By Dawn Pearson
What is art?
Art is subjective and objective, personal, political, transformative, debatable, definitive, offensive, lovable, physical, vocal and visual; it’s many different things to most people, but no matter what the form or what the critics say art colors our culture and society.
It has also documented the history of mankind since the cavemen picked up a pencil leaving their pictographs behind on walls for the world to discover. Who knows, they could have just been decorating their living rooms, but art paints who we are through the human experience.
All arts will collide and surround Carmel this weekend during the 17th annual Carmel International Arts Festival. The festival will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 27 and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sept. 28.
The fair, located in the Carmel Arts and Design Center at Range Line Road and Main Street, has grown considerable from the first year in Carmel City Square (where the old Kroger store was).
Organizers and Carmelites will celebrate all art forms from more than 130-juried artists that will exhibit paintings, sculptures, dances, music, glass, pottery, jewelry, and photography in both 2D and 3D forms that any art lover will appreciate.
Best of all it is a free event according to Lynda Pitz, CIAF’s publicity chair.
“Admission is free as always and last year we had a record-breaking crowd over two days of 30,000 visitors,” Pitz said. “Both days we have booked wonderful entertainment too.”
Dabs of paint will not be the only media on the pallet either. Along with the art of the Renaissance-era and the visual arts, taste buds will dance and sing from the food and drink tickling the pallet with flavors from around the world and right here from Carmel.
Along with tempting food vendors, festival-goers can sample the Arts and Design District’s restaurants and visit all the local shops, which has been elevated and marketed this year.
“A very different choice this year which is really important, is that we limited the number of food trucks and vendors this year, and we did that to promote the restaurants in Carmel,” Pitz said. “We have such different flavors right in Carmel so the restaurants can offer guests their special fair, provided they are current on their food permits and in compliance with all board of health regulations.”
And this festival is entitled to use “international” in its name, as the cuisine is worldly.
“There will be food from all over the world, Asian, Greek, African, Italian, you name it,” Pitz said. “When I first brought my girls here we had Greek, Chinese and African food, they did origami, they watched Japanese dancers…it’s a great family event.”
More than 200 artists from Georgia, Wisconsin and right here in Indiana entered to be able to display their goods for only 130 spots in the juried festival.
“This is a juried art process for the artists,” Pitz said. “Artists send in photos of their art, and then a professional panel decides who gets in and wins.”
There are multiple monetary awards along with the Art in Person Award, the first, second and third Mayor’s Awards, the Best of a Particle Media Award, as well as honorable mentions.
For the young and old
Another exiting new feature, Pitz said, is the younger and older generations interacting.
“Carmel’s new resident Hoosier Salon will be show casing high school artists from Carmel and University high schools,” Pitz said. “We have returning favorites on music through Rob Dixon. He has developed and sponsored Indy Jazz Futures. They are kids, who are jazz musicians and are wonderful, performing twice on Sunday on West Stage.”
The Indy Jazz Futures will also be performing Saturday evening at Matt the Miller’s for the after-party.
As in typical CIAF fashion, there will be many art projects available for children to enjoy.
“Simply Sweet Shoppe upstairs will have the Art Studio. They are sponsoring “Young at Art,” art activities, including Hamsa Hands, stylized by children, where they draw their hands add an amulet, (protective eye) at the bottom,” Pitz said. “The children draw and color on them, and they are used in Judaism, Islam and Christianity.”
Different from other festivals
“This is a very walkable festival and parking is also free in the neighborhoods, and at the high school with free shuttles,” Pitz said. “It’s just a comfortable festival. I hear all the time that you can walk it, then sit and rest, with music on two stages and there are beautiful areas. It’s just lovely to attend.”
For more details, and a look at last year’s winners, contest deadlines and to view interviews with the artists visit http://www.carmelartsfestival.org/.
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