Artesian Arts Festival May 25 in downtown Sulphur

This article appeared in the April 2019 edition of the Chickasaw Times

SULPHUR, Okla. - The annual 2019 Artesian Arts Festival will be Saturday, May 25 in down­town Sulphur. The festival will run from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. In its sixth year, the Artesian Arts Festival continues to expand and is fast becoming one of the most celebrated Indian art markets in the U.S.

Open to the public, over 100 artists from a variety of Native American cultures will display a diverse array of art media. More than 20 art disciplines will be represented at the event. Paint­ings, basketry, jewelry, sculpture, metalwork, beadwork, textiles and more will be presented at the festival.

Various art demonstrations and/or discussions will take place within the ARTesian Gallery & Studios. These will include such famed artists as Oklahoma and Chickasaw Hall of Fame inductee Mike Larsen.

Entertainment provided at no charge during the Artesian Arts Festival will include a children’s tent for make-and-take items and a senior arts and crafts booth. Two stages will provide a pro­gram of live performances. Tribal dance troupes will be on hand to perform throughout the day.

More than 15 food vendors will offer varied culinary delights. Shuttles will be available to trans­port patrons to and from the Chickasaw Cultural Center.

The Artesian Arts Festival takes place at the Artesian Plaza, adja­cent to the Artesian Hotel and Spa, 1001 W. First Street in Sul­phur.

For more information, contact Chickasaw Nation Arts & Human­ities at (580) 272-5520 or email ArtistInfo@Chickasaw.net.

About the Artesian
Arts Festival

Hosted by the Chickasaw Na­tion, the Artesian Arts Festival spotlights prominent Native art­ists from across the country. The event celebrates all types of art, with an emphasis on Native American works and artists.

Open to artists from all feder­ally-recognized tribes, organizers accepted more than 100 artists representing 19 Native American tribes from eight states.

A wide variety of musical en­tertainment, tribal dance dem­onstrations, artist talks and food vendors accentuate the Artesian Arts Festival. Open to the public at no charge, the event welcomed more than 10,000 visitors to downtown Sulphur last year