The WE ART THE PEOPLE FOLK FESTIVAL 2011 was terrific!!!!! I had several people, both vendors and attendees tell me that this was the best organized year ever for the festival. Also heard some folks say this is their favorite Abq. festival!! This is a great mid September tradition for OFFCenter and hopefully will be for years to come. The kids area was hopping all day long with beautiful hats and pin wheels emerging from the art making tent, children having fun with hula hoops, and being thoroughly entertained by Pink Elephant and Clan Tynker! The group paper tube sculpture and giant coloring book/painting canvases were great.... can't wait to see the new OFFBags made from the canvas. Come shop for one in the OFFCenter retail shop in the studio! I got a fantastic henae design on my entire arm and enjoyed seeing lots of lovely painted faces walking all around the park. Thanks to all the dancers and musicians too for creating such a festive day. It's a gift to see all the art vendors and witness the enormous variety of creativity in our community. Yea for Chami and all the other folks who worked so hard to make the 2011 We Art the People Folk Festival happen so wonderfully! Better and better each year :) Hope to see lots of fun 2011 Folk Fest pictures here and on the website soon!

Storage Space Needed for Parade Puppets

OFFCenter is looking for year-round, clean, dry storage space approximately 10' x 15' to store our "We Art the People" parade puppets and paraphernalia. Please contact Ron at 247-1172 if you think you can help us out.

RANA Float wins Neighborhood Cup in Twinkle Light Parade!

THANK YOU AGAIN to OFFCenter for making the RANA Twinkle Light Parade float banners.... and Guess What? - THE RANA FLOAT WON The Neighborhood Cup!!! (the first prize for neighborhood association floats)

Red or Green? RANA Twinkle Light Parade Float

WoW- the RANA (Raynolds Addition Neighborhood Association) Twinkle Light Parade Float looked great thanks in large part to the great banners created at OFFCenter. Thankyou OFFCenter for contributing to our neighborhood association float!! Washington Middle School kids (dancers, choir singers, and mariachi players) had a blast on the float during the parade. Check out these pictures...

Sharie's Studio Journal: Twinklelight Parade

Greetings: Well the holiday season is upon us again--The stores have all their Christmas decor out, everyone is shopping or planning their shopping trips and lists and just generally getting ready for Thanksgiving and the Friday Sales in all the malls etc. OFFCenter is preparing to help out in this area. We have work shops coming up to help relieve the stress and pressure so watch the calendar and join our family friendly gift making workshops and wrapping paper and gift bag making workshops in the coming weeks. Again watch the calendar for the dates and c'mon down and join in the fun and spirit of the season.

An OFFCenter potluck Thanksgiving meal will be shared with and by artists and friends of OFFCenter this coming Wednesday November 25 from 1 til 6 PM. Join us with your favorite dish and what you are thankful for this year.

I am thankful for the opportunity to have been involved in the creation of OFFCenter and to still be an active participating artist. I cannot even think of how different my life would be without this organization and the many opportunities to explore my creative side. Today was one such opportunity--Several of us created canvas banners to be displayed on the sides of a float for RANA (Raynolds Addition Neighborhood Association) in the upcoming TwinkleLight Parade. The Parade will be this coming Saturday November 28 at 5:15pm traveling from Central and 3rd St. to the Botanical Gardens. Washington Middle School students are participating by playing mariachi music and singing carols on the float and a WMS dance troupe will even follow the float along with other RANA neighbors. This is one more way that we at OFFCenter build our community involvement and get support from and give support to the neighborhood. Those of us that worked on these banners had a great time together getting better acquainted with each other as well as meeting new friends as they joined us in the creation of the banners (see photos)

I look forward to seeing you in the studio in the coming days and weeks as the holidays approach. Happy and safe Thanksgiving to you all---Sharie

Sharie's Studio Journal: Hours and counting

Well there is one day left till the folk art festival. This week in the studio has been busy busy busy with last minute details getting taken care of and you know oh we forgot to do this or that. There are new signs to help you find all the must see things at the festival. A few changes but still planning to have a lot of fun. There is still time to pick a puppet or mask to carry and be a part of the parade so come by. Also if you have baked goods to contribute to the bake sale please bring them to the studio so we can get things priced and ready for tomorrow. Hope to see you there. The event opens at 10 am and the parade will start at 11 am come early so you can get a good place to watch the parade.

Sharie

Folk Art Festival Welcomes Volunteers Sept. 13

WE ART THE PEOPLE
Folk Art Festival
7th annual giant puppet parade!
Live music, 100+ arts & crafts booths.
This Sunday!! September 13th , 2009 from 10am to 5pm. Free at Robinson Park in Downtown Albuquerque

Featuring over one hundred folk art vendors, music, dance, food, and public art making activities.

Volunteers are needed to help prepare, set-up tents and vendor booths, to march in the giant puppet samba parade, lead art activities, and haul everything back and forth to OFFCenter at the beginning and end of the day. If you are interested please call 247.1172 for more information.

Entertainment includes:

11:00 am - The Giant Puppet Samba Parade
noon to 1:00pm - Guitarist and singer-songwriter Chuy Martinez & harpist, singer and violinist Oti Ruiz will be playing a selection of wonderful traditional Latin American music.
1pm to 2pm – Rouge Bindis, local tribal style belly dancer troupe.
1:15pm to 2:00pm - Cerrillos Islanders, with Dennis Overman lead singer and songwriter, daughter Gretchen Overman vocals, son Ian Overman vocals, banjo, guitars, percussion play an old-timey alternative folk style.
2:15pm to 3:30pm - Jasper, eclectic danceable music that includes jazz, rock, folk, country, blues with their own wild arrangements of cover tunes. Terry Bluhm is on bass, and guest artist and singer-songwriter Bonnie Bluhm.
3:45pm to 5:00pm - Wagogo, fabulous popular world music band rocks your socks off!

