Francis Marion University’s Arts International festival is moving to downtown Florence.
The longstanding festival, one of the Pee Dee’s great spring traditions, will bring its regular mix of art, music and food to downtown Florence on April 11. Activities will center on FMU’s Performing Arts Center. The ever-popular Blue Dogs headline the list of artists scheduled to perform.
As the festival changes locales, it is also acquiring new partners. The City of Florence is joining FMU as major festival participant. Florence-Darlington Technical College will once again hold its popular welding sculpture competition in conjunction with the event, and St. John’s Episcopal Church is providing space for festival parking and events. Other sponsors include Honda of SC, Nan Ya Plastics, Florence County, Pepsi Cola of Florence and the Florence Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The festival has been held for nearly 40 years on FMU’s main campus.
“Arts International has had a great run on campus,” says FMU President Dr. Fred Carter. “But the opportunity to move to downtown, to partner with the city and others, and to take advantage of new facilities was hard to resist. This will be a superb location and it will enhance and rejuvenate the festival. We think this is going to be a great event for years to come.”
Florence Mayor Stephen Wukela says the new festival location will help add to the momentum downtown.
"The city is thrilled to join with Francis Marion University in bringing the University’s renowned Arts International Festival to Downtown Florence,” says Wukela. “This move will serve to enhance this fine cultural event and provide further opportunities for our community to enjoy Downtown Florence. It represents yet another example of the continued cooperation between the university and the city towards our shared goals."
The event will begin at noon and run until 6 p.m., and it is open to the public. There is no admission charge, but there is a cost for food and drink.
The premier event at this year’s festival will be a 2 p.m. performance by the Blue Dogs. The “Dogs” are an earthy Southern rock band from South Carolina, and a well-known favorite of Pee Dee music fans. The Blue Dogs were formed in Charleston in 1987 by lead singer/guitarist Bobby Houck and bassist Hank Futch, who had known each other since childhood and played together in college. Drummer Greg Walker came along later, joining the band in 1993. The festival’s signature event is scheduled for the amphitheatre of the FMU Performing Arts Center.
FMU’s Music Industry Ensemble and the Celtic Rock Band Stirling Bridge are also slated to perform in the PAC amphitheatre.
The FMU String Ensemble, Vocal Edition, pianist Paolo Gualdi, violinist Terris Roberts and pianist Sumire Worman are all scheduled to perform in the PAC Black Box.
Other scheduled acts include the Jabali African Acrobats, the Chief Kamu Fire and Hula Show and the Chinese Acrobats. They will offer festival goers a unique perspective on arts from around the world on the festival’s International Stage. A variety of strolling musicians and performers will patrol the festival area, providing impromptu entertainment throughout the day.
Other events will include FDTC’s famous welding sculpture competition. The competition will feature teams of experienced craftsmen who will create breathtaking pieces of art on the fly, using a pile of scrap material brought in for the occasion.
Also on tap: an arts and crafts fair featuring the work of local and regional artisans, children’s activities, art displays in the Florence County Museum and Waters Building Annex, and an international food court.
The festival is the union of two former festivals, Art’s Alive and the Pee Dee International Festival. Its roots date back to 1977.
For more information on this year’s Arts International festival, go tohttp://www.fmarion.edu/news/artsinternational.
SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES
Time
|
PAC Amphitheatre
|
Variety
|
Blackbox
|
Various Locations
|
12:00
|
MI Ensemble
|
Jabali African Acrobats
|
· Strolling Bagpiper,
· Acoustic Acts
· Steel Drums
· Hula Lessons
· International Cooking Demonstrations
· FDTC Welding Sculpture Competition
· Artisan’s Court
· International Food Court
· International Beer and Wine Gardens
· Children’s Activities (Games, Arts & Crafts)
· Art Displays (Florence County Museum and Waters Building Annex)
· Book Sale
| |
12:30
|
Stirling Bridge
(Celtic Rock)
| |||
1:00
|
Chief Kamu
Fire and Hula Show (Polynesian Dance)
|
FMU String Ensemble
| ||
1:30
| ||||
2:00
| Blue Dogs
(Southern Rock)
|
Chinese Acrobats
|
Vocal Edition
| |
2:30
| ||||
3:00
|
Jabali African Acrobats
|
Paolo Gualdi
| ||
3:30
|
Stirling Bridge
(Celtic Rock)
| |||
4:00
|
Chinese Acrobats
|
Terris Roberts (violin) and Sumire Worman (Piano)
| ||
4:30
|
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