Participants Sought for Opening Processional of 2013 North Charleston Arts Festival

The City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department is accepting applications from local performing arts groups of all ages for participation in the 2013 North Charleston Arts Festival Opening Processional on Saturday, May 4, at 9:45am. In past years the processional has been led by African drummers and dancers and has included groups dressed in brightly colored outfits and costumes, volunteers carrying giant puppets, banners and other crafted props, jugglers, dance troupes, theatre groups, and more. Applications can be found on the Applications page at NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com. Deadline for applications is Friday, April 19, at 5:00pm.

The Opening Processional has kicked off the Arts Festival’s Main Event festivities at the Charleston Area Convention Center Complex for over a decade. Participants parade around the complex toward the North Charleston Performing Arts Center. Once the Processional enters the North Charleston Performing Arts Center Auditorium, the celebration continues with a Performance Spotlight, featuring 3-5 minute performances by pre-selected groups. Performance Spotlight slots may be requested on the Opening Processional application and are filled on a first come, first served basis. 

The North Charleston Arts Festival will be presented May 3-11, 2013, at various venues throughout North Charleston and the surrounding area. The nine-day event is one of the most comprehensive arts festivals in the state, highlighting national, regional, and local artists and performers in the areas of Dance, Music, Theater, Visual Arts, Crafts, Photography, Media Arts, and Literature. For 3o years the festival has made quality arts programming affordable and accessible to the widest spectrum of the public, attracting over 30,000 residents and visitors from throughout the Southeast to participate in a fabulous array of free and modestly priced performances, workshops, exhibitions, and activities. The Main Event weekend at the North Charleston Performing Arts and Charleston Area Convention Center on Saturday, May 4, and Sunday, May 5, offers free parking and admission to over 40 performances on four themed stages. Other Main Event activities include fine art and photography shows, the SC Palmetto Hands fine craft exhibit, a gem and mineral show, an antique show, activities for kids at Box City and Creation Stations, art and craft booths, and a food courtyard. The Arts Festival continues with over sixty free and ticketed events and exhibitions throughout the week at various locations, including street dances, concerts, theatre presentations, film screenings, workshops and demos, children’s activities, a National Outdoor Sculpture Competition and Exhibition, and the Grand Finale with fireworks. 

For more information on the Opening Processional, contact Nancy Rodriguez at (843)740-5851. Visit NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com for more information about the 2013 North Charleston Arts Festival and other participation opportunities, including downloadable applications for judged art, photography, and youth art exhibitions; art & craft and food vendor space; and volunteers.

Visual & Performing Artists Sought for 2012 North Charleston Arts Festival

The City of North Charleston's Cultural Arts Department is now accepting applications from artists in music, theatre, dance, visual art, crafts, photography, media arts, and literary arts to participate in the 2012 North Charleston Arts Festival to be held May 4-12.

A variety of individuals and groups are being sought to represent national, regional, and local arts professionals, cultural organizations, community programs, and schools.  Artists may apply for inclusion in the Main Event Weekend, held May 5 and 6 at the Charleston Area Convention Center Complex, as well as for Individual Events, which take place at various locations throughout North Charleston during the festival week.

Visual artists should note that this particular application should be used to apply for events and presentations such as installations, exhibitions, workshops, demonstrations, film screenings, lectures, etc., and not for participation in the Festival’s Juried Art Competitions. Applications are available on the web at www.northcharleston.org under Cultural Arts. The deadline for Artist Applications is Wednesday, January 4, 2012.  

The North Charleston Arts Festival is one of the most comprehensive arts festivals in the Lowcountry, providing thousands of residents & visitors with a fabulous array of performances, exhibitions, and activities. The Main Event, held the first weekend in May, offers free admission and parking to over 40 performances on four themed stage stages; General Audience, Cultural Heritage, Youth Entertainment, and Bands. Other Main Event activities include judged art, photography, youth art, and fine craft exhibitions, a gem & mineral show, an antique show, children's activities, art & craft booths, and an outdoor food courtyard.  The Arts Festival continues with numerous free or moderately priced ticketed events throughout the week at various locations around North Charleston and concludes with fireworks over the Cooper River at the Grand Finale at North Charleston Riverfront Park.

