By SARAH GOODRICH
Times West Virginian
FAIRMONT, W.Va. — Local businesses and organizations are in collaboration with the creation of Fairmont Arts Week, a week-long project dedicated to celebrating the local arts.
The idea for Fairmont Arts Week came from the group, 4Fairmont, which Fairmont State University’s Academy for the Arts director Leigh Ann Bolyard, describes as “an offspring from Main Street Fairmont.”
“Their idea was basically to do a city-wide arts week, and so from there we formed a committee to plan in it,” she said.
On the committee sits Bolyard, along with multiple other locals interested in evolving Fairmont’s art scene — Christian Cox, John Provins, Danny DeVito, Melissa May and Liz Urse.
The committee began meeting in April to plan the upcoming arts week, which is full of live performances at Palatine Park and local restaurants, exhibits and a number of activities throughout the week.
The festivities, which begin Friday, Aug. 11, kick off with a variety show from the Arts and Humanities Commission at Wallman Hall on Fairmont State University’s campus. Also included on the first day of the arts weeks will be a performance from the Mark Tucker Band at Palatine Park, and an outdoor concert from Jason Hall at Pricketts Fort Amphitheater.
Throughout the week, community members can expect multiple local businesses to show support for the arts. The Joe N’ Throw will have a performance from Seth Pitt, Robin Quinlivan and Eddie Spaghetti. For those interested in browsing local art, the Melissa May exhibit will be on display at Main Street Yoga, and The Rambling Root will offer a Liz Urse exhibit,.
The youth of the community can explore their interests in local arts with several activities planned, including demonstrations in theaters and dance hosted by Fairmont State University’s Academy for the Arts.
Kids Arts Day, which is open to all ages, will be held at Palatine Park and will feature a multitude of activities, including a supply of paint and brushes to paint rocks for the Marion County West Virginia Rocks organization.
“There will be a ton of free art activities throughout that whole time,” Bolyard said.
The Sip Station, Yum Yum Hoagies, Pyles of Pasta and Colasessano’s will be on site. Mountain Creative and West Fork Pottery will have activities scheduled for participants to get creative. Miss Pockets will be available for face painting, and live entertainment from the Morgantown Strutters will be provided.
Scheduled for the last day of Fairmont Arts Week, Aug. 19, is the Connector Art Fair, which will feature about 25 local artists and artisans throughout Palatine Park.
Live music from Soup Camel, and fire performers will be an attraction during that day, as well.
Bolyard described the goal of Fairmont Arts Week as an opportunity to “show how strong and alive the arts are in Fairmont and in Marion County.”
“We certainly have a ton of very talented artists and local musicians and actors and actresses and my goal, and I think our committee’s goal was to kind of showcase the people of Fairmont and Marion County how much art and arts related things they are here and how many talented people we have right here in our own backyard.”
For the full schedule of events, visit www.facebook.com/fairmontarts.
See more from the Times West Virginian
