With more festivals taking place in and around Baton Rouge, Forum 35’s Art Melt is hoping to stand out by returning to its roots.
As 225 reports, this year’s Art Melt will focus more on the juried exhibit and showcasing local artists. In past years, the festivities featured live music, performances, an arts market and food trucks in addition to the art.
“We used to do a really big festival component, and that attracted a lot of people, which is great,” 2017 Art Melt chair Kylee Lewis tells 225. “But we felt that there were times when it really took away from the core purpose of it, which is the art—the six-week portion of it. So we’re trying to make sure we elevate that and stick to our core focus.”
The annual art exhibition will kick off its 14th year with a preview party at the Capitol Park Museum July 21. The exhibition’s official public opening is July 22. Selected works will be on display for six weeks. All of the exhibit’s art is for sale.
Art Melt is the largest juried art exhibit in the state. For this year’s event, Art Melt received 132 entries totaling 348 individual pieces from artists throughout the state. Though the submissions are accepted in any medium, most are sculptures, paintings and photos, Lewis says.
She adds Forum 35 is excited about this renewed focus on helping the Baton Rouge community appreciate art for its own sake.
“I think with any organization, you … don’t know how involved you’re going to get, and then you see the drive and the passion of everyone else involved, and it makes you want to do a little bit more,” she says. “Everyone has worked really hard to ensure that what we’re doing is part of the community, and you want to make sure that you live up to that.”