For information, visit the North Charleston Arts Festival page or download an application.  Call the Cultural Arts Department office at (843) 740-5854 for additional information.

Annual North Charleston Arts Festival Set for April 29-May 7, 2011

Nine-day celebration of the arts offers something for everyone

Now in its 29th year, the North Charleston Arts Festival will take place April 29 through May 7, 2011. The nine day event is one of the most comprehensive arts festivals in the state, providing thousands of residents & visitors with a fabulous array of performances, exhibitions, and activities featuring national, regional, and local artists and performers.

Organized by the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department, the festival strives to maintain the spirit of a community celebration with the mission of presenting a broad, multidiscipline event schedule that provides a wide range of performing, visual, media, and literary arts events for people of all ages and backgrounds. Many of the offerings are free, and those that are ticketed are moderately priced. Recognized by the Southeast Tourism Society as a Top 20 Event, the North Charleston Arts Festival truly offers something for everyone.

“The Arts Festival unlocks our imagination and gives an opportunity to all residents and visitors of the City of North Charleston to participate in high quality entertainment, exhibits, and programming,” says North Charleston Mayor, Keith Summey. “It is a time of the year that we are joined by thousands throughout the Southeast to celebrate the importance of art within our world.”

The Arts Festival Main Event, held on Saturday, April 30, and Sunday, May 1, at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center and Charleston Area Convention Center, offers free admission and parking to over 40 performances from national, regional, and local performers on four themed stages: Cultural Heritage, Youth Entertainment, Bands, and General Audience.  Other features include judged art and photography exhibits; the 9th annual SC Palmetto Hands Fine Craft Exhibit; Youth Art from Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester county students; the Lowcountry Gem & Mineral Show & Sale; the Village Antiques & Collectibles show; children's activities at Box City and Creation Stations; arts & crafts vendors, and much more. 

The Festival continues with over 50 events throughout the week at various locations around the City of North Charleston.  An exciting array of free and ticketed events include street dances, a murder mystery dinner theatre, concerts, literary gatherings, children’s events, film screenings, theatre presentations, art workshops and demonstrations, an Art Walk, an Art & Fine Craft Co-Op, the 6th annual National Outdoor Sculpture Competition and Exhibition, and a Grand Finale at the beautiful North Charleston Riverfront Park. This year’s Grand Finale features children’s activities, performances by school groups, dance troupes, and spoken word poets, an evening concert featuring The Fowl Play Band, and fireworks over the Cooper River.

Applications are now being accepted for participation in the Festival’s Judged Fine Art, Judged Photography, and Tri-County Youth Art exhibitions. Volunteer applications are also being accepted. Application forms are available on the Cultural Arts section of the city’s website at www.northcharleston.org.

For more 2011 North Charleston Arts Festival information, including detailed event schedules and venue information, visit www.northcharleston.org, email culturalarts@northcharleston.org, or contact the North Charleston Cultural Arts Department office at (843) 740-5854.

The Arts Festival is coming!

April 30 - May 8

Complete Arts Festival Brochure - Official Arts Festival Website

The North Charleston Arts Festival is organized and presented by the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department and numerous volunteers. The festival was launched as a one day community celebration at Park Circle in 1982 and has evolved with the addition of new facilities throughout the City. The festival moved to the North Charleston Coliseum in 1995 and expanded to two days. In 2000, the opening of the Charleston Area Convention Center, North Charleston Performing Arts Center, and other new venues, provided the springboard for the festival to expand to nine full days of performances and activities for residents and visitors throughout the City. In 2008, the Arts Festival was recognized by the Southeast Tourism Society as a Top 20 Event.

Today, the festival maintains the spirit of a community celebration with the mission of presenting a comprehensive, multidiscipline event schedule that provides an array of performing, visual, media, and literary arts events for people of all ages and backgrounds. The festival is accessible to all with numerous free and moderately priced events.