Art to the People: Sidewalk Art Festival at HCC
On Wednesday, May 2, Housatonic students and staff members will be presented with the Sidewalk Art Festival, a celebration of all sorts of art and entertainment, right in the courtyard. The free festival will feature live music, dance, graffiti, chalk art, frisbee art, and more.
John Favret, professor at HCC and the mastermind behind the festival, says everyone is welcome to get involved. “As soon as you walk outside you can’t help but know it’s there because the music will be blasting, and there’ll be crowds. And then once the grill starts […] there will be burgers and dogs and fries and the whole place will smell like food,” said Favret. There will be a 6-foot gas grill serving burgers, hot dogs, and more, all free of charge.
Sidewalk Art Festival poster artwork by Rashaad Carswell.
Everyone is invited to create together, whether it be doing chalk art on the floor, or venturing out into the frisbee art station. Attendees will receive a frisbee, and then will place paint on them. A machine then spins it around, creating all sorts of psychedelic designs.
Scott Empric, professor at HCC and advisor of the Music Club, says the event is interactive.
“It’s great because students who normally maybe wouldn’t try some sort of art will try something. How bad can your frisbee art really be?,” said Empric. “It’s a way for students to come out, get involved, sample different types of art and entertainment, eat free food – all in a really fun, before-the-end-of-the-semester, stress-free environment”
For live music, there are two bands playing–Placeville and The Dave Childs Band. The Performing Arts Club will also be performing. One of the featured acts will be a group of Irish dancers, who will be gracing the stage earlier in the day.
June Rocha, a General Studies student at HCC, was happy to hear about the festival, but not thrilled about the food options. “I wish they had some vegan options for food aside from fries,” said Rocha. Aside from the food issue, Rocha said she would love to attend the festival, if only she didn’t have to rush to work after class ends.
For Empric, the festival is a great way to expand your horizons. “The theme is art and expression, and people being able to see other people’s artwork and listen to music while creating their own,” said Empric. “This is definitely a hands-on, come-get-down-with-your-art type of thing.”
The event will begin at 11 a.m. and will go until 2 p.m. in the HCC Courtyard.