The Dublin Arts Council will be hosting the third annual Art and Music Festival Sept. 30 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., a free event featuring local artists and musicians.
Jennifer Ralph, representative for the Dublin Arts Council, said the festival will be different from last year because there will be more regional artists represented.
“Thirty-eight of the 50 artists are from central Ohio,” Ralph said. “Their mediums include pastels, watercolors, jewelry, sculpture, woodwork and ceramics.”
The festival will also include works of professional and amateur artists from Columbus.
Professional artist Kevin Willis’ black and white photography will be on display, as well as the jewelry of Hillary Burns, the sculptures of Denise Novak and the enamel work of Bruce Goodman.
Budding amateur artists will be featured in a juried gallery exhibit entitled “Emerging”. Dublin students from kindergarten through 12th grade submitted artwork, and from these submissions a jury chose pieces to exhibit. “Emerging” gives the students the opportunity to experience the process of becoming a professional artist, and gives festivalgoers the chance to witness and even purchase the art of the next generations potential Picassos.
Two stages will provide a wide variety of live musical entertainment. Latin jazz group Minan Dya, funk band Fenster, blues band Colin Dussault, and Atlanta-based rockabilly and roots group Cigar Store Indians will be playing on the main stage.
On the community stage local musicians from the Dublin Chamber Music Society, the Scioto Valley Chorus and the Dublin Singers will perform, as well as a performance by the progressive community theater group, Emerald City Players.
The Columbus Zoo will also be featured on the community stage at 2 p.m., as part of the focus on reptiles at the festival.
Ralph said the festival will explore how reptiles have been portrayed in art throughout the ages and educate the public on the importance of reptiles in the ecosystem. Not only will children be able to see real-life reptiles at the Columbus Zoo presentation, they will also be invited to contribute their own artistic flair to a 30-foot paper mache snake.
While enjoying artwork, one can feast on a wide assortment of foods. Grinders will offer a variety of sandwiches, and a Mediterranean tent will feature gyros and other exotic fare. In addition, hot dogs, cheese steaks and French fries, the perfect fair food, will be served, and to top it all off, Maggie Moo’s ice cream for dessert.
Ralph said that although some of the art is expensive, the festival will feature many affordable, unique items perfect for smaller budgets and early Christmas shopping.
Set in Historic Dublin, the festival promises to provide lots of good old-fashioned entertainment.
“It will be a really fun, free day,” Ralph said. ” It’s a great opportunity to hang out and enjoy art.”
