Good Neighbor Podcast: Rochester
Bringing Together Local Businesses and Neighbors of Rochester
Good Neighbor Podcast: Rochester
EP#119 - Shaun Hayes with Paint Creek Center for the Arts
Get ready to be inspired by Shaun Hayes from Paint Creek Center for the Arts as he shares how this incredible organization has been fostering creativity and community spirit in Rochester for over four decades. You'll uncover the secrets behind their popular programs like the art market, exhibitions, and diverse educational opportunities. Sean also gives us an exclusive preview of the Art and Apples Festival, their biggest fundraiser, where 270 artists, numerous food vendors, and lively entertainment promise an unforgettable experience.
This year’s Art and Apples Festival, happening from September 6th to 8th, sounds more exciting than ever with a lineup that includes interactive art zones for kids and special apple treats. Sean highlights the essential role volunteers play in this event and outlines how you can join in to make it a success. Whether you're an art enthusiast, a foodie, or someone looking to contribute to a vibrant community event, this episode offers a wealth of insights and opportunities. Don’t miss out on learning how you can be part of something truly special in Rochester!
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Lisa Swiftney.
Speaker 2:Hi everyone, welcome to episode number 119 of the Good Neighbor Podcast. Today I have with me Good Neighbor Sean Hayes, and he is with Paint Creek Center for the Arts. How are you doing today, sean?
Speaker 3:I'm doing good, thanks, how about you, lisa?
Speaker 2:I'm doing really good, thank you. So why don't we start off by telling everyone about your organization? What do you guys do?
Speaker 3:Yes, so Paint Creek Center for the Arts has been around for 42 years now. We are a 501c3 nonprofit based here in Rochester. We're just two blocks west of Main Street in downtown, and we do anything we can to promote art in this community. So that includes an art market where we sell the work of local artists. We have exhibitions in which artists can put their work on display and potentially sell that as well. We have educational opportunities in all different types of mediums, skill levels and age ranges. And then, the thing people know us best for our largest fundraiser, we host the Art and Apples Festival here in Rochester every year.
Speaker 2:Now speaking of Arts and Apples, that is coming up in about what a week and a half now.
Speaker 3:Just under two weeks away. Yes, art and Apples September 6th, 7th and 8th.
Speaker 2:So tell us about Art and Apples, and what are we, or what can we expect this year?
Speaker 3:Yes, so for anybody not familiar, art and Apples has been around since 1965, so even longer than our organization has. It was originally run by just a group of volunteer residents who wanted to bring a great art fair to this community and it's built up over time. Eventually, once we were started, we took over the festival and it is one of the top fine art festivals in the country. This is the 58th year and we expect about 270 artists from 30 different states, 26 food vendors, we have a little over 20 sponsors and 14 live entertainment acts. We also have a kids art zone sponsored by Meijer, a creation station sponsored by Premier Academy and just a lot of other opportunities for anybody to come out, whether you're looking to buy art or just enjoy a great environment. There's a lot of opportunity for everybody here.
Speaker 2:And some really great food also.
Speaker 3:We get a lot of good feedback on the food, a lot of folks that you wouldn't see in this area otherwise, that come to town just for this festival, and we're also increasing the number of Apple options that we have available this year as well.
Speaker 2:Great. So what are you looking for for help coming up in the next few weeks?
Speaker 3:So yeah, as we are, like you said, just about a week and a half from the festival, most of our things are set in terms of sponsorships and artists and food vendors. The main thing we are looking for at this point would just be more volunteers. We have probably about 300 volunteer slots that we need to fill for the weekend. That includes a variety of assignments, whether it's manning an info booth or helping with the flow of traffic as vehicles enter the festival for setup, or even just something like being an artist liaison, and an artist liaison just essentially consists of taking around a cart full of snacks that artists can choose from, or being a booth sitter as well. You know a lot of these artists. They're there from. You know the festival goes two to seven on Friday, 10 to seven on Saturday and 10 to four on Sunday, but a lot of them get there as early as 8.30 AM on Friday on Thursday excuse me to set up their booth, and they're just at it nonstop. They don't always get a break, so it's nice to have somebody to either.
