This is the continuation of a series of articles profiling some of the artists participating in this year’s Austin ArtWorks Festival. The series will continue until the festival itself.

The final countdown has begun as we reach the last weekend before the second annual Austin ArtWorks Festival.

As we gear up for this exciting event, I thought I would share some stats.

There will be more than 53 visual artists displaying their work, 33 performers and musical groups, and 14 authors. Of these participants, only 33 are returning. The rest are all presenting at ArtWorks for the first time.

More than 60 community members have and will volunteer their time to put on the festival.

We have raised more than $30,000 in donations to support this free event in addition to funding from The Hormel Foundation and Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council.

We are using two additional spaces at the Historic Downtown Power Plant this year, including the space adjacent to the Turbine Room for the author’s presentations and book sales and the garages parallel to Fourth Avenue to offer more space for artists to display their work and for additional children’s activities.

We are also hosting two performing stages, one outdoor and one inside the Turbine Room. Beyond the numbers, last year’s festival had a lasting impact on its over 5,000 attendees.

Some comments we received include author Father Paul Nelson: “This was a transformational event,” and artist Elizabeth Leyk: “I think you’ve successfully resuscitated Austin’s creativity and passion for art and its sense of community.”

Some of my personal favorites were: “Can’t believe I just spent two hours at an art show and enjoyed it” from a non-art lover and “We [Austin] are finally out of the 80s!”

Come check out the Festival and discover the impact it will have on you. Tickets for the Martin Zellar and the Hardways and Cloud Cult concert are still available to purchase.

They can be ordered online at austinartworksfestival.org, over the phone by calling 507-434-0934, or at the Historic Paramount Theatre box office. See you at the festival!