The Carmel International Arts Festival will follow a new path, literally, for its 21st year.
“We’ve changed the footprint of the festival. Some of the booths that were to the west end of Main Street have been moved in front of the Indiana Design Center on Range Line Road,” CIAF Executive Director Dawn Fraley said. “We are incorporating more activities inside the Design Center. We’re pretty excited about it. We’ve got two floors in there. The second floor we have the Microsoft digital art experience, where they are going to be experimenting with tablets and art. It’s a Minecraft art project. It’s for all ages, but I think it would appeal mostly to kids.”
The festival, presented by Current Publishing this year, is set from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 22 and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 23. In the past, the festival’s final day started an hour earlier, but Fraley said the opening hour on Sunday was sparsely attended.
Fraley said the Design Center wanted to have a larger role in the festival.
“It’s a great space, and we’re excited to be able to utilize it,” Fraley said.
On the Design Center’s main floor, there will be a display by Herron School of Art and Design’s Emerging Artists. The artwork will only be on display, not for sale.
“It’s to give them an idea what it’s like to have an art show, and hopefully they’ll get a chance to talk to the artists about what it’s like to have an art show,” Fraley said.
In front of the Design Center, the Andretti Autosport IndyCar will be on display. The Young@Art project, sponsored by Primrose Schools, ties into Andretti Autosport’s Military to Motorsports program by creating art to send to military members along with thank you notes.
“There are three different art projects that young artists (ages 2-12) can choose from to make for the military,” Fraley said. “AARP is sponsoring the art supplies.”
In addition, Guerin Catholic High School students have designed and will be painting live a mural in the lower level of the Design Center parking garage. The main entertainment stage has moved as well. It will be situated in front of PNC Bank on the north end of Range Line Road facing south.
Other festival features include a high school curated art show at Hoosier Salon with students’ artwork selected from Carmel High School and University High School students. Six scholarships will be awarded to winning artists.
CHS students will have community paint-by-number canvases for festival visitors to put their mark on the project.
New booths include Herron School of Art and Design, Carmel Education Foundation and Carmel Clay Public Library Digital Media Lab, Fraley said.
Fraley previously was CIAF president for three years before the new role of executive director was created. Rosemary Waters is serving as interim president.
Art Rocks! returns
For the second consecutive year, Art Rocks! will be held with The Wright Brothers performing from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Sept. 22.
Organizers decided to hold the street party last year as part of the festival’s 20th anniversary. At that time, the plan was to only do it for one year.
“It was a huge hit,” Fraley said. “I was super thrilled on the way it was received last year.”
The Bishops performed last year.
“We’ll be doing rock covers,” Tim Wright said. “We’ll do some Eagles, Bachman Turner Overdrive and we might even throw in an Aerosmith song.”
Former regular band member Frank Bradford, a lead guitarist and vocalist, will be joining the Wright Brothers.
“He does shows with us once in awhile,” Wright said. “This is one we’ve asked him to do with us because he’s a good rocker.”
Lions Club joins as food vendor
The Carmel Lions Club will join the festival as a food vendor for the first time this year. It will serve German brats, German chicken and soft pretzels.
Urick Concessions will bring its Indiana State Fair favorite, Deep Fried Wick’s Sugar Cream Pie, a new item for the festival.
Fauvergue’s Italian Ice will feature Arctic Shake-Up, a shake-up with Italian Ice.
By the numbers
The number of artists will increase from 135 to 150 this year.
The artists, from 17 states, have collectively traveled more than 113,000 miles to the festival.
More than $6,000 in cash prizes will go to selected artists, including through a Best of Show award, Mayor’s Choice award and prizes handed out in specific media categories. The list of categories include 2-D art, 3-D functional art, ceramics, fiber, glass, jewelry, painting, photography, watercolor and wood.
For more, including a list of artists, visit carmelartsfestival.org.
CIAF 2018 ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULE
RANGE LINE STAGE
SEPT. 22
- 9:55 a.m. – National anthem (Georgia Ferry, Carmel High School)
- 10 to 10:30 a.m. – ICCCI Chinese Dragon
- 11a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Airstream Betty
- 1 to 2:30 p.m. – An Innocent Band
- 3 to 3:45 p.m. – Indiana Ballet Co.
- 4:15 to 6:15 p.m. – Dwight Lightning and the Conch City All-Stars
- 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. – ART ROCKS II! The Wright Brothers live in concert
WEST STAGE
SEPT. 22
- 9:55 a.m. – National anthem
- 10 to 10:45 a.m. Jan Aldridge Clark w/ Michael Beck
- 11 to 11:45 a.m. Fred Astaire Dance Studio – Dance Lesson
- 12 to 12:45 p.m. Mike Kessler w/ Michael Beck
- 1 to 1:45 p.m. Fred Astaire Dance Studio – Dance Lesson
- 2 to 2:45 p.m. Actor’s Theatre of Indiana
- 3 to 3:45 p.m. School of Rock
- 4 to 4:45 p.m. Ballet Theatre of Carmel
- 5 to 5:45 p.m. Fred Astaire Dance Studio – Dance Lesson
RANGE LINE STAGE
SEPT. 23
- 10:55 a.m. – National anthem (Georgia Ferry, Carmel High School)
- 11 to 11:45 a.m. – Minyo Dancers
- 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. – Phone Club
- 1:45 to 3 p.m. – Kenny Phelps
- 3:15 to 4:30 p.m. – Tim Wright
WEST STAGE
SEPT. 22
- 9:55 a.m. – National anthem
- 10 to 10:45 a.m. Patrick Wright
- 11 to 11:45 a.m. Fred Astaire Dance Studio – Dance Lesson
- 12 to 12:45 p.m. The Maple Trio
- 1 to 1:45 p.m. Fred Astaire Dance Studio – Dance Lesson
- 2 to 2:45 p.m. White River Celtica
- 3 to 3:45 p.m. Ted Yoder
- 4 to 4:45 p.m. Fred Astaire Dance Studio – Dance Lesson
* Times and acts subject to change