Speaker 2:Wow, and that is important, so I understand. So if someone wants to be a volunteer, how do they contact you?
Speaker 3:Yes, so our website is pccartorg. We have a whole page dedicated to the Art in Apples Festival, along with a dropdown menu for a few different aspects, such as sponsors, artists, food vendors and volunteerism is one of the things on there. Vendors and volunteerism is one of the things on there. You can take a look at the waiver that needs to be complete, along with clicking on the sign up genius link and seeing what assignments and what dates and times are still needed.
Speaker 2:So as somebody coming and visiting the event, where I guess where's the best place to park- so a lot of parking is available for this festival.
Speaker 3:There are a lot of spots around downtown Rochester which any paid lots are not affiliated with Paint Creek, not to say they're not great options. We do want to support all of the local folks but Saturday and Sunday, when we're at our busiest, we will have a shuttle bus running from Rochester High School and that will run the duration of those days of the festival 10 to 7 and 10 to 4. And again, it's free. We're working with OPC on helping us provide the busing this year so they are handicap accessible as well.
Speaker 2:That is good to know. So what else would you like our audience to know about the upcoming festival?
Speaker 3:I would really just like people to know. This is one of the top fine art festivals in the country. We just got rankings from Sunshine Artist Magazine. Those rankings consist of how the artists felt about the festival in terms of how easy was set up and breakdown. You know, how was the audience, how was the attendance, how well was the event marketed and how were my sales at the festival. And we came in at number 34 in the country. That was second in Michigan, behind only one of the three Ann Arbor fairs Wow. So this is really one of the top fine art fairs in the country and you're going to come here and you're going to see a lot of artists who you might not see in Michigan any other time. This is the only festival they come to some of the time and it's really just top-notch quality work, very unique pieces that you know you're not going to find on any old retail website type of thing. So plenty of opportunity here.
Speaker 2:And some one-of-a-kind pieces too, that people look for One-of-a-kind pieces. One-of-a-kind.
Speaker 3:Oh yes, one of a kind pieces.
Speaker 2:Absolutely yes, that people look for as well. Well, that is amazing. Also, I know that you are a non-profit, but you also are helping other non-profits with this event as well.
Speaker 3:That is right. So the event it is free to attend, but there is a $5 recommended donation when you come into the festival. And we have five main points of entry. So at each of those points of entry we have what we call our gate groups. Gate groups are stationed at the gates, as the name says, and each of those is a different nonprofit in the area and what they do is basically just encourage people to donate. They write receipts if people need it, they make change and they also fill people in just on information about you know what time is the shuttle ending or where do I go to find this artist, that type of thing. So they're all available there. And, like I said, we have five gate groups which include Disaster Relief at Work. Rochester Area Youth Assistance. Include Disaster Relief at Work, rochester Area Youth Assistance, the Sparkle Network, rochester Community Concert Band and Positive Changes Dog Therapy.
Speaker 2:Wow and a diverse group of nonprofits.
Speaker 3:Absolutely. We've got a lot of folks repeating from last year, which is good that we've got some experience and a lot of enthusiasm for it. But, yeah, some great nonprofits and each of those for helping us with this they get a percentage of the revenue it but yeah, some great nonprofits and each of those for helping us with this, they get a percentage of the revenue from the gate as well.
Speaker 2:Great Well, sean, I want to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule this week so that we could connect and let the community know about the upcoming event. To get in touch with you, like you said, go to your website, and you're still looking for volunteers, correct?
Speaker 3:Absolutely. We'll take as many volunteers as we can get.
Speaker 2:Okay. So if you're looking to volunteer the weekend after Labor Day to get out and see some artists national artists from around the country it's a great opportunity for you to do that. So again thanks, sean. I appreciate your time and being a guest on our Good Neighbor podcast today.
Speaker 3:Lisa, thanks for having me.
Speaker 1:Glad to be featured. Thanks for listening to the Good Neighbor podcast Rochester. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to GNP Rochestercom. That's GNP Rochestercom, or call 248-988-9640.