Austin native’s work will be displayed at senator’s office

Sen. Dan Sparks, DFL-Austin, and local officials are set to kick off the Austin ArtWorks Festival a little early.

Austin leaders will gather in Sparks’ office next Thursday to announce information about the 2014 festival and participate in Arts Advocacy Day at the Capitol.

Artist and Austin native Eric Anfinson donated a piece called “The Guardian” to Austin residents that will first be on display in the Sparks’ office at the State Capitol. The piece will later be moved to the new office for Austin Area Commission for the Arts.

“We decided it would be a great tie-in to make the connection between the [donation and kick off],” said Jennie Knoebel, Artworks Festival Executive Director.

Anfinson, an award winning artist, paints full time in his Mockingbird Studio in Key West, Fla. The art will promote and raise awareness of the 2014 Austin ArtWorks Festival, an annual two-day celebration of the literary, visual and performing arts in Austin.

This year’s festival is scheduled for Aug. 23 and 24 at the Historic Downtown Power Plant, 501 Fourth Ave. NE, but volunteers are already looking at ways to involve downtown Austin in the festival.

“We’re going to continue to make it bigger and better,” Knoebel said. “We’re looking for ways to expand it.”

That could mean even more ArtWorks Festival sites in 2015, and a potentially week-long festival, according to Knoebel.

Twin Cities based muralist Jimmy Longoria also offered a piece to hang in Rep. Jeanne Poppe’s office in celebration of the festival. Longoria has led children in painting murals in the past two ArtWorks Festivals and will return in 2014.

Each year, the ArtWorks steering committee looks for new ways to expand and improve the festival. Some additions planned for 2014 include culinary arts, offering additional participatory activities, more children’s activities and classes/lectures and adding another gallery space. As planning continues, more information will follow.