By Lora Scripps
lora@athensnews-courier
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Art on the Square’s tagline “Art. Experience it. Own it.,” says it all when it comes to this weekend’s Art on the Square Arts Festival.
“This festival promises to be more entertaining than ever,” said Diane Lehr, vice president of Arts League who added there would be lots of local and regional talent taking part in the event.
There will be approximately 50 visual artists including painters, sculptors, metal artists, photographers, ceramicists, fiber artists, jewelry artists, mixed media artists as well as an array of performing artists.
Art on the Square takes place from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Saturday around the courthouse downtown.
Savvy collectors are encouraged to attend the festival and see for themselves the quality and diversity represented at this year’s show.
Lehr’s excitement for the show is stronger than ever before because Art on the Square has brought performing arts into the creative process.
A professional troupe of Irish step dancers will be in Athens, bagpipes in tow, for two performances at 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
The Nashville Irish Step Dancers performance troupe has preformed at the famous Ryman Auditorium and become a tradition at the Grand Ole Opry for 10 years. They have preformed with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, Irish fiddler extraordinaire Eileen Ivers and Irish legends and multi-Grammy winners The Chieftains. The troupe was privileged to be the featured guest on the Chieftains final original cast performance at the historic Ryman Auditorium, which included Ricky Skaggs, Martina McBride, Alison Krauss and a number of other artists.
Also performing is professional singer-songwriter Brian Ashley Jones from Nashville as well as a number of local musicians and a public drum circle.
Jones will play at 11 a.m. “Brian Ashley Jones guitar and songwriting are the vehicles that took him to Nashville, Tenn.,” his website www.brianashleyjones.com said. “From there, he travels far and wide as he strives to always play, sing and write better than the day before.”
Jones was an official performer at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, has opened multiple sold-out concerts for Delbert McClinton and footage of Jones performing in Nashville appeared in the British network TV show “Amanda Holden’s Fantasy Lives” in February 2010. Jones is an Americana artist who continues to be inspired by the elements of blues, swing, country and bluegrass.
When it comes to visual arts, Lehr said they will be stationed under the trees around the courthouse and they will represent the best in Alabama and the local region.
Local stained-glass artist Julie Gill wowed the community with her glass canopy in 2009 and won Best in Show at the festival. She promises even more surprises with her work this year.
The multi-faceted KidsZone is once again a huge part of Art on the Square. It is always free and offers over 20 art activities for children.
According to Lehr, the Art on the Square group has worked diligently throughout the year to bring this experience to Athens and they are hopeful the community will come out and enjoy the fruits of their labor.
The festival is free to the public and a “heavy rain” location has been secured at Athens State University Gym.
—Lora Scripps contributed to this article.
