Community Event Celebrates Visual, Performing Arts Created by Scottsdale K-12 Students
A family festival to celebrate visual and performing arts created by Scottsdale students is returning in late March after a big turnout in its inaugural year.
Scottsdale Family ArtsFest at SkySong will be held on March 22 and 23 at SkySong, The ASU Scottsdale Innovation Center in south Scottsdale. The event is a partnership between Arizona State University, the Scottsdale Unified School District, Scottsdale Arts, the City of Scottsdale, and the SkySong development team.
Scottsdale Family ArtsFest at SkySong will be a free, two-day festival of creativity that includes performances, interactive demonstrations, creative interventions, and culinary delights from local food trucks throughout the SkySong campus.
Over the course of the event, attendees will experience performances and art exhibitions delivered by Scottsdale Unified School District students, family friendly arts activities presented by Scottsdale Arts Learning & Innovation, and interactive demonstrations from City of Scottsdale departments.
“We are excited to bring back this collaboration with the city, its arts community and ASU to create an exceptional community event,” said Dr. Scott Menzel, Scottsdale Unified School District Superintendent. “This is a wonderful opportunity to be able to showcase the work of our visual and performing arts students in this kind of setting.”
“This event has emerged as tremendous addition to the arts scene in Scottsdale,” said Gerd Wuestemann, president and CEO with Scottsdale Arts. “We are looking forward to once again showcasing the work of local students and continuing to enhance the arts in our community through this new event.”
Scottsdale Community Partners (SCP) will be holding their annual Alli Ortega Empty Bowls Fundraiser in the lobby entrance of the event in SkySong Building 1. There will be bowls crafted by SUSD students and the Scottsdale community available for purchase, in addition to an online auction featuring class bowls, art, and various goods donated by the community. Funds raised will support all SCP programs, in partnership with City of Scottsdale Human Services, such as the Vista del Camino Food Bank, Back-to-School, and Healthy Packs weekend food program for SUSD students.
The event starts on Friday, March 22 and runs from 5 to 9 p.m. that day, and will resume Saturday, March 23 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be several different areas to explore, including:
- Main Stage: Relax under the iconic SkySong tent and enjoy performances throughout the event by SUSD choirs, bands, and orchestras. Festivities kick off on Friday, March 22 at 5 p.m. with a welcome by SUSD Superintendent Dr. Scott Menzel, and President & CEO of Scottsdale Arts Dr. Gerd Wuestemann.
- Art Exhibitions, 1951@SkySong, SkySong Building 1: See artworks created by over 1,000 SUSD elementary, middle, and high school students.
- Arts Zone Activities: Participate in free artmaking activities delivered by Arizona-based artists.
- Café Stage: Grab a snack and enjoy performances throughout the event by SUSD student choirs and orchestras.
- Community Café: Meet our City of Scottsdale partners! Play games and make crafts in the park with Parks & Recreation, become an environmental steward with Solid Waste and Scottsdale Water, and be introduced to the technology and innovation techniques implemented throughout the City.
“Scottsdale is home to a broad variety of family friendly events and we are thrilled to once again be adding the Scottsdale Family ArtsFest at SkySong to that mix,” said Joy Racine, Community Involvement Manager, Citizen Service with the City of Scottsdale. “We look forward to recognizing the work of our local students at this exciting event and celebrating a successful second year.”
“We are very pleased to once again bring this celebration of the arts to life on the SkySong campus,” said Chris Anaradian, Director, Commercial Development for University Realty, LLC, a partner in SkySong. “SkySong has always embraced the arts and featured them prominently, and this is a great way to continue that tradition while further connecting with the community.”
Seed funding for the event was provided by a grant from the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust to Arizona State University. Sponsorships for the Scottsdale Family ArtsFest at SkySong are available as well. For more information on the event, visit www.skysong.com/artsfest.