About the Festival

Over 500,000 people visited the downtown riverfront June 2-5, to enjoy four sunny days at the 44th annual Columbus Arts Festival presented by Bank One (now Chase). Hundreds of artists, entertainers, local restaurateurs, corporate partners, and an amazing team of volunteers worked together to host another successful festival.

Festival preparation moved into high gear, as it does each year, during the first week in January, with the receipt of over 1,200 artist applications. 6,000 slides were juried, narrowing the field down to the 300 artists selected to participate in the festival in June. The slide jury, consisting of five artisans of varying backgrounds, selected the artists who exhibited in 2005. Artists from across the United States and Canada participated in the show this year.

Over sixty-five musical acts performed on the Subaru Bicentennial and Broad Street Club stages. Acts ranged from traditional jazz to rock to world music. In its second year, the Broad Street Club stage has quickly become a popular destination for those who prefer to enjoy live music in a more intimate, music club atmosphere. On Saturday evening, Bicentennial Park was filled to capacity with families enjoying the evening with one of Columbus’ greatest artistic organizations – the Columbus Jazz Orchestra - accompanied by local favorites Jeannette Williams, Dwight Lennox and many others. 2005 also marked the return of the Community Stage. Local performing arts groups such as Habeeba’s Dance Orientale and the Ginger Snaps were featured on this stage throughout the weekend.

Saturday and Sunday featured hands-on arts activities for both children and adults. In the Cultural Arts Center’s courtyard children were assisted by local arts organizations including the Columbus College of Art and Design and the James Cancer Hospital & Solove Research Institute in creating masterpieces of their own. The Adult Art Activities area, located on a street adjacent to the Children’s Area, offered adults the opportunity to work on a potter’s wheel, learn warm glass techniques while making glass beads, and assist in creating placemats, floor clothes and wall hangings for the Homeless Families Foundation. The local arts organizations involved in these activities provided an introductory experience to the arts for all ages and access to excellent resources in Columbus. The many community partnerships make these areas extremely popular year after year.

The Ohio Magazine Poetry Corner, a tent and stage offering a coffeehouse atmosphere dedicated to the art of the spoken word, was expanded for 2005 with a larger stage and seating area to accommodate the crowds. Featured readers auditioned in front of a jury of accomplished local poets and educators in March. Student poets from the Columbus Public Schools were featured on Saturday and Sunday. One of the most popular events at the Poetry Corner was the second annual Columbus Arts Festival Poetry Slam, featuring ten of Columbus' finest slam poets. A "slam" is a live contest, all in fun, where audience members participate in judging the poets’ performances. The poet who elicits the most enthusiastic audience response is the winner.

The true success of the festival is due to the hard work and dedication of the Coordinating Committee. The Committee, made up of several sub-committees each focusing on a specific area of festival planning, consists of a core volunteer group of 50-plus individuals who generously and collectively contribute hundreds of hours each year. The Coordinating Committee convenes in November and continues to work diligently on the festival through late June, assisting the Director and Coordinator with nearly every aspect of the planning, execution, and wrap-up. Many of these committee members have donated their time and expertise to the festival for several years. Such dedication makes it possible to present a well-organized event of the highest quality – the very reason the Columbus Arts Festival continues to be recognized as one of the best of its kind in the country.

In addition to the 50-plus "behind the scenes" volunteers, 700 people donate their time during the event. On-site volunteers assist with selling souvenirs and beverages, staffing information booths, and giving artists much-needed breaks throughout the day. These volunteers are truly the backbone of the event. In 2005, the festival created an on-line volunteer application form, making it easy for returning and new volunteers to sign-up. The new system allows for easier internal management of volunteer data, including easier on-site check-in procedures and more in-depth reporting mechanisms.