13 Mar Spring (planning) is in the air!
There’s a certain moment every year when we know spring has arrived at the ACP.
It’s not the first warm day (thanks for the fake out this week) or the bulbs popping up (specifically in Maria’s office) — it’s the moment our calendars fill with the events that bring our whole community together.
Behind the scenes, the weeks leading up to spring are a whirlwind of planning, painting, emailing, mapping, music scheduling, vendor coordination, and a little bit of creative chaos. From a late-night dance party to a town-wide music festival to a bustling outdoor market, our spring events are all about celebrating the arts together.
Here’s a peek at what’s coming and how we’re getting ready.
Liza’s office has been taken over by all things Art People Party
Our spring season kicks off with our signature fundraiser: Art People Party. This year’s party embraces a gritty, nostalgic ’90s grunge vibe — think flannel, Doc Martens, and plenty of attitude.
In the weeks leading up to the event, our team (plus lots of volunteers) have been busy creating immersive décor, coordinating artists for the beloved Tombola art lottery, and planning the evening of music, dancing, and creative surprises.
Some highlights:
- Liza’s office is being filled by tons of paper lanterns that will fill our party dance floor next month. Stacking them is an art form in-and-of itself.
- Also in Liza’s office, the team did a photoshoot in their 90s inspired outfits for social media to announce the event.
- Emma and Fiona have been collaborating on a special mail invite soon to hit your mailboxes. (We won’t ruin the surprise, but keep an eye out!)
It’s an unforgettable night and the funds raised help support the Arts Council’s outreach programs and artist residencies throughout the year. We hope to see you there!
Spot the differences between 2025 and 2026 posters
Just one day later, the music spills out into the streets for Porchfest — our free, town-wide celebration of local musicians.
Neighbors lend their front porches as stages, and performers fill neighborhoods with everything from folk and jazz to rock and experimental sounds. Attendees stroll from porch to porch, discovering new music and connecting with neighbors along the way.
Organizing Porchfest takes months of coordination by Melissa: matching musicians with host porches, mapping walkable performance clusters across town, and getting the word out through posters designed by our friends at Howard Design Group.
Speaking of which! We asked HDG to refresh last year’s poster. Can you spot the differences between our 2025 poster and 2026 posters? There are several, but most importantly A PORCH! (Yes, we heard you!)
Keep up to date on all things Porchfest here. We will see you out there!
Our spring finale is the Art Bazaar, an outdoor market that celebrates independent artists, makers, and creative entrepreneurs.
More than 100 vendors fill the street with ceramics, jewelry, textiles, prints, woodwork, photography, and more — making it the perfect place to shop small and discover something special. There’s also an open studios with hands-on artmaking with ACP teachers, live music from Strange Brew Crew, and a Triumph Beer Garden.
But new this year: we are showcasing local artisan food vendors on Hinds Plaza, affectionately titled “Bazaar Bodega” by Maria Evans. Whenever there is a new program on our calendar, we have to come up with creative ways to let everyone know about it since there is no photography or video we could use from a previous event. So Fiona decided to hand-cut layers into last year’s poster for the open call post. Unfortunately, many people thought this poster was real! This chopped up version is one-of-a-kind, but you are welcome to take an Art Bazaar or Porchfest poster home — just ask at our front desk.
While each event has its own personality, they all share the same purpose: bringing people together through art.
But if you see us running around town with clipboards, rolls of tape, or armfuls of posters this spring — you’ll now know why!
See you soon, ok?
