It’s going to be a weekend full of immersive, creative fun. In addition to the Art Seen Festival June 3-4, the Midland Center for the Arts is also hosting their annual
Summer Art Fair. The free outdoor event downtown features over 100 artist vendors, emerging artist setups, kids activities, live music, food trucks, and more.
Beth Thomas, art education coordinator at the Midland Center for the Arts, says the event is part of an exciting lineup of arts-centered events happening locally.
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The Summer Art Fair runs Saturday-Sunday, June 3-4 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“We’re working very hard with the Arts Seen Festival, a mural festival, and we’re also working closely with Creative 360, who’s going to have their Arts Speaks Festival about screenplays that weekend,” she says. “This is a celebration of all of the art that takes place here in Midland and the wonderful things people are doing in our community.”
The fair has happened in some capacity for over 50 years, but this year, there is a new element that’s particularly exciting for Thomas. “One of the things we’re doing this year is creating an emerging artist program,” she says. “A lot of these artists are people who have never been in an art fair or are just starting to show some of their art at local galleries and coffee shops.”
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"I think it’s going to be one of our best Summer Art Fairs yet.”
Sponsored booths provide six emerging artists a free opportunity to exhibit their creations, in addition to over 100+ vendors from all over the country. The goal is to celebrate local artists, while raising funds for future programming, galleries, studios, and upcoming building enhancements.
“It’s really exciting to see local art being championed, and young artists kind of finding their place in the world. We have a lot of really fabulous local artwork in the area that will be present at the fair,” Thomas says.
The event’s mainstage will also feature live music from The Resonators, and performances from Creative 360. Kids will also be invited to participate in hands-on activities, in partnership with the library.
“The Grace A. Dow Library has joined us downtown, so we’re having both of our events adjacent to one another. We’ve been collaborating with each other for the past six months working on this,” Thomas says. “They are hosting their
Summer Reading Kickoff in front of the Midland Courthouse at the same time. They’re going to have bouncy houses, storytimes, crafts, and food.”
Thomas says the weekend will be a very busy one for Midland, with multiple art events, and a marathon too. “You can hit all of those things in one weekend, and have an art-filled weekend for your family that will be a really wonderful experience of local culture,” she says.
“We noticed that whenever we tried to host these events apart, we were all so staggered across the city. Coming together, we created a stronger base and something that’s broader and more full for the community to experience. I think it’s going to be one of our best Summer Art Fairs yet.”
The Summer Art Fair runs from Saturday-Sunday, June 3-4 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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