ArtSlam 2014 Set for March 8 on Old Main

BRADENTON – The fourth annual ArtSlam, a celebration of the arts featuring dozens of artists, musicians, performers, installation art, and interactive art experiences, returns to Old Main, Saturday, March 8 from noon-10 p.m.

The family-friendly festival features multiple teams of artists offering interactive creative projects, a variety of local bands, random acts of art, video art, and even an eco-friendly labyrinth. Isham says the festival is largely interactive with plenty of opportunities for audiences to become part of the creative process.

Realize Bradenton's executive director, Johnette Isham, explained that ArtSlam installations will be created “live” along Old Main Street.

"Because there is no set theme, collaborative teams will creatively use existing streetscape sites while engaging the general public in brief contemporary art experiences,” said Isham.

The event features over 175 artists, musicians and performers, site-specific art installations, and interactive art experiences. This year’s event is the biggest ever with 25 teams and 10 bands, and lots of new features. Realize Bradenton promises it will be the biggest Artslam yet.

“It will be a full-on sensory explosion with more than 25 artistic teams and 10 bands,” says Isham. “It’s largely interactive with plenty of opportunities for audiences to become part of the creative process."

For team descriptions and locations, click on the ArtSlam link at www.RealizeBradenton.com

Isham added that, for the first time, ArtSlam will extend past Old Main Street to include the Manatee Performing Arts Center, ArtCenter Manatee, Village of the Arts, the Da Vinci Machines exhibit, and South Florida Museum.

Between the hours of noon and 8 p.m., free trolleys and pedicabs will circulate between these cultural organizations and Old Main Street with downtown ambassador tour guides creating “an informative and fun mobile experience.” Throughout the morning, the event will coexist with the downtown Bradenton Farmers’ Market and then transition into the festival.

“The arts mean more creative energy and life in a community; attracting more residents, more visitors, more businesses to downtown Bradenton,” says Bradenton Councilman Patrick Roff. “Events like ArtSlam are vital to our local economy.”

Art Slam 2014 is produced by Realize Bradenton, a non-profit organization that builds community and promotes economic development through collaborative events, partnerships, and interactive strategies. The event is sponsored, in part, by the Bradenton Downtown Authority, BMO Harris Bank, Sarasota Magazine, the Woman’s Exchange Inc., Tropical Cadillac and Siesta Key Trolley.