ArtWeek returns to Marion

As the Marion Art Center participates in Massachusetts’ ArtWeek from April 26 to May 5 it again looks to make the  celebration its own, and to offer the tri-town opportunities to see or participate in music, poetry, dance, fine arts and more.

ArtWeek began as a Boston-based program in 2013. As it grew to have a statewide presence, Marion first participated last year, with more than a dozen events. This year, the public celebration of the arts features 13 events.

Jennifer Wolfe Webb, chair of Marion ArtWeek, says that last year the Art Center learned about “finding ideas for ArtWeek events, learning what arts events people in our community enjoy and want to be part of and publicizing and marketing ArtWeek.”

“We also discovered and continue to discover the rich creative community on the South Coast,” she added. Organizers worked to make Marion ArtWeek distinctive “by really focusing on artists, performers and instructors from our local area — or from the region, though most are from around here.”

Among the featured artists are Benares Angeley, the owner of the Children’s Art Lab in Mattapoisett, Tabor Academy English teacher Mark Howland, and the Art Center’s own Executive Director Jodi Stevens.

“All of the talent is around here, and I think people don’t realize because they don’t see it every day,” Wolfe Webb said. “It’s great for people in Marion to celebrate the talent in our community.”

ArtWeek 2019 is emphatically not a repeat of ArtWeek 2018. “With the exception of the Jazz Jam, which I think is destined to become an annual ArtWeek-at-the-MAC event, all our events this year are new,” Wolfe Webb said.

The Art Center has made an effort to keep events free or at low cost.

So come see two historic poets meet up at a poetry slam, make art with your grandchild, watch Irish step dancing, learn about art and history, or help make Marion’s sidewalks look like Portuguese tiles.

ArtWeek events are included at https://sippican.theweektoday.com/calendar