Suwanee celebrated their annual art festival on Saturday and Sunday sporting a wide variety of artists, live demonstrations and entertainment. Held at the Suwanee Arts Center, the festival helps local artists gain recognition for their talent.
Many artists request a spot to promote themselves and their work at the festival. Others, such as Kelly Robertson and his wife Valarie Robertson, sometimes get paid by the center to attend.
“We love Suwanee, to be honest with you. [It is] a very art rich community and you couldn’t ask for a better place to come.” – Valarie Robertson, local artist
The Robertsons have had a business relationship with the Suwanee Arts Center for about four years. The Arts Center has asked them numerous times to attend and perform live demonstrations of glass blowing.
“An ornament takes about anywhere from 15 to 20 minutes to make. It does take 24 hours for it to cool off, so that’s the majority of our time,” Valarie Robertson said.
Some of her husband’s more detailed works can take days to complete. The hobby is not cheap, either.
“The average furnace starts anywhere from 8 to 12,000 dollars. The glass is about $6,000 a palate,” Robertson said. “A palate lasts us about a quarter of the year… Our average order when it comes to colored glass is about a thousand minimum.”
No matter how expensive, the Robertson’s enjoy their hobby and attend a variety of different festivals such as the Kennesaw State University Spring Festival and Sugar Rush Festival in downtown Sugar Hill. They also teach workshops at Columbus State University four times a year.
To help get artists and vendors ready for the day, people volunteered to help with food trucks, tents, and loading trucks.
Imani Spence, a volunteer and artist, helps artists and vendors unload in the mornings. Afterwards, she walks the festival grounds to survey if artists or attendees need help.
Spence graduated last year from Piedmont University as a bachelor in art. She admitted that she was not getting paid but signed up “for the vibe.”
“I am an artist and I wanted to be surrounded by other artists to get to talk and help out, and also just to see more of the vending space for artists as well and learn about that,” she said.
Not only does the festival help fund local artists and businesses, but it uplifts various styles of art, welcomes many cultures and gives back to the community.
