Downtown Whitewater to host festival of all things artsy
The 2nd Annual Whitewater Main St. Festival will be held on Saturday, Sept. 12 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in downtown Whitewater. A celebration of the arts, it will be an immersion of all forms of art for festivalgoers. A two-block area of Main Street will be closed off for the Festival. Retail stores will have special sales and restaurants will have food available. The festival is organized together by Downtown Whitewater, Whitewater Arts Alliance, Whitewater Chamber and Studio 84.
New this year there will be an art scavenger hunt that will be free to all, sponsored by the Whitewater Arts Alliance and Studio 84. People will have a guide with clues to where the pieces of a painting are hidden either in stores or on the streets.
“Once you find all the pieces to the art you are invited to bring them to Studio 84 to collage them together with imaginative embellishments. You can then take them home or hang them up for display and pick them up at the end of the festival or the following week,” Deborah Blackwell, Studio 84 and festival committee member said.
There will be a relay race to watch with teams of three artists and/or artist “wannabees.” Teams will be given one hour to collaborate on a painting. The interesting part, according to Blackwell, is teams must draw out of a can the items they will be required to put into their painting. With imagery unknown until drawn, they must then use their creative skills to create a harmonious painting. Team members will have approximately 20 minutes to complete their portion. Paintings will be up for raffle once completed. Winners of the raffle need not be present to win. This is free for anyone interested in entering a team. Relay begins at noon, preregister your team to be guaranteed a canvas.
Street Painting is sponsored by Nasco Art Supplies and mayor approved, Blackwell said.
“For $3 you can purchase a 3×3 square and for $5 you get a 5×5 square of street space along with paints and brushes to paint away with your imagination. Imagery will be available for those who need some ideas,” she said.
Another creative immersion will be edible sculptures, sponsored by W3 WellHawks in which visitors will learn to make sculptures out of vegetables and then enjoy munching on it when completed.
Several local galleries will have exhibits open during the festival. The Whitewater Arts Alliance, Crossman Gallery, First Citizens State Bank, The Sweet Spot and Studio 84 will bring the gallery experience to the Festival. Maps will be available with locations of each gallery and all are within walking distance.
“On your walk to the galleries you can enjoy checking out the lamppost extravaganza at the Cultural Arts Center, which is a public art project brought to you by the Arts Alliance and Tomorrow’s Hope of Jefferson County,” Blackwell said.
Artists created art that wraps around the lampposts with a portion of the entry fees going to local families who are going through life limiting illness. On the side of Studio 84 visitors can view the famous Prairie Tiller Mural and several works of art that replace the boarded up windows of the studio on the back side of the building.
UW-Whitewater’s Student Art Association will have face painting available ranging from $1 for a small image up to $5 for a full-face image. There will be a community chalkboard for people to express their response to a question that will be revealed at the festival.
Blackwell said people should, “Come for the day and enjoy the Farmer’s Market located at True Value Hardware from 8 a.m. to noon, then come enjoy immersion into the arts from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Watch for some plein air painters and see artists in action.”
Applications for art and craft booths are still being accepted. ($35 for a 10×10 space) Sign up to be a plein air painter (free) or sign up your team of three for the relay race.
“No matter how you immerse yourself in the arts with participating, looking, buying or listening, it will be an enjoyable event for all. Be sure to stop in at the information tent to get your raffle tickets, purchase a street square and pick up the clues for the scavenger hunt,” Blackwell said.
For more information and the appropriate forms needed visit wwmsfestival.blogspot.com, email wwmsfestival@gmail.com or call (262) 473-9845. Forms can also be picked up at the Whitewater Tourism office, 150 W. Main St. or Studio 84, 121 W. Center St., both in Whitewater.
