For Immediate Release:
Grand Junction, CO
Downtown Grand Junction is getting ready for one of the most event-packed Saturdays in its existence and is looking forward to showing off local talent, installing new artwork, and partnering with other organizations to make a memorable weekend Downtown for the whole community.
The 2nd Annual Downtown Art Festival, Friday, October 6 and Saturday, October 7, is rapidly becoming one of the most community-involved events in the Grand Valley. With over 30 downtown businesses hosting local artists and their work, this festival is a true showcase of the talent in Grand Junction.
Various disciplines, such as sculpture, ceramics, embroidery, watercolor, ink, balloon art, oil painting, acrylic, weaving, and many other mediums will be represented at the festival.
In addition to the large amount of in-business exhibits, Caitlyn Love, Event Coordinator for the Business Improvement District, wanted to see a larger emphasis on classes and demonstrations taught by local artists. “Any time there is an opportunity to include interactive pieces in a festival, it creates an experience for attendees, and we like to foster experiences downtown.”
With nearly 10 classes and demonstrations occurring in the Downtown district on Friday and Saturday, Love and Downtown Grand Junction are certainly looking forward to fostering experiences for festival goers.
Another new element to the festival is the large emphasis on mural paintings. The City of Grand Junction Art & Culture Commission is hosting “Car Park aRT”, a large mural installation on the south side of the Downtown parking garage featuring 7 murals from local artists.
437CO, commonly known as the Colorado Mesa University Art Gallery, located on 437 Colorado Ave, will be participating with their always-fascinating First Friday installation, but will also be presenting a display of advanced student work as well. Meghan Bissonnette, Assistant Professor of Art History at CMU stated, “a lot of people in the community don’t get to see what our students do until their graduating exhibition, and this is a great opportunity to show off their work before that happens.”
As if Downtown Grand Junction wasn’t adding enough to this years’ festival, the Business Improvement District has included outdoor pianos in the festival, generously donated by the Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra. One can find these pianos downtown for this weekend only in the 500 and 600 block breezeways, as well as in front of Old Friends Trading Company. Pianos were previously played on Main Street in 2013 for the Downtown Art and Jazz Festival.
Live music will also be a part of the festival, located at the Buffalo at 4th and Main both Friday and Saturday. Wooden Nickel takes the stage Friday night from 5-7pm, and Saturday is composed of three acts – The Navigators (11a-1p), Wave 11 (1:30-3:30p) and Five 14 (4-6p).
For information on exhibits, classes, and demonstrations, please visit downtowngj.org for a full list of all activities.
The Grand Junction Art on the Corner (AOTC) Program received 48 submissions for the 2017-2018 33rd annual AOTC Temporary Exhibit. Of those submissions, 13 pieces were selected and will be installed Saturday morning beginning at 7am. The pieces were curated by Avery Glassman, Programs and Exhibitions Curator, from the Western Colorado Center for the Arts. This temporary exhibit will be displayed for one year in Downtown Grand Junction.
Also occurring on Saturday is the Community Streets Event, hosted by the City of Grand Junction Urban Trails Committee and Healthy Mesa County. This large-scale event will take place on 10th Street from North Avenue to Main Street and on Main Street from 7th to 10th Street. This event is held from 11am-3pm and is an event for all ages in the community to ride, walk, run, unicycle or skate down. In its first year, this event packs in food trucks, bike rodeo, family activities, treats, and more!
FACTORY Coworking is also joining the fun on Saturday with a block party in the 700 block of Main. Take a tour of their space and plan on eating lunch at one of their food trucks. FACTORY’s event is held from 11a-3p.
Last but certainly not least, is the long awaited Mesa County Libraries Comic Con, held at Two Rivers Convention Center from 9am-5pm, Saturday 10/7. Comic Con promises a day full of costume contests, cosplay, presenters, panel discussions, fandom meetups, an expo hall, and kids activities. This is an event that should not be missed. For more information, visit mesacountylibraries.org.