Optimism is building that Commerce’s inaugural Folk to Fine Arts Festival and Expo this week will draw a sizable crowd.
The event takes place Friday through Sunday in the Commerce Civic Center. Organizers expect to have 30-35 artists on hand Friday evening (and some of them throughout the weekend), and more than 50 artists will be represented in some 20 booths.
“It was in the Atlanta Journal Constitution over the weekend and on the front page of the Athens Banner-Herald today,” reported Denise McKay, director of the Downtown Development Authority, which, with a host of volunteers, is putting on the event. “I’ve had several calls today asking for directions and sold a couple of tickets to the reception, so it looks like we’re going to have a good turnout.”
The event starts Friday at 5:00. Admission Friday is $15, but that includes a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. and re-admission anytime on Saturday or Sunday. Hours will be 10-6 on Saturday and 10-5 on Sunday.
Tickets for those days will cost $7, with children under 10 getting in free.
“We’re just excited to have it,” said McKay, who with Our Town Antiques owner Claudine Smith, came up with the idea following a weekend at Folk Fest in Atlanta. “It looks like it’s going to be a good turnout. We just want our artists to do well.”
McKay said she’s heard from a couple of art guilds that are “curious” about what the show will entail.
“There’s a group coming from Greenville. They just want to see what we’re offering,” she said.
McKay noted that people may not be surprised by the number of folk artists in the area, but she thinks they’ll be shocked at the number of fine artists.
“The number of fine artists we have within the community alone is just amazing,” she said. “We’re so excited they’re coming to represent us there. I didn’t realize we had so much fine art because we don’t see it in the stores. I think people will be very much impressed by what they have to offer.”
Some of the artists will have items for display only, but most artists will also offer work for sale. Classes will also be offered. See www.Folk-finearts.com for a schedule.
Commerce resident Mark Braught, one of the original Harry Potter illustrators, will be there all weekend. Potter Clint Aldermon will do a turning demonstration Saturday at noon. A vendor will be on hand selling refreshments all three days.
The organizers marketed the event through a combination of press releases, post cards, print ads, TV commercials and radio spots, not just locally, but also in the Greenville-Spartanburg, Savannah, Charlotte and Atlanta cable TV markets — in addition to the website and a Facebook page.
Corporate sponsors include MainStreet Newspapers, Jackson EMC, Huber Engineered Woods, CMC Consulting, the city of Commerce (through the DDA, its Mainstreet program and its civic center), Hill Medical Group and Sanders Furniture.
Meanwhile, construction of the walls for the booths is winding down. McKay noted that Huber Engineered Woods donated the materials to make the walls, but the group had to buy additional wood “because we underestimated the amount we’d need.”
Howard and Knox Smith, Mark McCannon and 'Punkin' Kesler led a group of volunteers in building the booths and erecting the walls.
“The walls are up, and they look good,” McKay confirmed. “It should be a really good weekend.”
