Meet Some of the Outstanding International Artists at these FREE Events Coming This Week to CIAF!
Sep 16, 2024 / Blog
The third annual Charlotte International Arts Festival is officially underway and sites around the city have been transformed to welcome the hundreds of art installations and performances on display NOW - Sept. 29! From Uptown to Ballantyne to the brand new Blume Studios, you won’t want to miss out.
Charlotte will also play host to several special FREE events where some of the outstanding, visiting international artists will share deeper insight into their creative work and process. Here’s a look at a few of these opportunities where you can hear directly from the artists.
Ask the Artist Anything
Wednesday, Sept.18, 6 - 8pm
Stage 2 at Blume Studios
FREE! To RSVP, click here!
For the third year, Blumenthal Arts will offer local artists and community members the opportunity to hear directly from some of the festival’s most accomplished international visiting artists, as they speak candidly about their artistic process, share their experiences and answer audience questions.
This year, UK multidisciplinary artist Luke Jerram will take the mic to talk about his extensive international work, which includes sculptures, installations and live arts projects. In 2023 alone, he had 115 exhibitions in 27 different countries, seen by more than three million people.
Two of his extraordinary works are on display at CIAF this fall: “Gaia” — a large-scale replica of planet earth on display at Blume Studios — and the second local iteration of his city-wide poetry project, “Of Earth and Sky.” That project, which turns snippets of original poetry from Charlotte-based writers into works of public art, made its American debut at the first CIAF in 2022.
Keith Tucker, director of the Australian arts and entertainment company Megafun, will also speak about his work overseeing creative projects all over the world. The company specializes in production, management and technical work to support exhibitions, live performances, events and public art. At CIAF, Tucker is part of the team behind “Groundswell,” the massive kinetic creation by fellow Australian artist, Matthias Schack-Arnott. Tucker oversaw Technical Design & Management as well as Lighting Design on the six-meter long installation art piece.
“Groundswell,” sponsored at CIAF by Judy and Derek Raghavan, will be on display during the run of “Space Explorers: THE INFINITE” at Blume Studios. Visitors can climb on the work’s raised platform, where they will feel, hear and see the artwork shift with thousands of illuminated balls below, responding to the steps and movements people make.
After the event, all participants will walk down to Stage 1 at Blume Studios to see Gaia, Of Earth and Sky and Groundswell in person. Each audience member will also receive a voucher to come back to experience Space Explorers: The Infinite, once it is open!
All Ages Celebration to honor “Of Earth and Sky” Poets
Meet the project creator, artist Luke Jerram!
Thursday, September 19, 6 - 8pm
Levine Avenue of the Arts
FREE! To RSVP, click here!
Celebrate along with hundreds of past and current project participants, community poetry workshop attendees and others at this special event honoring the second installment of the city-wide poetry project. International artist Luke Jerram, who created the project and originally launched it in Gloucester, England in 2020, will be there to join the fun.
