Live Art at Artsfest on May 4-5

New this year, Live Art at Artsfest on Historic Walnut Street will feature several varieties of live art happening!

Street Art Murals

Large paintings will be created throughout the weekend on the Lemondrop wall which will zig-zag through Walnut Street, just west of the Walnut Street-Hammons Parkway intersection. Watch featured artists including Gary Bedell of Hot Dog Tree, Scott Sauer of Squidfoo, Houston Hands from the Warehouse, Meganne Rosen O’Neal and Richelle Davidson from LemonDrop, Nicholas Tarr, Cameron Thomas, Grace “LaFace” Statwick, and Debbie Madden create a work-of-art right before your eyes.

Innovative Print-Making

Julie Taylor Jones and Kate Baird from Placeworks Arts Outreach will offer innovative hands-on print-making for all ages. Try your hand at making prints using unusual tools such as foam pool noodles and Q-tips.

Packing Tape Sculptures

On site packing-tape sculptures will be created by local art teachers from the Missouri Art Educators Association and students from Central High School’s IB art department. Help wrap a friend in tape, or be wrapped to create a figurative sculpture or a fantasy interpretation.

Yarn-Bombing

Yarn Bombers from the ideaXfactory will be at Artsfest on Sunday from 2-4 p.m. This street-art group has yarn-bombed the Springfield Art Museum, the Tumbler sculpture on Park Central Square, a “Giving Meter” for downtown Springfield, and a KOLR news reporter. What will they yarn bomb at Artsfest? Show up and see!

Visiting Artists from Mexico

Our sister city in Tlaquepaque, Mexico is sending several artists to exhibit and demonstrate wood-carving, clay-modeling, and fabric art at Artsfest. Tlaquepaque has long been known for its unique history of craft since before the 1940’s, so it will be a treat to see how they incorporate their cultural heritage into contemporary artistic styles.

And more…

These features will add to the vibrant atmosphere of 140 juried artists who sell paintings, ceramics, glass, jewelry and other unique handmade items in tents, transforming Walnut Street into three-block outdoor art gallery. Artsfest will also have five open-air stages featuring dance, music, comedy, and other performance art. Food venders will be there to serve bagels, quiche, wood-fired pizza, ice cream and more.