Festival Brings New Workshops, Music Back to Railroad Street
To commemorate its 5th anniversary, ArtAwake, the University of Rochester student-organized festival, will return to its roots on Railroad Street, turning an unused portion of the Rohrbach Brewing Co. into a vibrant art and music venue.
Getting its start in 2008 at the former Station 55, ArtAwake is an annual festival that aims to unite members of the community through a shared celebration of Rochester's cultural offerings. This year's event will feature performances by 20 area musicians and will display more than 125 works of art. The one-day festival runs from 2 p.m. to midnight on Saturday, April 21, at Rohrbach Brewing Co., 97 Railroad Street, near the Rochester Public Market.
ArtAwake 2012 will feature several interactive exhibits, including the Rochester Contemporary Art Center's 6x6x2012 fundraiser where guests can create and contribute their own tiles to the annual exhibit. Artist David Ohlerking II will have a booth where participants can pose for sketch drawings and there also will be a station where guests can decorate Rorhbach glass jug growlers ($3 per growler).
Hors d'oeuvres will showcase local ingredients, compliments of Lento Restaurant, Chipotle Mexican Grill, and Napa Wood Fired Pizzeria, while coffee and dessert will be available from Small World Bakery, Cheesy Eddies, and Joe Bean Coffee Roasters. Rohrbach craft beers will be available for guests 21 years of age and over in the Tasting Room.
The concept for ArtAwake originated when University of Rochester student Carlin Gettlife '09 saw that many students, absorbed in school work and campus activities, were missing out on all the city had to offer. His solution: ArtAwake, an art and music festival that would present an opportunity for interaction with the Rochester community. More than 6,000 Rochesterians have attended the festival in the last four years, which won the Student-Driven Program of the Year award in 2008 from the Association of College Unions International.
Tickets are $7 advance, $9 door for University of Rochester and Eastman School of Music students; $8 advance, $10 door for members of the University of Rochester community and other area college students; and $9 advance, $11 door for the general public. Children ages 12 and under are admitted free. Tickets, which go on sale Monday, April 9, can be purchased at the Common Market in Wilson Commons on the River Campus.
Connect with ArtAwake online by visiting ArtAwake's website and Facebook page, or by following the group on Twitter at @ArtAwakeNY. For more information about tickets, email Emily McGraw at info@artawake.org.