This comes from:
Christina Mealey
Artists' Exchange
50 Rolfe Street
Cranston, RI 02910
401.490.9475
the.artists.exchange@gmail.com
www.artists-exchange.org
Cranston, RI The Artists' Exchange proudly presents the first annual Fall Out of Summer (FOOS) Festival on Sunday, September 14, 2008. The event will feature live music, theatre, art activities and contests, food, artisan and activity vendors, a summer camp art show, and a film screening at dusk. The festivities begin at 12pm and will end at approximately 10pm.
The goal of the event is two-fold: to take a long-awaited step toward revitalizing the Rolfe Square community and to raise much needed funds to help The Artists' Exchange continue to offer a lively and enriching calendar of events and classes to the public.
"We're working with several local businesses as vendors and sponsors, and it's shaping up to be a true neighborhood effort. We hope this will be one big step toward revitalizing Rolfe Square, and we aim to grow," says event coordinator Christina Mealey, Operations Manager of The Artists' Exchange.
"There has been some buzz of this event doing for the area what the Harvest Festival once did, which is very exciting," adds Artists' Exchange Director, Elaine McKenna-Yeaw. "We are particularly grateful to Councilman Emilio Navarro, who has shown tremendous dedication to the community in assisting with planning the event." The event will also include a voter registration table, where Councilman Navarro will be stationed, encouraging residents to exercise their right to vote.
Artisans will be showcasing a variety of wares, including jewelry, pottery, glass, paper goods and crafts, prints, scarves, and handcrafted items made from reclaimed materials. Antiques in the Attic on Pontiac Avenue will have an array of unique items for sale. Food vendors will represent many local businesses and will offer a range of choices to fulfill any palate and appetite. Rolfe Street's own Betty's Candies and Scoop du Jour will satisfy any sweet tooth, while DePetrillo's pizza slices, Mexican fare from the Cactus Grille, and burgers and dogs off The Artists' Exchange grill are sure to hit the spot.
The performance line-up will include live music, improv and theatre, including excerpted scenes from The Black Box Theatre's upcoming production of Aristophanes' "The Clouds."
Attendees will be invited to participate in a variety of hands-on activities and art contests, including a Human Art Contest, where participants will be encouraged to use a variety of recycled materials to transform themselves into walking works of art. The event will also feature a Street Art Contest, in which participants will use chalk pastels to create 2D masterpieces. All artworks will be judged by the public. Winning participants of contests will be awarded a free class at The Artists' Exchange.
The Artists' Exchange teachers will be doing a variety of art demos, including pottery wheel throwing, caricatures and painting. Music teachers will be on hand to answer questions about The Artists' Exchange's new music program, which features private lessons for both groups and individuals in a variety of instruments, as well as new class offerings.
There will be time slots available to tour the Artists' Exchange, including the gallery, which will display art created during this summer's art camps, as well as the studios and theatre. Discounts will also be offered on fall class registration.
At dusk, everyone is welcome to bring a lawn chair to watch a screening of the 1985 classic family adventure comedy "The Goonies." A brief selection of classic cartoons will screen before the feature.
FOOS Festival sponsors include the up-and-coming Park Theatre, Mayor Michael Napolitano, Councilman Emilio Navarro, Ruth's Intimate Apparel, DePetrillo's Pizza and Bakery, Motif Magazine, Windmill Studios and the RIFC (Rhode Island Film Collaborative).
In the event of rain, the FOOS Festival will take place the following Sunday, September 21. For more information, contact Christina Mealey at 401.490.9475.
(This is not an RIFC Event)