Write a commentIt started with a letter to the editor inviting folks to gather and talk about building a better future for Fulton through the arts.
Now, ten years later, the nonprofit community arts center is looking to celebrate this milestone with a block party, Saturday, July 10, from 8am to 3pm on the streets of downtown Fulton.
“We’ve been planning this event for months and really hope the community will come out to celebrate with us,” said Nancy Fox, Founder and Executive Director. “We’re bringing back some of the ideas that helped us launch the Arts Center with Arts Fest on the River, the first arts festival in July 2011.
“We had 14 artists, food vendors, live entertainment and a talent show in 2011 to kick off the dreams and ideas of having an arts center in Fulton,” Fox continued. “For this celebration, we’re once again planning live entertainment, food vendors, a talent show, art projects for kids, and a ceramic painting class for adults. This will be a major expansion of our weekly Arts Market with more than 40 art vendors, including some local agencies and direct sales entrepreneurs. We’ll have vendors spanning both sides of Cayuga St, the breezeway, and down S. 1st St. It will be the largest gathering of Artists in downtown Fulton in our history.”
The Arts Center itself, located at 121 Cayuga St, will be grand central for the event where Board Members will give tours and provide information on all the Arts Center activities and opportunities available. A Membership table will have balloons holding prizes for new members who sign up during the block party. Raffle baskets will also be available along with plenty of birthday cake and cookies.
“We completed renovations on this empty downtown building just before the pandemic closed us for months. Low turnout for our Grand Opening prompted us to offer a 2nd chance to invite the public to see what their support has created,” Fox said. “We have so many surprises in store for those who have never seen our beautiful building. We are excited to give tours and talk about the future of the arts in Fulton. There is truly something for everyone at the Arts Center and we hope the next 10 years will continue to meet the community needs as a gathering place for exciting art adventures.”
The art vendors will be set up by 8am on Saturday during Farmer’s Market and continue to 1pm. Food will be ready by 9am including breakfast pizza and cinnamon rolls in Arty’s Kitchen. Live music runs 11am-1pm outdoors, followed by a talent show indoors on the CNy Arts Center stage from 1-3pm. For more information about the organization and the event, visit CNYArtsCenter.com or call 315-598-ARTS (2787). To register for the Talent Show, contact organizer Adam Schmidtmann at [email protected].
