Presented by Genisys Credit Union, Paint Creek Center for the Arts 56th annual juried art festival returns to Rochester September 9–11
Media Contact: Barbara Fornasiero; EAFocus Communications; 248.260.8466; barbara@eafocus.com; Alana Stultz, Community Engagement Coordinator, Paint Creek Center for the Arts; 248.651.4110; alana@pccart.org
Rochester, Mich.—August 17, 2022—With its signature event just weeks away, Paint Creek Center for the Arts (PCCA) is thrilled to announce the Art & Apples Festival® has once again landed on the Top 20 Fine Art and Design festival listings for 2021 by Sunshine Artist magazine. It is the only Michigan art festival in that exclusive category and follows the previous distinction from Sunshine Artist magazine listing the festival as ninth on its list of the 200 Best Fine Art and Design shows for the decade of 2010–2020. The announcement was made by Shaun Hayes, Executive Director of Paint Creek Center for the Arts.
“This ranking is welcome news as we head into the final stretch of preparing for the 56th annual Art & Apples Festival – which is drawing artists from 23 states this year,” Hayes said. “Michigan has several outstanding art festivals, and for Art & Apples to lead the pack nationally is gratifying.”
According to its press release on the honor, Sunshine Artist’s 200 Best focuses solely on artist show revenue because that is the most objective indicator of a show’s future success. This year’s list reflects the most profitable art and craft festivals in the country based on artists’ reported sales in 2021. Art & Apples has been included in the top 200 since 2016.
Whimsical clay sculpture artists Corey and Stacey Bechler, a husband-and-wife team who hail from the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park region in Northern Michigan, participate in a handful of art fairs in the Midwest throughout the summer, and can attest to the profitability, but also that ‘something extra,’ that Art & Apples provides.
“We absolutely love driving down to beautiful Rochester to do the Art & Apples Festival; it is one of the premiere art fairs in the state and country,” Corey Bechler said. “Our sales have always been strong, but it’s the intangibles that I am really impressed with. From an artist standpoint, Paint Creek Center for the Arts really takes care of the artists…and from a personal standpoint, I love and admire how the entire community pitches in to make this show amazing, with marching bands coming through the heart of the show, the local acts on stage and the tastes and smells from the food trucks!”
With the generous support of presenting sponsor Genisys Credit Union, Art & Apples Festival® runs September 9–11, and brings together a juried group of 230+ skilled artists and artisans along with an expected 80,000 attendees to the sprawling Rochester Municipal Park near downtown Rochester for a three-day celebration of fine art. A variety of mediums will be showcased including drawing, painting, digital art, clay, jewelry, 2- and 3-D mixed media, wearable and non-wearable fiber, wood, glass, sculpture, metalsmithing, printmaking, photography and leather.
Beyond art for purchase, the festival offers a variety of activities including a host of creative and fun activities at the Meijer Kids Arts Zone and the Creation Station for families to participate and discover, continuous live performances from community music and dance groups throughout the weekend, and food vendors offering a wide array of tasty options.
Now in its 56th year, Art & Apples serves as the PCCA’s signature fundraiser to support the nonprofit organization’s art classes for kids and adults, art exhibitions, the Art Market exclusively featuring local Michigan artists’ work, summer camps, and community outreach through its Art Anywhere program. A suggested $5 donation per person will be accepted at each of the festival’s entrances, and in turn, PCCA shares a portion of these donations with the other area nonprofits and community ‘gate groups’ greeting festival-goers.
Art & Apples will open on Friday, September 9 from 2 p.m.–7:30 p.m. in Rochester Municipal Park and continue on Saturday, September 10 from 9 a.m.–7:30 p.m. and Sunday, September 11 from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. More information about the festival can be found on PCCA’s website at https://www.pccart.org/festival/.
A variety of sponsorship packages are also available. For more information on becoming a sponsor, please visit the Art & Apples sponsorship page on the website, or call PCCA at 248-651-4110 or email Shaun Hayes at Shaun@PCCArt.org.
About Paint Creek Center for the Arts
Paint Creek Center for the Arts (PCCA) is a regional nonprofit art center located in Downtown Rochester. PCCA is supported, in part, by contributions from the Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs and the National Endowment for the Arts. PCCA’s overall mission is to support creativity by providing opportunities for all to learn, create, experience, and appreciate the arts. Learn more at pccart.org.
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