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

The Austin ArtWorks Festival, a celebration of the arts in Austin, returns to the historic downtown power plant 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24 and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 25.

All the events at the power plant will be free. However, this year brings one paid event: A concert at Marcusen Park at 7:30 p.m. Saturday featuring nationally renowned Martin Zellar and Cloud Cult.

These bands are performing at the same show for the first time through their ties to Austin.

This concert, made possible through a gracious donation from Pat and Gary Ray, is presented in partnership with Pacelli Catholic Schools for its 100th anniversary.

Martin Zellar was born and raised in Austin, and has been playing in bands for more than 30 years, including the local favorite Gear Daddies.

His music is described as blue-collar country-rock.

For this Austin show, he will be joined by his son Wilson and Austin-native Nick Ciola.

Cloud Cult’s tie to Austin is their violinist Shannon Frid. Their music is described as a mixture of indie rock and chamber pop.

The band was formed in 1995 by lead singer Craig Minowa, who grew up in Owatonna. Environmental concerns are an integral part of the band’s music and philosophy. Their music is also heavily influenced by the loss of Craig’s two-yearold son.

Many of their songs address the big issues of life, including: who are we, why are we here, where did we come from and where do we go. During their performances, two live painters create original artwork on stage. These pieces are then auctioned off after their concert.

Tickets for this one time event are $20 until Aug. 1, when the price is raised to $30. They can be purchased online at austinartworksfestival.org.