Inaugural Booker Creek Arts Festival to bring 122 artworks to 35 venues to EDGE District this weekend
/The inaugural Booker Creek Arts Festival runs this Thursday through Sunday in the EDGE District of downtown St. Pete | VSPC
Beginning this Thursday, visitors to the EDGE District of downtown St. Pete will find original artwork in some unexpected places, including a tattoo shop, a thrift store, and even the St. Petersburg Police Department.
The first Booker Creek Arts Festival kicks off tomorrow and runs through Sunday, with 122 juried works by Florida artists on display at 35 venues across the EDGE District.
Unlike traditional art festivals, there won't be rows of tents or streets closed to traffic. Instead, visitors will explore the neighborhood on foot, stopping inside local businesses to view artwork, vote for their favorite pieces, and purchase original works.
The free, four-day festival spans the EDGE District, which runs along Central Avenue from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street (9th Street) to 16th Street, and from 1st Avenue North to 1st Avenue South.
Participating locations include Classic Tattoos, TeBella Tea Company, Sans Market, Intermezzo Coffee & Cocktails, CASA Thrift, Ashe Couture, Matter of Fact, COPA, Full Court Classics, the St. Petersburg Police Department, and more.
“The whole idea of this is to promote art and business, and to show how art really is an economic driver for businesses,” said Leslie Curran, festival committee chair, in a conversation with St. Pete Rising.
Curran, who owns ARTicles Art Gallery on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street North, has been involved with the EDGE District for nearly three decades, dating back to when it was known as the Dome District.
A map of all the participating venues at this year’s Booker Creek Arts Festival in the EDGE District | Booker Creek Arts Festival
The idea for Booker Creek Arts Festival came after Curran attended ArtFields, an annual arts competition in Lake City, South Carolina, where artwork is displayed throughout local businesses.
Last year, Curran and fellow EDGE District board member Debbie Reeser traveled to Lake City to meet with the organizers and learn how the event was put together. They returned to St. Pete convinced that a similar festival could work in the EDGE District.
For Curran, the benefit goes beyond showcasing local artists. She hopes visitors will discover businesses they might otherwise walk past.
“Maybe they'll go in to see the art, and had never been in the business before, and hopefully buy something while they're in there,” Curran said.
Each participating business will display artwork selected specifically for its space. Visitors can purchase the pieces on display, with the hosting business receiving 20% of the sale price.
Artists from across Florida submitted works for consideration, with a five-person jury of arts professionals reviewing submissions without knowing the artists' identities. Each selected artist will have one piece displayed during the festival.
The artists will compete for cash prizes, including a $10,000 Best in Show award, a $7,500 Award of Excellence, and ten $1,500 Merit Awards.
Visitors will also have a say in the competition. Festivalgoers can vote for their favorite pieces by text message while visiting participating venues. The two artists receiving the most votes will each receive a $2,500 People's Choice Award.
Voting closes Saturday, November 14th, at 8 p.m., with the winners announced Sunday at noon at Green Bench Brewing.
The Booker Creek Arts Festival planning committee | Booker Creek Arts Festival
Beyond the artwork displayed inside businesses, the festival will include live mural painting, glassblowing demonstrations, music, and interactive art activities for children and adults.
Local artist Carrie Jadus will paint a Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation mural at Green Bench Brewing throughout the first three days of the festival.
On Friday from 5 to 6:30 p.m., the Arts Conservatory for Teens (ACT) will perform a free variety show on Ferg’s indoor stage.
On Saturday, Duncan McClellan’s DMG School Project will host glass blowing demonstrations from noon to 4 p.m. outside 1201 Central Avenue, across from Bodega.
Saturday's activities will also include an interactive NOMAD Art Bus, a mural painting competition near Intermezzo, and Chad Mize's Go with the Flow art show at Green Bench Brewing from 6 to 10 p.m.
Each evening from Thursday through Saturday, St. Pete-based 3D printing company HADDY will present An Evening Illuminated, an outdoor illuminated art display at 1301 Central Avenue. The show begins at 7 p.m. and can be viewed from Ferg's Sports Bar & Grill.
The festival takes its name from Booker Creek, the historic waterway that winds through downtown St. Petersburg. The creek played an important role in the city's early development, including the construction of the Orange Belt Railway in the 1880s.
For its inaugural year, the festival limited submissions to Florida-based artists creating works that could be displayed on walls. Curran said future festivals could expand to include artists from outside Florida and additional mediums, such as ceramics, glass, and jewelry.
For now, she hopes the unusual format will encourage people to experience the EDGE District differently.
“You can go in a coffee shop, a dress shop, a bar, go get a tattoo, and check out the art,” Curran said.
The Booker Creek Arts Festival runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, although individual venue hours may vary and some evening activities will continue beyond those hours.
Admission is free. Visitors can find the full event schedule, participating artists, and a map of festival venues at BookerCreekArts.com.
