What Can Festivals Do for Local Art?

We are constantly throwing events here at Lowe Mill A&E. Here's a closer look at why.

Spring at Lowe Mill A&E is jam packed with events and festivals. Of course, Concerts on the Dock was going on, as well as the Outdoor Market which still happens every Saturday until October. We saw Ravenwood Meadery’s Drum and Rune gathering with Jacob Hee Lund and Mathias J. Nordvig. Then they held a Beltane Festival and Feast. The Cigar Box Guitar Store held their annual festival: The World’s Longest Cigar Box Guitar Festival in Huntsville. Every 6 weeks or so, Lowe Mill A&E the facility puts on Open Studio Night. During this event, the artists are all in their studios ready to talk to the public about their processes and newest works.

Why do we hold so many events and festivals?

We think a huge part of facilitating local art is bringing artists together with their audiences. Of course this is so important for sales, but it’s more than that. Nothing makes art happen like gathering a bunch of artists in the same room together regularly. Nothing gets local artists and art enthusiasts in the same room like events and festivals.

Studio Events and Festivals

Let’s look at some regular events and yearly festivals at Lowe Mill A&E. As you read through, think about the events that you could see yourself enjoying as an artist or art enthusiast. We’d love for everyone to find the art they can engage with and enjoy. Art can be such a good way to connect. If you want a list of weekly classes and events at Lowe Mill A&E read more about them here.

Ostara Drumming Weekend with Jacob Hee Lund and Mathias J. Nordvig

organized by Ravenwood Meadery

Ravenwood Meadery Studio 2069 makes artisan mead out of local and international honey. They also sell mythological books and items. Walking into their studio makes everyone recall scenes from ancient epic poetry or Lord of the Rings. It’s a unique aessthetic that is ultimately homey and beautiful in these interesting ways. Their festivals are usually devoted to ancient European holidays and traditions.

In March, Ravenwood had such an exciting event. They invited Jacob Hee Lund of Heilung to come teach drum creation and it’s history. That same weekend had classes and workshops on Runes by historical scholar and author, Mathias J. Nordvig. This was a weekend that brought together a group of people with a very niche interest. People traveled from different states for this festival. We saw how excitement and connection over a shared love of certain art encouraged them to make new forms of art. Most of these people aren’t scholars or artists, but art enthusiasts. They were motivated to engage in art and art education through this one event.

The World’s Longest Running Cigar Box Guitar Festival

organized by The Cigar Box Guitar Store Studio 106

Did you know Huntsville is home to the only brick and mortar Cigar Box Guitar Store in the world? They hold the World’s Longest Running Cigar Box Guitar Festival in Huntsville annually. They gather beloved local artists and host concerts for them all around town! We interviewed them about why they chose a festival to celebrate Cigar Box Guitars. They responded that when musicians play together, they learn faster and write more music. As musicians themselves, it was great for them and their audience to come together in order to make more music.

Cigar Box Guitars aren’t just about music though. It’s also about building your instrument. They meet, show each other their creations before jamming, and swap methods and solutions.

Kittypalooza & Bike-O-Rama

Kittypalooza organized by Cattyshack Studio 1062

Bike-O-Rama brought to our facility by David Nuttall Studio 308 and Huntsville Urban Bike Share

Both of these events were fundraising events for local community initiatives. Cattyshack is a kitty lounge and adoption center. They help to adopt out kitties from the shelter by bringing them to a room where people can play with them. With their event Kittypalooza, they raised money and found homes for even more cats.

Bike-O-Rama was put on by artistic cartographer, David Nuttall along with Huntsville Urban Bike Share. This organization helps put bikes into people’s hands and shares education on how to use them in cities safely. With their event, they raised money and gave out bikes as prizes.

These two events were art-adjacent. They are put on by groups who are invested in our community. Festivals and events, of course, helps them to raise money for their initiatives. They also help these organizations see who supports their cause in this city. And like we said, creative people meeting regularly makes things happen. This is why we are so invested in facilitating events - it directly helps our own initiative of supporting art education.

Lowe Mill A&E Events and Festivals

Lowe Mill A&E as a facility hosts events and festivals all year long. You do not have to be a tenant here to rent out event space. The event we are most proud of recurs every 6 weeks. It’s called Open Studio Night. This event allows us to create a space where artists and their audiences can regularly meet and hear from each other. We are hoping this leads to artists and art enthusiasts talking, helping each other, and knowing each other’s work.

Along with this recurring event, we also hold big festivals annually like Yule Y’all and Winter Solstice festival. These are themed festivals that engage all 150+ studios. At all of these events, the studios are ready to invite their audiences into their methods and latest works.

Are you interested in getting involved at Lowe Mill A&E? Visit this article to see a list of recurring events and classes. If you want to know more about our biggest festivals, click here to be taken to our events calendar.