The first-ever Art Struck Festival took place on Sept. 28 at Founder’s Park in Downtown Johnson City. The festival was organized and hosted by Johnson City Public Art.
The event featured local musicians, artists and activities.
Musical and theatrical displays took place throughout the day at the entrance to the park.
Performers included:
- Roxanne McDaniel
- Jasmine Henderson
- Cory Jeter
- Jonesborough Repertory Theatre
- Johnson City Community Drum Circle
- Shakespeare in Johnson City
- The Dependents
- Tweetsie Trio
The festival gave local artists a platform to sell their art to customers face to face.
“My favorite part of the event was the tents with the artists,” said Milligan sophomore Korynne Taylor. “I bought a few stickers, a small statue from local artists, and I also picked up a lot of business cards.”
Artists at the event included:
- Katie Murphy
- Majic Monsters
- Bri Moorelock
- Jason F
- Rachel Pimentel
- Ruby Berry
- Alice Salyer
- Sarah Dorr
- Stacie Williams
- Elena Corradino
- Doodle Your Dreams
Vendors had a wide variety of products for sale ranging from ceramics to stickers to prints.
Nearby colleges with art and design programs had booths set up with information for potential students. Milligan was in attendance as well as King University and Tusculum University.
The event was family-friendly with games and activities for children set up around the park. Games included decorating your own drum or wand and large scale puzzles of famous artwork such as “Starry Night.”
There was also a long fence set up where attendees could wrap colored ribbon to create designs as well as a photo wall for selfies and group pictures. The largest art feature of the day was block printmaking done with a steam roller.
According to their website, the mission of Johnson City Public Art is “to establish a public art program with high artistic quality and enduring value.”
Headline Photo: Event-goers enjoying a live performer, Roxanne McDaniel.