An impressive 422 artists applied for admission to the prestigious 4 Bridges Arts Festival; 148 were accepted.
Their work will fill First Tennessee Pavilion this weekend when the highly anticipated festival opens Saturday and Sunday, April 13-14.
If you go
› What: 4 Bridges Arts Festival› Where: First Tennessee Pavilion, 1826 Reggie White Blvd.› When: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, April 13; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, April 14› Admission: $5 ages 13 and older› For more information: www.avarts.orgPreview Party› When: 6:30-10 p.m. Friday, April 12› Where: First Tennessee Pavilion› Admission: $125This ticketed social event debuts the 4 Bridges Arts Festival with a preview party. Your ticket includes select wines, signature cocktails and a buffet of gourmet hors d’oeuvres. Also, guests get first pick of the art for sale.
Phyllis Mescon, 4 Bridges Arts Festival chairman, says the event will show work in 15 categories. The exhibiting artists will vie for $10,800 in cash awards.
As is tradition at 4 Bridges, four rising stars were selected as Emerging Artists by judges Tina Harrison, owner of Blue Skies, and artist Denise Shropshire. The four receive a complimentary booth in this weekend's festival.
The 2019 Emerging Artists are Brooke Craig, photography/digital art; Jennifer Kring, 2D and 3D mixed media; Hollie Berry, wood; and Geoffrey Campbell of Ringgold, Georgia, 2D and 3D mixed media.
Live music throughout both days of the festival will be a new addition this year. The children's area will not return.
"We will have chalk artists in the back of the pavilion doing a live chalk performance. There will be two to three artists each day working on a large floor piece," says Mescon. These professional chalk artists are from the Georgia Chalk Artists Guild.
Admission to the festival is $5 at the door. Children 12 and younger get in free. Parking is not free. Visitors can either pay parking fees through a ParkMobile app on their phone or at a freestanding kiosk located in the parking lot.
Contact Susan Pierce at spierce@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6284.
4 Bridges Arts Festival Jurors
› Angie Supan, River Gallery assistant director› Ashley Ewing Parrott, Vision Hospitality Group director of brand strategy, boutique and lifestyle hotels› Candy Kruesi, civic volunter and former special assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. She is the founder of a limited-edition art publishing company established specifically to meet the needs of artists and printmakers.