Featured Photo by Larry Rincon
Story by Larry Rincon
Oct. 21, the annual Middle Tennessee State University Art Festival took place at Patterson Park. Every year the festival is held in collaboration with the Boro International Festival. The International Festival includes cultural performances, displays and food for people to come by and see.
The Latine club on campus, La Communidad, attended the International Festival in order to fundraise for their organization’s t-shirts and stoles for graduating members. The club has been attending the festival for the past few years, and this year their members made beaded bracelets and flower crowns for their fundraiser.
At the Art Festival, MTSU students and alumni, as well as local Murfreesboro artists, attend the festival to display their artwork as well as sell them. The types of art available ranges from clothing to traditional art pieces and prints to candles and plushies.
One MTSU Alumni who attended the Art Festival was Paige Mckay. She recently graduated in August with a Graphic Art and Design degree. Due to her love of vintage and antique looks, she goes thrifting to gather her materials.
The Art Festival was not just limited to students majoring or who have majored in a Visual Art related major. There were a few MTSU students majoring in Textiles and Fashion Merchandising.
Nora Peebles is a current MTSU senior majoring in Fashion Merchandising as well as Entrepreneurship. She stated she received her creative pursuits from her grandmother and has been crocheting for the past eight or nine years.
Valentina Wayman is a Textiles Merchant student attending the Art Festival for the second time. She is a current junior who also has a minor in Art. She enjoys working with colors and patterns, and she stated that she will hopefully be attending the festival next year as well.
Another MTSU student named Emily Jacob attended the festival to promote her work. Jacob is a current animation major who has been working on a comic for the past two years. Her comic is an action fantasy and was available for purchase at her booth.
There was also a Video and Film Production student named Andy Cox. Cox had various handmade plushies. The larger ones take Cox at least a week to make while the smaller ones take less time. Cox talked about the kind of art they like to make and felt that more traditional art was more interpersonal.
The MTSU Art Festival will be available next year for anyone who missed it this year. Look forward to artists sharing their work as well as activities courtesy of the Boro International Festival in the upcoming year.
To contact Lifestyles Editor Destiny Mizell, email [email protected]. For more news, visit www.mtsusidelines.com, or follow us on Facebook at MTSU Sidelines or on X at @MTSUSidelines.