Funding in part by the Urban Enhancement
Trust Fund of the City of Albuquerque

Sharie's Studio Journal: One week til the Folk Art Festival

This week will go too fast as did this past week but time waits for no one. The studio continues to be a buzz with activity getting ready for the Folk Art Festival. And other regular activities continue to happen in the midst of all this prep. David's art/drawing class found a corner table among the puppets and other stuff going on to get their lesson this week. The Thursday Writing group found a niche to write and read their prose to one another inspite of the repair work happening to the puppets in order for them to be ready for the parade next Sunday (9/13). People are dropping in to secure their space to sell their art at the Festival. One table is busy with volunteers putting labels on water bottles for the festival and today every one was making room for the First Friday Coffee House.

If you didn't make it in for the coffee house you missed a really good band Tortuga. There were kids dancing and playing with the band (drums and tamborine) , frinds visiting with friends they had not seen in a while new friends being met and new people to OFFCenter. Art being bought and some really good food. All in all I think everyone enjoyed themselves. I know I did and liked the band too.

Congratulations to Sky sorry I missed your debut.

Twenty-seven Days til the Folk Art Festival

Won't you join us? Make puppets, dance, sell your art, make art in the kid's tent, stroll the park and listen to great music. Click the link for more information: http://www.offcenterarts.org/folkartfest.htm

Workshop: "Taking Flight" Parade Puppets with Wings

Saturday, August 29th

morning session 8:30am – 11:30am

afternoon session 2pm – 5pm

Free parade puppet making workshop!

Participants may make animals such as birds or butterflies or angels or other winged beings.

There will be two 3 hour sessions; 8:30am -11:30 am and 2pm-5pm. We will take a long break at lunch to allow the papier mache to dry.

The following Saturday, September 5th, participants may work on any unfinished pieces.

Workshop leader Sunny Birklund has been making and performing with puppets for over 20 years. She especially loves giant puppets and has helped many people over the years make their own characters with papier mache to participate in festivals and parades.

NOTE: These photos were taken at previous years' We Art the People giant puppet salsa parades, by Albuquerque photographer Deanna Nichols. See more of her photos on Flickr Thank you, Deanna, for allowing us to share them here.

P.S. The We Art the People parade is an annual event sponsored by OFFCenter to kick off our Folk Art Festival. This year's Festival is only a few days away -- come join us in Robinson Park, Sunday, Sept. 13!

Please contact OFFCenter to register for this workshop -- 505-247-1172.

"We Art the People" August 9, 2008

"We Art the People" Folk Festival" - Saturday, August 9th Running from 11am -4pm the day begins with a giant puppet samba parade followed by ongoing musical and dance entertainment. Around 100 folk art vendors will be featured selling their wares in booths throughout Robinson Park, conveniently located across the street from OFFCenter. Art making activities, free to everyone, will be offered in several Art Tents. Food and drinks will be available for purchase along with baked goods and a "White Elephant" sale sponsored by our Board of Directors. This event is the highlight of our art making year so please come out and join the festivities and help build our community by making art together.

Volunteers are needed so if you want to help out please give us a call at 247-1172.

Create a Character for Albuquesrque's Folk Art Fest

PARADE WORKSHOPS

Everyone is invited to come to OFFCenter between 12-4 PM and "Create a Character" for the Folk Fest Parade! (no fee, it is free) Help make a festival by getting your costume ready for the big day. Find a mask and make it your own, or create a new one, design noise makers and fancy capes - anything that gets the spirit of the Folk Art Festival moving.

Dates:
July 26th 2008, (12:00 to 4:00 PM)
August 2nd 2008, (12:00 to 4:00 PM)
and August 6th 2008 (3:00 to 6:00 PM)

Albuquerque's 6th Annual Folk Art Festival

The Folk Art Festival returns!!

Saturday August 9, 2008
11am to 4pm

Located in Robinson Park, 8th & Central NW
after the Growers’ market

• The day begins with a giant puppet samba parade followed by ongoing musical and dance entertainment.
• Around 100 folk art vendors will be featured selling their wares in booths throughout Robinson Park, conveniently located across the street from OFFCenter.
• Art making activities, free to everyone, will be offered in several Art Tents.
• Food and drinks will be available for purchase along with baked goods and a “White Elephant” sale sponsored by our Board of Directors.
• This event is the highlight of our art making year so please come out and join the festivities and help build our community by making art together. Volunteers are needed so if you want to help out please give us a call.

Help us recreate the festival!!!
Contact us at 247-1172

Become a sponsor - just donate $25 or more.

Kids and Adults Parade Workshop - Saturday’s July 26^th and August 2^nd

Everyone is invited to come to OFFCenter between 12-4pm and “create a character” for the Folk Fest Parade! Help make a festival by getting your costume ready for the big day. Find a mask and make it your own, or create a new one, make noise makers and capes - anything that gets the spirit of the Folk Fest moving. 12-4pm in the studio - Free

You can participate in the “We Art the People” Parade at 11 AM. Come to OFFCenter on the 9th at 10am or contact OFFCenter Arts at: 505-247-1172 for more details.