Last year over 4,000 people joined over 200 visual artists, filmmakers, musicians and other performance artists to celebrate the inaugural launch of the People’s Arts Festival (PAF) at The Russell Industrial Center located at 1600 Clay Avenue off I-75. This year Festival planners expect that crowd to double – once again securing its claim to being the largest arts festival in the City of Detroit.

The People’s Arts Festival is unique in several ways.

Other than a nominal community participation fee which covers security and other costs exhibiting artists aren’t being asked to pay a fee or hand over a commission on any sales. A music merchandising area will once again be set up for all participating bands with all sales being retained by the performers. Exhibit space, public lighting, sound systems, stages and security are all being provided at no cost to participants by the Russell Center for Creative Arts (RCCA), a not-for-profit group established this year to administer the PAF and other artistic projects at the Russell Industrial Center, or “The Russell” as its referred to by the 80 artists, writers, musicians, furniture makers, photographers, glass, metal and wood workers, craftpersons and designers who operate 120 studios and businesses in the 92 year old complex designed by Albert Kahn. Kahn, the foremost American industrial architect of his day, is sometimes called The Architect of Detroit.

Last year the PAF became the largest free-to-artists festival ever held in the City of Detroit. “We hope to accomplish several things through our sponsorship of the Festival,” said Dennis Kefallinos, the owner of Russell Industrial Center and an RCCA board member. “Once again, it’s part of our way of saying, ‘Thank You’ to the artists and other creative people who have chosen to locate their studios and businesses with us. Last year’s festival brought the Russell family even more closely together and has resulted in the launch of dozens of creative projects – some involving individual tenants, groups of tenants or the community as a whole.

“Supporting the festival is also a way of giving something back to Detroit and proving that there’s still a lot of positive energy in this city. Finally, it’s another opportunity for us to showcase this unbelievable campus. We have seven buildings here and over 2.2 million square feet, so there’s still plenty of room for people who are interested in joining our community.”

“To me the most exciting thing about this festival is still that it has been planned by artists, it’s essentially free to artists and that the guidelines we established as artists have been honored by The Russell management,” said Mark Arminski a globally-renowned painter and poster maker and one of the three members of the Festival’s Artists’ Committee. “The whole feel of the festival last year was dramatic. I think all the artists drew from the energy of the crowd. We couldn’t have hoped for more our first year out and this year promises to be even more exciting. We’ve also been fortunate once again to secure the sponsorship of Real Detroit magazine which last year did a spectacular job of moving the festival forward. And, you really can’t say enough about the artists and other members of the Russell Family who have generously contributed so much time and talent to the planning and ongoing organization of this event.”

The Festival will be open to the public from 11:00 a.m. until midnight on Saturday, September 13, 2008.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: CONTACT THE PAF at mediapaf@gmail.com

This Sunday, September 7th
at Cliff Bell’s (2030 Park Ave. Detroit)
doors @ 7pm, events begin @ 8pm

$7 cover at which you will receive a copy of the book.

p.s. Angela McBride is supplying fun & fashion . . .
featuring:
Haute to Death
The Sisters Lucas
The Sugarcoats
Gardens
Al Scheurman
Liz Star
Magi

For more info on Richard Click HERE to read his blog posting

pre release copies of EXPLORATIONS OF A PAGE available NOW at 323East.

The Russell Bazaar