Message from the Mayor (cont'd.)
The Arts Festival continues with 50 events throughout the week at various locations around the City. An exciting array of free and ticketed events include street dances, concerts, performances for children, art workshops and demonstrations, a National Outdoor Sculpture Competition and Exhibition, the Arts Festival Gala, and concludes with the Grand Finale with performances, children's activities and fireworks at the beautiful Riverfront Park.
The goals of the festival have evolved with its history. The festival started out as a one day community celebration at Park Circle in 1984 with the goal of enhancing the quality of life through showcasing the arts. The event evolved as new facilities became available and the goal of tourism development was added. The festival moved to the North Charleston Coliseum in 1994 and expanded to two days. In 2000, the new Charleston Area Convention Center, North Charleston Performing Art Center and additional new venues, provided the springboard for the festival to expand to nine full days of activities throughout the City.
The Cultural Arts Department works with the North Charleston Arts Advisory Committee to develop year round programming for the City, including the Arts Festival. The Committee is comprised of a cross section of the community. In addition to this core committee, numerous key volunteers work to develop individual components of the festival. Research is done on a continual basis and strategic plans and implementation are made ten months out of the year. Annual festival evaluations by participants, staff and volunteers are used as a planning tool for the next year.
The target audience for the festival reflects the Cultural Arts Department's mission statement of increasing awareness of the arts and making arts experiences available to the widest spectrum of the community. The demographic target is broad: male and female; all ages; all cultures and economic backgrounds. The geographic target is focused on the Southeast.
For more information regarding the Art Festival click here. I hope to see you and your family at this year's Arts Festival.
As always, I can never thank you, the citizens of