More than 130 juried artists exhibiting in 2D, 3D, ceramics, fiber, glass, jewelry, painting, photography and wood will be featured at the Carmel International Arts Festival this weekend, Sept. 28 and 29. The 22nd annual event takes over Main Street and Range Line Road for one of the biggest weekend events in the City of Carmel.
The Festival is free to visitors, who can meet the artists, browse or purchase unique items not found anywhere else, and choose from a number of hands-on, interactive events designed to inspire. Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. There is plenty of parking in Carmel, which has several parking garages within walking distance of the Arts & Design District. Parking is free.
Bike parking (Pedal & Park) will be provided in an area on 2nd Avenue NW next to Bub’s Burgers and Ice Cream. The first 100 riders who use pedal and park each day will receive a free drawstring backpack from Bike Carmel presented by IU Health North Hospital. Some of the Carmel Boy Scouts volunteer to monitor the bikes.
The artists will be coming from 23 states – from as far west as New Mexico, as far north as Minnesota and upper Michigan, as far east as New York and as far south as Florida and Texas. They will be bringing with them an eclectic mix of art inspired by their life’s journeys and experiences.
“This festival is truly international. Even though our artists come from within the United States, many were born outside the country and have moved here” said Dawn Fraley, executive director. “It is exciting to see how their art reflects their heritage from places across the globe.”
A few of those artists with international roots include Haiti native Guiteau Lanoue, a fiber artist who now lives in Texas; Anna Afshar, a painter in Fishers who was raised in Lithuania and Russia; and Anastasia Mak, a painter born in the Ukraine who now resides in Chicago.
For a preview of the artists, visit carmelarts.org/artists and scroll through more than a dozen pages of information, including many links to the artists’ websites.
In addition to the art, don’t forget on Saturday night the Arts & Design District will be rocking to the music of “The Bishops.” ART ROCKS!, the largest street party in the Art & Design District, is back from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. ART ROCKS! is a free, family-friendly, community event that you will not want to miss. Come and pick up some food from one of the great restaurants on Main Street or make a selection from one of the many food and beverage trucks at the Festival.
Volunteer at the Festival
If you want to sign up to be a volunteer for a minimum two-hour shift during the weekend of the Festival, your help is needed. Volunteers are the backbone of the Carmel International Arts Festival. It takes a “village” to produce the Carmel International Arts Festival each year. Your help is welcome and greatly appreciated. By volunteering, you are helping the Festival carry out its mission to educate, expose, and provide access to the community all forms of art while generating a heightened appreciation of the arts. Click here to volunteer.