KANSAN.COM
ARTS & CULTURE
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arts & culture KANSAN.COM/ARTS_AND_CULTURE MONDAY, JUNE 20, 2016 The origin and evolution of Free State Festival
RYAN WRIGHT @ryanwaynewright
Before 2011, Lawrence didn't have a major interdisciplinary arts festival to call its own. If Lawrence residents wanted to experience a festival that showcased different forms of art, they'd have to travel to Kansas City or another surrounding city.
Marlo Angell, director of digital media at the Lawrence Arts Center, decided it was time Lawrence had its own festival. She, along with the rest of the staff at the Lawrence Arts Center, began to work on what would eventually become Free State Festival, which
kicks off June 20.
"I think Lawrence has so many great venues and restaurants and art happen on a daily basis, all in walking distance," Angell said. "We have such a wonderful and vibrant downtown so it seemed like we have the perfect place for a festival and we just didn't have one yet."
Angell, also the festival's artistic director of film and performance, put together a five-year plan for what the festival would eventually become. It began as an independent film festival but Angell and the Lawrence Arts Center always planned for the festival to include other art forms.
Angell said music was the most natural addition to the festival, and it has been a part of the festival since its first year.
"I knew at the heart that live music was a strong component of it and that very first year we did some live music programming," Angell said.
The festival in its current form began in 2014, partly due to a creative placemaking grant the Lawrence Arts Center received from the National Endowment for the Arts. The philosophy behind the grant is that art and artists are the center of a community and generate economic benefit for the entire
community, according to Sarah Bishop, director of grants and special projects at the Lawrence Arts Center.
"When we got that grant the festival became much more about engaging the entire community of a variety of arts and culture organizations throughout the city. The festival is a way for a variety of different groups in Lawrence to come about it," Bishop said. "Our festival is very, very focused on engaging all different areas of the community in its programming."
Free State Festival focuses on communal arts and visitors are encouraged to not only view and interact with the various forms of art but also talk about it among themselves.
"We don't want people to just watch the film and then walk away without talking about it. I think the most exciting thing is to spark ideas and conversations with other people," Angell said.
With the festival now in its sixth year, Angell has seen her idea grow into what has become the Free State Festival with the help of the Lawrence Arts Center, the community and the artists. However, she still gets excited when she overhears someone talking about the festival.
"To me the best feeling is somebody that I haven't told about the festival and just already knows about it, and when I hear overhear them talking about it," Angell said.
The festival begins today, June 20, with the Riverkings Museum Tour at 1 p.m. located at 8 East 6th St. This year's festival also features a free show from Public Enemy at the Granada, a screening of Spike Lee and University professor Kevin Willmott's "Chi-raq," and a talk by radio host Jad Abumrad. Passes for the festival are still available and can be purchased at freestatefestival.org.
Dewayne "Blackbord" McKnight, long-time member of George Clinton & P-Funk, plays a guitar solo during the 2015 Free State Festival.
File Photo/KANSAN
Sax player Greg Thomas takes the front of the stage for his solo during the George Clinton & P-Funk set last year.
File Photo/KANSAN
File Photo/KANSAN
George Clinton leads his band and singers at 2015 Free State Festival.
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