ArtSplash Moves to Downtown Sioux City in 2021
The 27th Annual ArtSplash festival returns Labor Day Weekend, Sept. 4 – 5, 2021. One big change this year is that the festival is moving downtown to the Art Center Campus at 225 Nebraska Street. The Art Center’s Atrium and galleries and the studios of the Gilchrist Learning Center will all be utilized for the festival. ArtSplash is also FREE thanks to sponsors like the Gilchrist Foundation.
Last year, the event had to adapt due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ArtSplash 2020 wasn’t held in-person, instead supporters could view photos from past events in celebration. This year, the event is back with a full schedule.
2021 ArtSplash Schedule
The 2021 event features two full days of entertainment including live music and a film festival. The main stage will host four bands on Saturday and on Sunday. The film festival will be held in the newly updated Stark Lecture Hall.
Other activities include a Kid’s Art Zone held in the Gilchrist Learning Center, hands-on art experience and an interactive area in the Art Center’s Atrium where community partners will host booths. Food vendors will also be on hand to offer a wide array of gastronomical options.
One of the highlights of ArtSplash is the opportunity to discover local and regional artists. Exhibiting artists get the opportunity to showcase their work at individual booths. This year’s signature artist is Luke Hubbard of Ankeny, Iowa. According to the Art Center, Hubbard’s work is very emotional and he seeks balance, color, shape and lines in his paintings.
This year’s ArtSplash event will welcome Siouxlanders back downtown to discover great pieces of art while having a great time!
Gilchrist and The Arts
The Gilchrist Foundation has long supported the Art Center and the arts in Siouxland in general. In fact, the Sioux City Council recently green-lit a new 12-foot sculpture for outside the Sioux City Police Department. The Gilchrist Foundation awarded a $75,000 grant to the Friends of Sioux City Police Department in 2019 to help commission the art piece. The sculpture is being created by Mark Avery, of Mark Avery Studio, who has created other works of art in Sioux City, like the Kindness and Everyday Heroes sculptures.
Jocelyn Gilchrist loved the arts and film and was a supporter of both in her lifetime. She used the wealth accumulated by her family to fund projects that support her family’s interests including wildlife and conservation, disaster relief and of course the arts and film.
The Gilchrist Foundation provides incentives and funds to pre-selected non-profit organizations that further these goals, with a preference for the Sioux City area. Most grants are for a single year, but multi-year grants may be requested. The grant cycle is currently closed, but the Gilchrist Foundation does offer a micro-grant opportunity all year for tax exempt organizations that promote the arts, wildlife or conservation. The program offers one-time grants up to $5,000.
For more information about the Micro-Grant Project, contact Security National Bank at 712-277-6586 or wealth@snbonline.com.