A not-to-be-missed five-day celebration of public art and music, October 12-16.
The Serious Fun Arts Fest will celebrate public art, music, and dancing over five days in downtown White Plains starting today Wednesday, October 12.
ArtsWestchester’s festival brings monumental works of art to the city’s streets, including a six-story vibrant fabric sculpture by internationally renowned artist Amanda Browder that will be installed on the front façade of ArtsWestchester’s headquarters. The celebration’s headliner concert event is Sunday, October 16 with performances by Sammy Rae & The Friends, The Brighton Beat and ANDROMEDA.
“We expect this event and all five days of public art celebration to offer vibrant art on and off the walls in White Plains for visitors and residents alike,” said ArtsWestchester CEO Janet Langsam.
“This festival combines public art projects that have been completed and many new ones in a 5-day event that will attract new visitors and position White Plains as a creative force in the county well into the future,” said White Plains Mayor Tom Roach.
The festival’s highlights include:
- The ticketed Sunday headliner Sammy Rae & The Friends, an electrifying act that is selling out concert venues in New York City and throughout the East Coast. The band channels a kaleidoscope of influences ranging from classic rock to soul in high-energy performances.
- The free Saturday Block Party, including performances by the Slambovian Circus of Dreams, REMY, Westchester Dance Artists, Matt Turk & Friends, Will Evans and Porter Carroll, Jr.
- The Social Fabric, the new exhibition at ArtsWestchester’s gallery, features recent works and site-responsive commissions by artists who use textiles and fabrics to explore issues of broad social consequence.
- The Serious Fun Art Fair, a five-day pop-up in at the former Macy’s Backstage at The Galleria with more than 200 artists organized by the Blue Door Art Center, New Rochelle Art Association, and others. Live mural painting will be by artists Katie Reidy, Ian Rizzo, and Ramiro Davaro-Comas.
The Serious Fun Arts Fest is supported by a grant awarded to ArtsWestchester by Empire State Development and I LOVE NY/New York State’s Division of Tourism through the Regional Economic Development Council Initiative.
Empire State Development Vice President and Executive Director of Tourism Ross D. Levi said, ” I LOVE NY is happy to support the Serious Fun Arts Festival as another great reason to visit Westchester County and the Hudson Valley. Arts and cultural tourism mean serious business in New York State, creating jobs and supporting economic growth, and we encourage residents and visitors alike to come be a part of it all and find what they love during a seriously fun New York State Fall getaway.”
Monumental public art displays around the downtown include a skyscraper-high landmark mural on The Mitchell by artist Bianca Romero and sculpture installations by artists Shelley Parriott, Margaret Roleke and Cheryl Wing-Zi Wong.
The festival is ArtsWestchester’s latest investment in a public art program that since 2020 has provided artists with more than $700,000 in grants and commissions and delivered two dozen new works throughout Westchester County.
Major support is also provided by Montefiore Einstein, the festival’s presenting sponsor.
Click here for tickets for the October 16 concert.
For a complete list of events, visit the Serious Fun web page.
Contact: Ernie Garcia, Thompson & Bender, ernie@thompson-bender.com or 914-762-1900