The Alexandria King Street Art Festival returns September 7 – 8, 2013 with more than 200 of the finest artists in the country, an eclectic array of original artwork, live music, interactive art activities, and two free art giveaways. This highly anticipated two-day celebration of the arts is produced by national festival promoter Howard Alan Events and hosted by the City of Alexandria. Admission is free and open to the public.
This festival draws leading national artists and appeals to locals and tourists alike including art enthusiasts and collectors looking for new investments and emerging talent. The artistic media include paintings, life-size sculptures, photography, glass, wood, jewelry, collage and ceramics. Patrons return each year and look forward to the vast array of original artwork on display. The prices are set to suit all budgets and range from $25 hand-designed earrings to $30,000 metal sculptures.
Festival patrons can register to win artwork by two participating artists. The first, a 24” x 48” limited edition Giclée print on canvas of Virginia Landscape by Kathleen Green (www.kathleengreenart.com), valued at $595. The second, a custom framed 18″ x 26″ print of Magical Horizon I by Cheryl Summers (www.artistcherylsummers.com), valued at $300. The prizes will be on display at each artist’s booth throughout the weekend where registration will also take place until 4:00 pm on Sunday when the winning tickets will be drawn. No purchase is necessary to participate in the giveaways.
Alexandria, named one of America’s Top ArtPlaces 2013, is a perfect backdrop for this top-notch art affair. Produced by Howard Alan Events and hosted by the City of Alexandria, the Alexandria King Street Art Festival is ranked the 17th top art fair in the United States by Sunshine Artist, the nation’s leading publication for art and craft shows. It is also included on the Harris List as one of the nation’s best art shows. The artists will line King Street in Alexandria’s Old Town from Washington Street to the Potomac River and will be present for the duration of the show, available to discuss their art and inspiration.
A variety of activities will be offered throughout the weekend. The Art League will host a fundraising sale of ceramic ice cream bowls made by local artists that will include a scoop of ice cream to enjoy at the festival. The Torpedo Factory Art Center will present Art Activated, an afternoon of demonstrations, performances and art making on Saturday, September 7. This free event offers visitors an opportunity to explore their creativity, with artist demonstrations and hands-on projects including screen-printing, the popular Bubble Gum Art, Create-Your-Own Button station, and more. In addition, the Torpedo Factory will host the NYC-based Sketchbook Project on Sept. 7th & 8th. This global, crowd-sourced art project and traveling exhibition encourages participants from all walks of life to fill the pages of a blank sketchbook.
The King Street Art Festival is the premier event of the city’s fall arts season, which spans September to November. Find more information on www.VisitAlexandriaVA.com
