The Riverfront Art Festival - September 18-20

-from Jay Snyder

 

 

The Riverfront Art Festival is one of the last festivals in the Columbus festival season, but certainly not the least. Since its debut in 2006 (when it was in Goodale Park) the show doubled the number of artists, grown to three days, and developed to include a full schedule of entertainment featuring incredible offerings in jazz, blues, folk, world music, and even Opera -this year Opera Columbus performs excerpts from Puccini's "La Boheme" in English on Saturday night. Nearly 150 artists in every medium from fine oil paintings and sculpture to affordable functional pottery and wearable art are on hand to sell and explain their work. This year the festival will be held September 18-20. Admission is free. 

Nearly 150 artists will exhibit this year, featuring everything from contemporary oil paintings and sculpture to functional pottery and wearable items. “The great thing about anything you take home from the festival is that it is handmade and one of a kind, and really expresses who you are. Plus, having met the artist who created it, you develop a real understanding of where it came from, in a way you never otherwise could - even in a gallery setting,” says Snyder.

The free admission festival also features a full entertainment schedule. Friday features an evening of jazz from Shaun Booker and Sabrina Tutstone. On Saturday, Opera Columbus performs with WaterFire for its final burn of 2009. The amphitheater will also feature local and regional musical acts throughout the weekend, and COSI will be at the festival offering a scientific view of creativity for the kids.

The Riverfront Art Festival will open September 18, 2009 from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m.; It reopens Saturday, September 19 from 12:00 to 10:00 p.m.; and Sunday, September 20 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  For more directions, artist list, and musical schedule log on to  HYPERLINK "http://www.riverfrontartfestival.com" www.riverfrontartfestival.com