ArtFields celebrates the arts with nine-day festival

On May 3,  I went to the 12^th annual ArtFields Festival in Lake City.

ArtFields is one of the biggest art festivals in the South and is worth the almost hour and a half drive.

This art competition and festival turned Lake City into a living art gallery, with more than 700 pieces of art on display in numerous venues.

Fellow road junkie Bennie Miles and I were able to see only a fraction of all the artwork.
According to ArtFields organizers, the artwork ranged from paintings and sculptures to installations and new media works, displayed in restaurants, boutiques, offices, art galleries, and other types of businesses.

Artists over the age of 18 from 12 states are eligible to submit work for the competition. Student artists in grades 1-12 from the state enter ArtFields Jr. The top-rated works from both age groups are invited to be part of the exhibition and competition. 

A jury panel selects the winners of the $ 50,000 grand prize and $25,000 second place. Attendees vote to determine two People’s Choice awards worth $12,500 each. For ArtFields Jr., students and visitors ages 18 and younger vote for the student choice awards, and a jury panel selects the remainder, with prizes up to $500. ArtFields Jr. had more than 300 art pieces on display.

The nine-day event featured the Makers Market, where artisans sold their handmade pieces, a plein air competition, and live music.

I was fortunate to attend the festival on May 3 and enjoyed myself. My only regret was not going earlier. ArtFields ended May 4 with announced winners and music from The Root Doctors.
I saw a lot of amazing art, but I will talk about my top three.

The first was “The Environmental Impact of 250 Opinions” by Matt Amante from Winterville, N.C. He used donated political signs and packaging tape to make this 3-D piece. Amante called it a reactionary piece because he did not find political signs to be informative or persuasive.

Next was an eight-foot piece, “Debt Collection,” that spoke to me about the high cost of medical care. The artist, Jeremiah Johnson of Thibodaux, La., created a giant syringe with all his medical bills from 2020 until now. Johnson has ulcerative colitis, and as he receives a bill, he adds it to the syringe. On the front of the pedestal is the total he owes – more than $800,000 – and the amount changes each month. I thought it was a very powerful piece.

The third piece I loved was “Room for Improvement” by Ansleigh Britain of Murfreesboro, Tenn. This work was comprised of 20,000 classroom reward stickers. Britain spent 60 hours creating this self-portrait of praise. I can relate to the thought that sometimes your self-worth is tied to what you are creating.

Again, this was only a fraction of what I saw. To share more of the artwork I saw, I have created a gallery of photos from ArtFields on The Link’s website (www.thelinkpaper.com/photos/).

This year's new event was the Slow Fashion Center for Degrowth. It was a chance to look at fashion from another viewpoint. Social practice artist Corrine Loperfido had a sewing machine available to show people how to create their own clothing. In another room, clothing donated by individuals and area thrift stores was displayed.

Another new thing was the newly constructed Acline Studio, which offers artists a dedicated location to work on their art, explore ideas, and connect with other artists.
Years ago, I used to sew and try to make some clothing. I am really interested in exploring this, and the center was very inspirational.

While the 2024 ArtFields has concluded, it will return next year from April 24 through May 2.
More about ArtFields and submitting for the 2025 festival is available at www.artfieldssc.org/.