For its ninth year of arts-oriented activities, FestivFALL will present an innovative format in October, owing to the social strictures resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
To adhere to CDC guidelines and proper social distancing measures, FestivFALL will be an eight-day, online event this year, revealing an eclectic mixture of virtual and at-home programming.
Main events will include a virtual Harvest Art Fair, the Charleston ARTbus unveiling, “Three Things,” programming from the West Virginia Dance Company and Charleston Light Opera Guild, a grab-and-go version of Taste-of-ALL, performances by local musicians, tutorials, and more.
The events are slated for Saturday, Oct. 10, through Saturday, Oct. 17, to be presented on the FestivALL YouTube Channel at youtube.com.
“We’re fortunate to have so many incredible artists and partners who have come together to present more than a week of experiences in the arts,” FestivALL Marketing and Production Coordinator Mallory Richards said in a media release. “We look forward to our audience enjoying reimagined signature events and new events — whether it is new to you or new to FestivFALL.”
The Harvest Art Fair will present, virtually, 25 regional artisans and their handcrafted goods, available for online purchasing.
“When you buy products from these artists,you are doing more than just buying unique, handmade products. You are also supporting your local economy and the livelihood of artists who have lost an entire level of their businesses with the absence of fairs and festivals this summer and fall. There is a huge wealth of talent in our state, and it is more important than ever to support these local makers,” Richards said.
The call has gone out for teenage artists to submit entries for the Art-for-FALL Virtual Teen Art Exhibition. Students in grades seven through 12 are invited to enter through the Friday, Oct. 2, deadline. The exhibition is open to students who live in Kanawha, Fayette, Clay, Putnam, Jackson, Boone, Braxton, Cabell, Putnam, Lincoln, Greenbrier, Nicholas, Raleigh, and Roane counties.
The virtual “Three Things” program will spotlight a trio of speakers: musician/police officer Jeff Ellis, singer Landau Eugene Murphy Jr., and Smithers Mayor Dr. Anne Cavalier. The program will start at 7 p.m. on Oct. 14 on the YouTube channel, with tickets available on a “pay-what-you-want” basis.
Additionally, the Charleston Light Opera Guild will present online, encore performances of its 2019 production, “Shrek: The Musical.” FestivFALL will also revisit the West Virginia Dance Company’s 2019 FestivFALL performance of “Catching Light,” inspired by West Virginia glass artist Ron Hinkle. These events will include special new features in their online presentations.
The calendar of events is as follows:
Oct. 10-17:
• Virtual Harvest Art Fair
• Harvest Art Fair: Children’s Art Fair Make-at-Home Projects and Tutorials
• October at Home with Charleston Main Streets
• Taste-of-ALL Grab & Go Promo
• Art-for-FALL: FestivALL’s Virtual Teen Art Exhibition
• American Shakespeare Center performs “Othello”
Oct. 10:
• Welcome to FestivFALL!
• Glow at Home
Oct. 11:
• Great Composers Virtual Chamber Music Series: “The Magic of Mozart”
• “Catching Light” Artist Interview and Performance by the West Virginia Dance Company
Oct. 12:
• Imagine Circus presents “A Circus at Home” and a Vacuum and Liquid Nitrogen Science Show
Oct. 13:
• MLK Mural Project –Virtual Painting Workshop
Oct. 14:
• “Three Things: My First, My Favorite, My Future,” featuring Jeff Ellis, Landau Eugene Murphy Jr., and Dr. Anne Cavalier
Oct. 15:
• The Charleston Light Opera Guild presents “Shrek: The Musical”
Oct. 16:
• The Charleston Light Opera Guild presents “Shrek: The Musical”
• Party in the Patch — Take-Home Paint Your Own Pumpkin Kits from the Capitol Market
Oct. 17:
• Party in the Patch — Take-Home Paint Your Own Pumpkin Kits from the Capitol Market
• Charleston Light Opera Guild presents “Shrek: the Musical”
• Art-for-FALL: FestivALL’s Virtual Teen Art Exhibition Virtual Award Ceremony
• Harvest Art Fair: Virtual Art Fair Experience
Additional events will include a Virtual Brickscape–Artist “Residency” and Exhibition, Poetry with Marc Harshman and Jeff Worley, an Oct. 18 presentation of CLOG’s “Shrek: The Musical,” and the unveiling of the ARTbus.
Updates and more information, including Teen Art Exhibition submission forms, are available at www.festivallcharleston.com.