of the Arts & Crafts ~by Lynn Schwartzberg
F
or art lovers in the Midwest, Labor Day weekend means the 4th Street Festival of the Arts & Crafts in downtown Bloomington. For the uninitiated, the festival takes up over three city blocks and showcases local and regional artists. This year, the 4th Street Festival will feature 120 juried artists, more than in any previous year, with half of them coming to Bloomington from out of state to show their wares to the eager Bloomington festival goers. The really big number is 425. That is the number of artists who applied to participate. Four jurors toiled for days evaluating the artist’s bodies of work as well as their booth images before selecting one fourth of them for participation. As far as the art goes, there are painters, potters, photographers, sculptors, glass workers, furniture makers, fiber artists, and jewelry makers, as well as those working in multi media. Several participants will be familiar faces for sure, known year after year for their fine wares. Many new faces are what make the event so fun though. As familiar as the festival is, each year brings new energy from innovative artists sharing their work with Bloomington for the first time. The 4th Street Festival of the Arts & Crafts is surely an event worth attending for booth after booth of finely crafted work. What makes it truly special is all of the “extras” that happen during the event.
32 INto ART • July–Sept. 2012
2011 photos by Cindy Steele
Fourth Street Festival
During the festival, dozens of local arts organizations set up booths with information about their upcoming events or other activities. Several offer activities as well as fun give-away items. Wandering through the booths, visitors can collect information about upcoming performing arts seasons both in town and on the Indiana University campus. The Bloomington Entertainment and Arts District, known as BEAD, will be there with maps of public art installations as well as information about the district. Local museums, radio stations, and anyone else that touches the local arts scene will be on hand to get the word out about their respective organizations. If that’s not enough, there is a full schedule of entertainment to take in. From live readings to dance to lively bands, the festival touches on almost every genre. The performances add another layer to the already jam packed arts environment. If you are traveling to the 4th Street Festival with kids, there are always innovative activities for children. One year, a tree was