It's a hit!
Well, the first Arts Alive! Festival has come and gone (crazy thought) and it was a hit.
We were struck with some bad weather (it’s Edmonton, it’s October…), which really got us on our game. We were ready for the worst I think, as things got a little crazy down to the wire in those last minutes of preparation (how do you prepare for something that’s never happened before?). But, all that said, we had a great turnout for a first time. For an any-time, really.
There, in the middle of a chilly day, in the middle of Alberta Avenue, in some near forgotten spaces, as Ken Chapman put it, “a little miracle” happened.
Somewhere between 800 and 1000 Edmontonians came down to the Ave to celebrate the Arts together. They took in plays, live music, dance troupes, and some gorgeous fine art pieces (and much more).
At one point I sat down on a bail of hay by the fire and talked at length with Rick, a neighborhood man who was so touched by the festival that he just couldn’t leave. He sat there by the fire, all day, just taking it in. He said he could barely even enter the visual art gallery because it was just so beautiful it made him tear up. As we talked, I saw how important an event like this is to a community like ours. A community that doesn’t get this in her own backyard very often – if at all. A community rebuilding her dignity. Thanks Rick, for helping me see. And for your great stories!
So, if you missed Arts Alive! this year, don’t you worry. We’re working on next year and with the head start we have, things will only get better.
See you there, Rick.