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When the SoNo Arts Celebration gets underway in Norwalk Friday, it should run like a well-oiled machine, albeit one with some Rube Goldbergian quirks. But that might be expected for an annual event where the organizers have had 35 years to get things worked out. They've also had plenty of help, including hundreds of volunteers"Art Slaves" is what their T-shirts readand a dedicated cadre of directors.
Leading the way is festival director Sue Gordon. (She and her husband, David, make a formidable artist pair.) "I grew up in Norwalk and have always been involved with art in the community," Sue said as she was putting the finishing touches on the program. "I participated in the Celebration as an artist, and have volunteered for 20 years. Three years ago I jumped back on board as director."
Although the show runs just three days in August, Gordon's job is just about year-round. "We start encouraging artists to apply almost the day after the festival ends," she says, noting that because it is a juried event, artists must submit images of their work and booth to a committee, which chooses who gets sidewalk space. "We want to make sure we have great representation, everything from very traditional to exciting," says Gordon. "We also want to make sure to support our local artists. It's so important to buy work from living artists."
One of the challenges faced by organizers is keeping the Celebration fresh, and this year several changes have been introduced. "We've increased the number of booths, and changed things on the Washington Street plaza to make the flow a little better," said Gordon. Also new this year will be an "oasis" cooling center and a singer-songwriter stage on North Main Street.
Live music has always been a major part of the Celebration, and this year Tom Craig has come on board to assemble what Gordon calls a "supercharged lineup."
The food court has also been completely revamped. "It will have a larger, more international selection," says Gordon. "Our food chair, Liz Ostler, said, 'This is an arts festival, it should have art food.' "
The Celebration begins Friday at 6 p.m. and continues through Sunday at 5 p.m. For complete details, including a list of exhibitors and performance times, check the SoNo Arts Celebration website.
Have you attended the SoNo Arts Celebration? What's your favorite part?
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