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Bluebag Media
UC Arts
Festival on tap for Sept. 11-12
UNION CITY, IN – “We’re doing the right thing,” said Union City (Ind.)
Mayor Bryan Conklin. He had recently attended a seminar at Ball State
University in which research had indicated ‘the arts’ was a “win-win”
economic strategy for a community.
Conklin, community leaders and other volunteers started the Union City
Arts Festival in 2014 as a way to rebuild the communities in both
Indiana and Ohio. While he said he felt ‘vindicated’ that he was doing
the right thing after attending the seminar, he could also see the
results right in his home town. Following last year’s festival, a new
batch of college art students – including one from Paris, France – had
already set up residence and were working on their projects, Ansonia
businessman Toby Gates had established Oak Street Antiques, Greenville
businessman Eric Malone had established Under the Rose Bud Antiques…
and that was just for starters.
Conklin said he was in negotiation with a number of businessmen to take
over abandoned properties for their business pursuits. The Art Hub was
a recent opening in May. It features 25 artists showing their work,
most of them local.
He attributes a lot of this success to the Arts Festival held last
year. This year’s festival kicks off Sept. 11 and goes through
Saturday. More than 50 shops, vendors, performers and local
organizations will be involved, ranging from KitchenAid cutlery
demonstrations to Union City Native and artist Rick Derringer’s
Saturday evening performance at the newly finished Main Stage just
across from the UC Arts Depot...
Read the rest of the article at Bluebag Media
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