Celebrating creative energy
Magic City Art Connection, the annual contemporary art festival, was founded 34 years ago by Eileen Kunzman. This year’s event is April 28-30 in Linn Park, and festivalgoers can expect the same variety they’ve gotten in years past: art, live music, food, workshops, dance performances and more.
“After moving to Birmingham from Pittsburgh with its Three Rivers Art Festival, I missed the creative energy of a major city center arts event,” Kunzman said. “Making things happen in the city through an arts festival seemed like a pretty interesting idea to support a melting pot of artists, cultural organizations and the people who influence the city’s livability factor. Especially important was having a platform to give artists a great connection to the people and institutions that support their craft and careers, while capturing the community’s imagination, communal heart, cultural opportunities and the sense of fun that make a city come alive.”
The festival’s platform for artists has grown considerably over the decades. Beginning with 75 juried local and regional artists for a two-day festival during its inaugural year, Magic City Art Connection has expanded to showcase more than 200 artists from around the country for three days. Along the way, the festival grew to include culinary arts in addition to visual and performing arts.
“‘Corks & Chefs now includes 10 restaurant features daily, wine, craft beer and spirit samplings, plus guided seminars among other special programming on Saturday and Sunday,” Kunzman said.
Throughout the years, Magic City Art Connection also has kept a focus on its young visitors.
“Children plus art were always part of the festival’s core mission,” she said. “‘Imagination Festival’ offers opportunities to make art under the tutelage of working artists. More than 25 interactive workshops serve thousands of unabashed creative kids. Many of those Birmingham City Schools third- and fourth-graders attending Friday have become a centerpiece of the festival’s celebration and interface with the arts.”
This year, Magic City Art Connection will feature Birmingham artist Celeste Pfau as the 20th recipient of the Emerging Artist Award. Her work will appear on the festival’s poster and media campaign. Pfau is an interdisciplinary artist who frequently takes inspiration from the nature and the culture of the Magic City. She creates water and ink paintings, prints, pine-needle-vine-leaf sculptures as well as photography, video, writing and performance work.
Other participating artists include Eli Allie, Larry Allen, Chris Bruno, Susan Clayton, Claire Cormany, Bethanne Hill, Shadow May, Miriam Omura, Charles Pinckney, Stephen Ray, Chiharu Roach and Beau Stahl as well as newcomers Zan Barnes, Sara Canon, Michelle McDowell-Smith, Daniel Powell and Lillis Taylor.
Magic City Art Connection also will showcase artists from the University of Alabama and Birmingham-Southern College at the University Art Professors exhibit.
“We want to draw attention to their accomplishments and their place as influential artists and teachers at the source for perpetuating the craft, content and methods of contemporary visual arts to our future artists and creative thinkers,” Kunzman said.
The work of young artists will be on display in the High School Sculpture Competition.
“We are always excited to see the artful and thoughtful creations from students,” Kunzman said. “These temporary installations in the park have garnered much attention and interest. And we love spotlighting the talent of future artists of the world.”
Festivalgoers can expect a few additions this year. Kunzman said to look for more lounges for those who need to take a break and recharge, a new support category, “Spotlight Partner,” featuring benefits to meet the needs and interests by Birmingham companies and the inaugural MY Choice Award Ribbon Program, highlighting artist picks from Birmingham collectors and art enthusiasts.
Admission to Magic City Art Connection is $5 for adults and free to children younger than 12. Tickets for “Corks & Chefs” are $35 in advance and $45 at the door and include admission to the festival. For more information, go to magiccityart.com.
Courtesy artsBHAM.