Arts festival in Cape blooms with options

The first-ever Spring Arts Festival, which is really three festivals in one, will be presented today to celebrate the grand opening of the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri's new galleries in downtown Cape Girardeau.

The Spring Arts Festival consists of the ArtsCape Fine Arts & Crafts Street Fair, the Chalk Walk Street Painting Festival, and Arts for All, an event that helps people with disabilities create art.

The goal is for the Spring Arts Festival to become an annual event.

"We want it to be family oriented," arts council executive director Becky Fulgham said, "something evolving along the lines of Riverfest only without the beer gardens."

The Cape Girardeau Convention & Visitors Bureau is co-sponsoring the festival, which also will incorporate a sidewalk sale by 15 downtown merchants.

The festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today at the parking lot by the Boardman Pavilion across from Hutson's furniture store. Musicians will perform there throughout the day beginning with a flute duo at 10 a.m., followed by Dr. Dale Haskell at 11 a.m., Keith Bauer at 12:30 p.m., Kim and Lindsay Bowerman at 2 p.m. and Jennifer Noble at 3:30 p.m.

The arts council's three galleries at 32 N. Main St. will be open during the day. In case of rain, the event will be rescheduled for May 17.

In addition, "Site Works: Dance on Tour," a performance by the Department of Dance and Theatre at Southeast Missouri State University, will be presented twice today downtown. The first performance will be at 11 a.m. at Riverfront Park east of the downtown floodwall. "Site Works" will be repeated at 4 p.m. at the River Campus.

The 11 a.m. performance will be canceled in case of heavy rain. The 4 p.m. performance can be moved inside a tent at the River Campus if necessary.

Fulgham said the festivals are being consolidated after a decision by the council to disassociate ArtsCape from the River City Music Festival held annually in the fall.

"We felt like the people who came downtown for the City of Roses Festival maybe weren't interested in fine arts and crafts," she said.

Vendors surveyed agreed. Spaces for 20 vendors have been reserved today. Some will provide demonstrations.

Arts For All is open both to people with disabilities and those who are not disabled. A specially-equipped wheelchair enables artists who are disabled to paint. The Southeast Missouri Alliance for Disability Independence is the co-sponsor along with the arts council.

Accessible restrooms will be available at the arts council.

Cape Girardeau artist Craig Thomas is in charge of the Chalk Walk Street Painting Festival. Twenty groups or individuals have signed up to draw chalk images on the pavement. The competition is also open to those who have not yet signed up. A fee is required. Two $100 prizes will be awarded.

Thomas said artists are coming from as far away as St. Louis to compete in the contest, which is based on an Italian street painting tradition 600 years old.

The Chalk Walk will be held Sunday in case of rain.

sblackwell@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182