Consumers Stream to the Liguanea Art Festival!

A young girl admires the art on display.

Festivals can be hard to organize as there needs to be a wide range of activities to encourage consumers to stay so that they will buy the items being sold.

The strain that exists on consumers also presents its own challenges as persons will have to be convinced that the items on sale are worth their price tags.

The organizers of the Liguanea Art Festival, held on June 1, 2014 at The Chinese Benevolent Centre on Old Hope Road, certainly was able to provide the perfect balance and gave consumers and art lovers a treat.

The change of venue from previous years provided well needed parking spaces that made it easy for patrons to access the facility. Admission was free so everyone could get a ‘taste’ of the art world.

The booths were set up both inside and outside and catered to a wide range of consumers. The art works on display were certainly the focus of the festival but patrons were also treated to dances, musical performances and a puppet show.  The best part of the festival was the interaction between the artists and the public.

Pricey Art

Art is not cheap by any stretch of the imagination and this festival boasted artists and photographers such as Howard Moo Young and Richard Atkinson. Some of their pieces had price tags of over $30,000.

However there were also prints available for only $500.00 and hand crafted jewelry for between $2,500.00 – $4,000. There were some pieces that literally took your breath away with their beauty and certainly the prices were a reflection of the immense talent and skill of the artisans.

The festival showcased several companies such as World Brands and Cari-Med who were on hand to provide samples of various products.

The Best Dressed Chicken booth ensured that no one went hungry to the delight of anyone who had a taste for jerk chicken and burgers. There were also vegetarian and seafood options for consumers.

In my humble opinion,the festival was a huge success and when the curtains closed at 7:oo p.m. both artists and patrons left satisfied.

Did you go to the festival? Which was your favourite moment?

Teri Ann Renee Paisley

Gleaner Online Writer

Tags: art, festival