Preparations are well under way for this year’s MPAartfest, to be held on Oct. 2 in McLean Central Park.
With 46 juried artists displaying and selling their fine arts and crafts, live music and food, the free festival has become a fall favorite in McLean.
“This is a huge event, between 4-6,000 in attendance,” said Dabney Cortina, communications director of the McLean Project for the Arts (MPA). After a call to 3,000 artists, the MPA tried to select a balance of artwork including paintings, pottery, jewelry, sculpture, quilts, photography, watercolor and drawings.
“This year's MPAartfest is the largest to date with 46 artists in 45 booths,” said MPAartfest Director Amy Swaak. “We are adding new food vendors as well as changing the layout ever so slightly to better connect the artists, food and gazebo and to create a more common green-space area. Favorites such as the Children's Art Walk, Innovation Station, formerly known as the Children's Art Tent, and the Open Air Studio Demonstration will all be there as well. It will be the event the community loves and more.”
Although the artists keep 100 percent of the proceeds of their sales, there is a $30 application fee and a $300 participation fee, which includes the use of a tent/booth.
One of the highlights of Artfest is the Children’s ArtWalk, which features the artwork of students in grades K-6 from McLean area schools. The New Dominion Women’s Club coordinates with the art teachers, who have already culled the students’ work. The art is displayed on stands along the path adjoining Central Park and the Dolley Madison Library.
Since ArtFest is free, the Artfest is dependent on corporate and individual sponsorships to fund the event. The event sponsors are the McLean Community Center and the Fairfax County Parks Authority. To date, corporate sponsors include HITT Contracting Inc., TTR Sotheby’s International Realty, McLean Properties LLC, and Deirdre J. Maull, DMD MS. The Montessori School of McLean will provide shuttle buses from satellite parking to the artfest, and Windows Catering will provide their services for the MPAartfest Soiree.
The McLean Community Foundation (MCF), an organization that funds projects that benefit residents of McLean, has made a donation of $5,000 and for the fourth year in a row, is the sponsor for the Children’s ArtWalk.
"The McLean Community Foundation is proud to sponsor the Children's ArtWalk at MPAartfest for the fourth year," said MCF president, Richard (Rip) Sullivan. "MPAartfest has become such an integral part of our community, bringing friends and neighbors together in McLean Central Park and the MCF is happy to support this wonderful art festival presented by McLean Project for the Arts."
The MPA still needs sponsors, both individual and corporate, and will hold a fundraiser, the MPAartfest Soiree, on the evening of Wednesday, Sept. 21, at the home of Mark Lowham and Dr. Joe Ruzzo. Admission to the event is $200, with a goal for the evening of $22,000 in proceeds.
Lowham, who is managing partner at TTR Sotheby’s International Real Estate, is a co-chair of MPAartfest along with former Virginia delegate and MPA board member Margi Vanderhye.
One of the highlights of the soiree is the “Luck of the Draw.” For $150, a numbered ticket can be purchased that guarantees the ticket-holder a work of art donated by one of the artfest participants. Pieces are chosen in order of the numbers printed on the tickets. Artists who donate their work to the “Luck of the Draw” will have a $50 reduction from their participation fee in MPAartfest.
What: MPAartfest
When: Sunday, Oct. 2, 2011; from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: McLean Central Park
Admittance: Free, $5 suggested donation
More information: http://mpaart.org/artfest.php
