The Columbus Arts Festival and ComFest already announced it's sad news, now the Worthington Arts Festival releases new information on its annual event.
Below, read a formal statement from the McConnell Arts Center on April 11.
It is with a heavy heart today that I announce the cancellation of the 28th annual Worthington Arts Festival. Due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, the McConnell Arts Center board and staff have made the difficult decision to forego this year’s festival, scheduled to take place June 20-21, 2020.
Our focus is first and foremost the health and safety of our community. We continue to follow recommendations from Governor DeWine and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about events and gatherings, and felt it could jeopardize the safety of our community to host 25,000 patrons and 150 artists from 19 states in the heart of Worthington.
As with our fellow arts organizations, we understand the impact closings and cancellations have on our artists and vendors. We ask that you visit our website and social media pages where we will continue to promote the artists selected for this year’s festival. You will be able to support them by purchasing their work online via Etsy and other eCommerce links, and you can prepare to enjoy their art in person next year at the 2021 festival. All artists accepted into this year’s festival will be carried forward to the 2021 Worthington Arts Festival, scheduled for June 19-20, 2021.
We are grateful for our presenting sponsor, Worthington Industries, as well as others whose financial commitments remain in place this year in support of the MAC and art in our community.
We look forward to seeing you all again in person once we have moved past this global health crisis. In the meantime, be kind to each other, and enjoy art from a safe distance, in any way you can.
Good News From McConnell
Amazing things are still happening at the McConnell.
Last week, the center sent out a touching email that included several ways to basically stay sane during the quarantine. It mentioned its upcoming exhibit featuring filmmaker, photographer, published writer and naturalist Justin Grubb and asked him what families can do during this time, here's what he said:
"One of the most iconic and well-traveled central Ohio backyard inhabitants is on its way back to the Ohio Valley from its overwintering grounds in Mexico. The monarch butterfly. With an alarming 90 percent decrease in population since the 1980s, one great way to help the monarch butterfly recover is to plant milkweed and other native flowers in your backyard."
The center suggests checking out Planter Finder for all your gardening questions and Grubb's website, Running Wild Media.
Photo by Justin Grubb, courtesy of McConnell Arts Center
