May 19-20
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| 04-08-11 - FESTIVAL'S ARTIST MARKETPLACE FOCUSES ON REGIONAL CRAFTS |
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FESTIVAL'S ARTIST MARKETPLACE FOCUSES ON REGIONAL CRAFTS The annual Bear on the Square Mountain Festival in Dahlonega, Ga., has the mission of preserving and celebrating the culture of the Southern Appalachians through the presentation of music, traditional craft and folkways. While the music portion of the program can be enjoyed through the performances at the MainStage Tent in Hancock Park and the jamming around the Historic Public Square, the crafts and folkways are well represented at the festival's Artist Marketplace and Country Store. The 15th annual festival's Artist Marketplace and Country Store, which will be held on Saturday and Sunday, April 16-17, will benefit from having the John C. Campbell Folk School as Marketplace sponsor for the third consecutive year. Open on Saturday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., the marketplace will include a John C. Campbell Folk School section along North Park Street. In this area will be a tent where the work of the the folk school’s demonstrating artists as well as work from the school’s Craft Gallery will be available for purchase. The Bear on the Square Artist Marketplace will once again be made up of a remarkable collection of one-of-a-kind, handmade art and crafts from some of the Southern Appalachian region's best artists. Held around the Historic Public Square, it will continue its tradition of presenting the juried work from an impressive group of top quality artists. Returning to the Marketplace this year is North Georgia folk artist Billy Roper, Heritage Sponsor for the festival, who will be in a booth where the folk art bass fiddle he created for the Georgia Pick & Bow Traditional Music Program will be on display. In all, there will be over 30 Marketplace artists, including 10 who are new to Bear on the Square and 20 who are returning artists. There will also be booths from the SouthEastern Bluegrass Association (SEBA), the North Georgia Foothills Dulcimer Association (NGFDA), Foxfire Museum & Heritage Center, the Georgia Appalachian Studies Center (GASC), the Spectrum Art Club from North Georgia College & State University, and the Weekend Gold Miners Club. Other booths will contain a wide selection of work including pottery, wood crafts, fiber crafts, metal crafts, jewelry, painting and drawing, book binding, and multi-media, and some of these artists plan to demonstrate their work. There will also be exhibits from major sponsors of the festival. The Country Store on North Chestatee Street will feature such items as honey, homemade salsa, homemade granola, bread, and hand crafted soap. At Hancock Park, three local nurseries will be selling plants. Pre-festival events for the 2011 celebration will take place on Friday, April 15, with the start of jamming on the square, as well as Master Class Workshops in the afternoon and the Live Country Auction that night.The Artist Market and Country Store will be operating on Saturday and Sunday. There will be more jamming on the square and music workshops on Saturday and Sunday, performances by John C. Campbell Folk School dance teams on Saturday, a Sunday morning Gospel Jam led by Glenda Pender, a Saturday evening old-time Mountain Dance, and family activities. For more details about the festival, including the complete lineup of performers, activities, sponsors and updates between now and the event, visit www.bearonthesquare.org. Bear on the Square Mountain Festival, Inc., which stages the festival each year, is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit cultural arts organization. Tax deductible donations are welcome and can be sent to P.O. Box 338, Dahlonega, GA 30533.
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