If you go
› What: 4 Bridges Art Festival› When: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, April 16 and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, April 17› Where: First Tennessee Pavilion, 1826 Reggie White Blvd.› Admission: $10 for two-day pass, $7 one-day pass› Online: 4bridgesartsfestival.org
The 4 Bridges Arts Festival has always been a well-respected event, drawing thousands of patrons from all over the region and respected artists from all over the country.
Now it can also lay claim to being one of the Prime 50 Fine Arts Fairs in the United States based on net sales from last year's event, according to Art Fair Sourcebook. Not only are people showing up, they are spending money.
"That's based on sales as reported by our artists," says event director Michelle Kimbrell. "What's interesting is our attendance is maybe not as large as say the Dogwood Festival in Atlanta, but we have better overall sales."
Kimbrell says 60 percent of the artists are coming back from 4 Bridges festivals.
This year's festival, set for Friday-Saturday, April 16-17, will feature 157 artists from 30 states, the farthest coming from California. Among the 157 will be three emerging artists chosen from an applicant pool of 19 new artists from around the region. The three are Donald Golden from Memphis, Mamie Biven from Chattanooga and Abby Reczek Floyd from Virginia.
Each year, the Association for Visual Arts, which presents the festival, has nine scholarships to offer for emerging artists and chooses only the ones it feels are good enough to be featured at 4 Bridges. Last year, the judges chose two emerging artists and six the year before that.
Three jurists - Ellen Simak, director of book arts at The Open Press in Chattanooga, Craig Drennen from Georgia State University in Atlanta, and Sherry Masters of Art Connections in Asheville, N.C. - looked over 444 applicants in choosing who would showcase their works next weekend. They will also choose the prize winners at the festival.
The poster for the event was created from an abstract graphic design by local artist Carrie Pendergrass of Sewn To The Sky.
"It wasn't designed for the poster but was something I had already made," Pendergrass says, "but I thought it would work and I think it does."
The festival also will feature a food tent area with 12 vendors and a kids tent with activities for the young ones.
A preview party, featuring a first look at the art, food and entertainment and meet the guest artists, will take place Friday, April 15 from 6:30-10 p.m. at First Tennessee Pavilion. Party patrons also have the first opportunity to purchase the art pieces during the party. Admission is $78.
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.