RiverStage Community Theatre of New Richmond will sponsor the 2016 “New Richmond on the Ohio RiverArts Festival”, to be held in the village along the Ohio River the weekend of October 15th and 16th from noon to 6pm each day.
An exhibition festival of Fine Arts including pottery, painting, fiber arts, candle-making, gourd art, driftwood art, metal art jewelry and woodworking, RiverArts is no stranger to New Richmond’s Front Street.
The event was first held in 2014, and burns brightly in the memory of this year’s show coordinators Tina Clyburn and Nancy Swats, but they knew the path of returning RiverArts to the river village would be a steep one, and they would need friends and volunteers they could count on to help in their quest.
“RiverStage offered to host the event to get us on our feet,” says Clyburn, who aspires to see the festival return each autumn, growing in scale, attendance, and prestige over time.
The renewed festival this year includes a continuous program of live music by Steve Free, Full Moon Ranch, Generations, Scott Wyatt, Logan Miller & Jake Dyer, Jim Comodeca, and individual artists’ exhibitions, a K-12 student art contest, as well as, “an area for budding artists, young and old, to add their creative flair to our chalk and pastel street-painting area,” reminds Clyburn.
At press time, over twenty artists have contracted to show and sell their work, including several who will demonstrate their craft throughout the weekend.
Wine and bourbon tastings will be offered, and local gems like Green Kayak Market & Eatery, Front Street Café, and the newly-opened The Slice Pizzeria, all located on Front Street with Ohio River views, will be open and serving during the festival.
“[We] have been working throughout the year to line up a diverse group of artists, and are quite happy with the variety we have,” says Swats, adding that RiverArts is “continuing to book.” See newrichmond.org/river-arts-festival.html for entry information. Applications will be reviewed as long as space and category balancing allow.
Thanks to generous award sponsors, the top prize for the adjudicated event (Best of Show) has doubled to $500, with lesser cash prizes also set to be awarded.
Judging results will be announced October 16th at 1pm.
“We hope to grow into a major art event for the area,” says Swats.
Show coordinators Clyburn and Swats are also searching for volunteers among the community to help in the running the festival. According to Swats they are looking for volunteers to assist in, “setting up on Saturday morning, tearing down on Sunday evening, hosting the information/hospitality booth, and helping with the children’s art tent, among other things.”
Further information on attending, exhibiting, or volunteering for RiverArts can be found on Facebook @2016RiverArtsFestival, or by contacting Clyburn and Swats via e-mail (clyburndesigns@gmail.com).