CEDAR KEY ARTS FEST OFFERS HEART STICKERS FOR VISITORS TO MARK THEIR FAVORITE ART

The Cedar Key Arts Festival is a family affair.

For two days, the entire town enjoins to present an art-inspiring day.

April 13-14th 10am to 5pm, marks the 49th anniversary of the Cedar Key Old Florida Celebration of the Arts Festival (OFCA), presenting a record-breaking 161 Fine Artists in Painting, Sculpture, Glass, Ceramics, Drawing, Fiber, Leather, Metal, Jewelry, Mosaic, Photography, Wood and Mixed Media.

Additionally and traditionally, City Park will be filled with homemade food and fresh seafood presented by local civic, school and community groups, along with music by DJ LaPuma, who will spin for all audiences, and special guest Storytellers throughout the afternoon.

But this year a new dimension has been added to enhance the art fest`s visitor experience, called the WE HEART ART program.

"We want to know what art inspires your heart," invites Festival Coordinator Laura Matson Hahn. "Show us what you love by placing a free heart sticker on the booths with art you find most exciting and inspiring." For the first time ever, festival visitors will be given 4 free heart stickers to place on any of the 161 booths of art. The limited number of stickers is to encourage visitors to closely look at all the art before making their pick.

"Our objective is to create more engagement between the art and artist and visitor." Hahn explains. "Surveys of art festivals have documented an aging of the typical art buyer, so we have to curate an Art-Smart audience in the younger generations. But art can be intimidating. There is an understandable reluctance in the general population to engage with artists, often based on a discomfort in knowing what makes art good or fine. But if you ask 10 people that questions, you often get 20 answers."

The OFCA believes art is a personal experience and wants to encourage visitors to look at art from a secure place. "Your opinion matters but this is not a competition. There are no prizes," Hahn said. "When a visitor chooses to `give-some-love` in the form of a heart sticker on a booth, we hope it will spark a conversation with the artist about their work. By and large, most artists love talking about their work more than even selling it."

Free Heart Stickers will be distributed at the Information Booth on Second Street, to make the experience of the Art Festival more fun for the patrons and a delight for the artists as well.

The OFCA Festival is presented by the Cedar Key Arts Center, and with Title Sponsor Palms Medical Group: Your Medical Home for Health, Wellness, Life.

The Music in the Park is sponsored by Cirtus Kia Automotive Dealer.

Florida Storytellers Kaye Byrnes and Bob Patterson will present throughout the afternoon both Saturday and Sunday with stories for all ages.

Cedar Key is on the gulf, 50 west of Gainesville at the end of route 24.

Come Early! Stay Late! Have Fun! Be Inspired! Feed Your Heart With Art!

Laura Matson Hahn is available for in person or phone interviews upon request.