October 20 & 21
Northport, Alabama
Presented by Kentuck Art Center
270 Artists
Deadline: June 1
Application Fee: Early Bird, $35; After 5/15 $50
Booth Fee: $265 10x12
Alabama Tourism has named the Kentuck Festival
of the Arts as a top ten event for 2018 in the state.
This festival is held at Kentuck Park, an outdoor venue shaded by tall trees, in the fall of each year. Located 3 blocks from the Kentuck Art Center, located in Historical Downtown Northport, there is parking on grounds for artists and festival attendees, with additional shuttles running during the day from downtown Northport. Each artist is free to set up their "art space" in a way that best highlights their work. Safety comes first, so as long as spaces are anchored securely, our festival promotes the creation of "art spaces". It is easy to get to, located within a mile on all sides from major highways going in all directions.
About our festival:
More than 270 juried artists from across the continental U.S.- 26 Guest Artists, nationally renowned for their contributions to folk, outsider, visionary & self-taught art
- Legendary musicians, start-up bands, and spoken word performances
- More than 20 artists doing live demonstrations throughout the festival
- 14 artistic disciplines including clay, fiber, glass, jewelry, metal, printmaking, photography, wood, sculpture, mixed media, and two-dimensional
- An arts festival recognized by the U.S. Library of Congress, TIME Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, the Southeast Tourism Society, Southern Living, the Alabama Tourism Department, and the National Endowment for the Arts
- Food trucks featuring regional cuisine and local craft beer
- For artists we have an artist hospitality tent which starts serving coffee and donuts by 7:30 a.m. Saturday and continues providing snacks and drinks throughout the Festival. Booth sitters are provided. Our artists party provides a place to sit, a meal, live music, an adult beverage or two, and great fellowship! $7000 in prize money is awarded.
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Locally: Speaking engagements to civic groups, tourism center promotions, and rack cards in the Cultural Art Center. Rack cards go to the visitor centers in the State each year. Ads are placed in Oxford America, Raw Vision and Alabama Heritage. Billboards are purchased the month prior to the festival in the surrounding area. Our broadcast partners this year are i-heart media and Alabama Public Radio. Paid ads in local newspapers and magazines are purchased, and social media ads are also used. We also offer a patron's VIP program which targets collectors and the affluent market in this area.
Testimonials:
"I show at 15 or 16 festivals a year. I think I've been attending Kentuck for about 15 years. Of all the shows I do, it is without a question, my favorite." Dennis Thompson, Festival Artist, Snobhog Studios
"Being from Canada, I had never heard of the Kentuck Festival until a dear friend invited me to come along because "I think even you might like it." She was a bit off the mark ... I absolutely loved it! The event is a genuine American treasure, and it's clear that many devoted and hard working volunteers put in hundreds of hours each year to deliver to newcomers and annual attendees alike the type of "wow" that I experienced. Kudos to everyone involved!" Ron Clarkson, Festival Attendee
Contact: Amy Echols, aechols@kentuck.org, (205) 758-1257
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