000 visitors to downtown Fort Worth each year, all building to a sterling celebration of 25 years on MAIN ST. in 2010.

# # #

Fort Worth, Texas—Native son Jimmie Vaughan headlines this year’s MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival Music on MAIN schedule, a concert line-up that surveys musical tastes worldwide and brings the best to Main Street, Fort Worth April 16-19.

The biggest names in Texas R&B, blues, jazz, Latin rock–even traditional African instrumentals–meet in Music on MAIN, and the schedule mixes it up, blending different musical styles on every stage.

“The entertainment committee is ecstatic about the line-up we have in store. MAIN ST. entertainment represents more than six months’ collaboration to make art audible through the sounds of music,” Dr. Marie Holliday, Entertainment Committee chair for festival producer Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc., said. “Join us from morning to night, and we’ll entertain all your senses. Believe me–you will ‘get it when you get here’.”

MAIN ST. jams with live music on three stages starting at noon daily during the festival, and an eager public can follow the full concert line-up, including local bands and festival favorites, at www.MainStreetArtsFest.org.

R&B AND BLUES
Music is a family affair for featured performers like Vaughan and singer Shemekia Copeland, daughter of blues legend Johnny Copeland. These two greats give R&B and the blues center stage in this year’s Music on MAIN schedule.

ROCK
Catch the American roots rock sound of the BoDeans.

JAZZ
Jazz holds sway on the Sundance Square stage with performances by George Duke,Najee and Lizz Wright.

LATIN & TEJANO
Catch the Latin rock sound of Austin’s Del Castillo or hometown favorites Latin Express at this year’s show.

AFRICAN
There are many great guitar players on the concert calendar, but none is quite equal toMamadou Diabate on the kora. The kora is a 21-string West African instrument that must be heard to be believed, and the Music on MAIN schedule offers three chances to discover this extraordinary instrument and the musician who plays it.

SONIC SCULPTURE
The sonic sculpture of Mass Ensemble makes beautiful music and is a wonder to behold. Eleven appearances across the Music on MAIN schedule make Mass Ensemble’s a don’t-miss performance.

MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival (MAIN ST.), downtown’s main event presented by Coors Light and produced by Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc., will hit the streets April 16-19 as one of the top three art shows nationwide and the region’s biggest spring entertainment showcase.

MAIN ST. packs downtown Fort Worth each spring with a celebration of fine arts and crafts, music, film and food stretching from the Tarrant County Courthouse to the Fort Worth Convention Center.

More than 200 juried artists and fine crafts exhibitors will line red brick-paved Main Street, joined by musicians and dancers on three stages. Performance artists and food and drink vendors complete the scene, and Fort Worth’s signature skyline blending turn-of-the-century buildings and modern skyscrapers frames this regional favorite. Admission is free.

In addition to fine art and great music, the 2009 show features an expanded emphasis on environmental awareness, thanks to a partnership between MAIN ST. and the green team at The University of Texas at Arlington, and the third annual Fearless Film Festival (a.k.a. 3F3) of fabulous film shorts.

Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. For information on parking and transportation, visit www.MainStreetArtsFest.org or www.fortworthparking.com.

For information on event sponsorship, contact producer Jay Downie at 817-336-ARTS, ext. 21.

ABOUT US
MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival celebrates its 24th year in 2009 and is presented by Coors Light. Official Sponsors for 2009 are American Airlines, Chase, Sundance Square, Target, Texas Lincoln Mercury Dealers, and XTO Energy. Media Sponsors include CBS 11/TXA 21, D Magazine and the Star-Telegram as well as radio stations WRR 101.1, Mix 102.9, 102.1 The Edge, 106.1 KISS FM, 95.9 FM The Ranch, Country Legends 92.1, and Lone Star 92.5. Supporting Sponsors include Coca-Cola Bottling Company of North Texas, Dallas/Fort Worth Professional Musicians Association, Fort Worth Transportation Authority, Green Mountain Energy, and The University of Texas at Arlington.

The festival is produced by Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc., a 501 (c) 3 organization formed in 1988 to complement the work of Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. and the Public Improvement District by providing a funding pathway for charitable, educational and public-purpose activities, such as community festivals, residential development and park management. Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc. produces MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival and the Chesapeake Energy Parade of Lights, which includes lighting ceremonies for the city’s Christmas tree. These events have an economic impact of more than $19 million annually and attract more than 500,000 visitors to downtown Fort Worth each year, all building to a sterling celebration of 25 years on MAIN ST. in 2010.