FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 28, 2004
For more information contact:
Doug Rice at (585) 256.3336

ARTWalk Alive! Seeks Artists and Performers for September Event

Rochester, NY – It's coming again to the Neighborhood of the Arts. It's ARTWalk Alive! And ARTWalk is seeking artist entries for it's annual celebration to be held September 19, 2004. Competitions are open to all residents of the eight-county Greater Rochester Area.

Individual artists, dancers, musicians, dance companies, poets, music ensembles and collaborations are all invited to enter. Twenty (20) performances will take place at different sites on University Avenue as part of the fourth annual ARTWalk celebration.

An informational meeting for musicians, dancers, spoken word, visual artists, and poster and
t-shirt artists will be held Saturday, May 22, at 12noon at Writers & Books, located at 740 University Avenue.

This year's ARTWalk Alive! has grown to five areas that artists can apply. They include:

1) T-shirt and Poster Art (New Category!)
This year ARTWalk is asking for design submissions to be used on all promotional materials in conjunction with the event. This includes t-shirt and poster designs that will be utilized across the entire event in a visually powerful way!

2) Music (Music on the Block)
All styles of musical expression, both instrumental and/or vocal, composed and/or improvised, are encouraged, including, but not limited to, classical, pop/rock, folk, jazz, contemporary.

3) Dance (Dances on the Avenue)
All forms of creative movement expressions are encouraged, including but not limited, to contemporary, ethnic, ballet, tap, folk, or non-traditional dance such as cycling, rock climbing, rollerblading or rappelling.

4) Spoken Word (Word on the Street)
All forms of creative spoken expressions are encouraged, including, but not limited to, poetry, storytelling, individual or ensemble performance or “slam” poetry, rap, and short dramatic presentations. Pieces may have rhythmic or musical accompaniment, but the word art should be dominant.

5) Visual Arts (Artist at Work)
All forms of creative visual art are encouraged, including but not limited to, painting, drawing, caricatures, sculpture, computer, ceramics, sidewalk artists, installation artists, film, collage, jewelry. Collaborations are encouraged.

A group of independent jurors, made up of residents, business owners and arts professionals, will review submissions for all competitions, which must be received by Friday, June 18.

Thanks to a grant from Culture Builds Communities through the Arts & Cultural Council of Greater Rochester, we will be able to provide a $100 honorarium to each entrant selected. Culture Builds Communities Awards are designed to support community projects that involve artists and/or cultural organizations and that result in the creation of a lasting work of art that celebrates the neighborhood. Culture Builds Communities grants are awarded by the Arts and Cultural Council for Greater Rochester with funding through Citibank and the City of Rochester.

Application and guidelines for both open calls are available upon request via e-mail at artwalk@rochester.rr.com or by calling 585.234.6670. The application can also be downloaded from www.rochesterartwalk.org.

ARTWalk Alive! will also feature music, art displays, prizes and activities for kids and families. "ARTWalk events are extremely popular with people of all ages from all over the Rochester area," says Rice.

While ARTWalk is still in its early growth stages, recognition has come from a wide variety of sources, including the Common Good Planning Center’s “Uncommonly Good” award and the US Conference of Mayors “2003 City Livability Award.”

ARTWalk is an interactive urban outdoor museum that runs along University Avenue in the Neighborhood of the Arts. ARTWalk’s mission is to foster, create and maintain a distinctive public walkway connecting art destinations and cultural centers in the neighborhood, in order to provide an environment that encourages increased exposure to a variety of artistic experiences and build community.

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