This will be in the Indy tomorrow. (Look for a piece about the Visual Art Exchange.) But the VAE has a press release out, so no need to wait. I love Sparkcon. Moving it to the Warehouse District should make it even better — as a spark for the new downtown arts hub. And the fashion show in the Amphitheater will spark-le.
If you don’t know Sparkcon, it’s all here on the website. It’s September 13-16.
This is from Sarah Powers at VAE:
SPARKcon will be moving to the Warehouse District and the Raleigh Amphitheatre for 2012. Organizers are looking forward to creating a new and distinct look for SPARKcon against the industrial backdrop of Raleigh’s new art district.
The event is September 13-16, 2012, kicking off at the Raleigh Amphitheater for its first Opening Ceremony on September 13. All of the outdoor programming during September 14-16 will be held in the Warehouse District between Martin, Davie, Dawson and West Streets.
SPARKcon will showcase the talent of more than 1,700 artists and attract a crowd of more than 25,000 people over four days. This will be a boon to the emerging arts district and SPARKcon believes this event can help secure the Warehouse district as an arts destination.
SPARKcon is an interdisciplinary arts festival created by designers, artists and community organizers to celebrate creativity in the Triangle. SPARKcon’s name comes from being a “con”ference to “spark” the local art community and seeks to brand the Triangle as “the creative hub of the South.” The event is organized by Visual Art Exchange, which moved its gallery space to the Warehouse District in 2011.
By moving the event, SPARKcon organizers can invest in VAE’s new neighborhood and help brand the neighborhood as an art district. Further, the move will help keep the event fresh and keep SPARKcon distinct amongst the growing number of events and festivals held in downtown Raleigh. The area is also close to transit (take the train to SPARKcon from Cary and Durham!) and provides a combination of indoor art spaces and street space that work with the organizer’s vision for the event.
The Opening Ceremony will be hosted in the Raleigh Amphitheater and will feature fashionSPARK’s runway show as well as dance, circus and music performances. The amphitheater will raise the profile of these events and SPARKcon is thrilled to used this new, professional venue for their production.
