Durham Arts Council (DAC) was the first major arts organization to come downtown in the 1970’s to nurture and grow the arts community and DAC’s CenterFest was the first major arts event for Durham. Durham’s recent Creative Vitality Index score indicates Durham has grown to be a top creative community in the U.S. DAC has been growing and improving and expanding audiences for all of its programs and services and now is the strategic time to revitalize and grow CenterFest into a national caliber signature event for Durham.
“We envision building a major arts and entertainment festival that will draw amazing crowds to Durham to experience our revitalized, creative, welcoming city,” said Sherry DeVries, Executive Director of the Durham Arts Council. City Councilman, Mike Woodard, also Vice President of Programs, Policy and Planning of the DAC Board of Trustees states “Durham Arts Council’s CenterFest started as the ‘Street Arts’ festival in 1973 when the DAC was the only major arts organization in town. It has been a signature festival of Durham for many years. Today, we have a large arts and creative community, with much credit to DAC for nurturing arts organizations and artists for 57 years. We want to showcase our thriving arts and creative scene in new and bigger ways in an expanded festival.”
Proposed features of an expanded CenterFest – Festival of Arts, Music, Food and Creativity (working title) include expanded visual arts, enticing “Edible Arts” - culinary arts components, exciting entertainment district and stages and the addition of entertainment in other venues throughout the weekend; Saturday evening music party; beer garden/brewery showcase; NC wineries showcase; hands-on creative arts; arts and fine craft demonstrations; and showcases for design, gaming and technology arts.
“Durham deserves the hottest, most exciting festival we can produce,” said Casey Steinbacher, President & CEO of the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce, and Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE). “To make this expansion happen, we will need strong partners, and additional resources and support from the community. The Chamber stands ready to help DAC make that happen. Arts festivals are incredibly important for a community both in economic impact, tourism, and to showcase its best creative assets.”
“Durham and CenterFest are ready for this next step. Durham already ranks among top U.S. cities on the Creative Vitality Index, and the expanded festival will help build tourism and economic impact for Durham,” said Shelly Green, President & CEO of the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Bill Kalkhof, President & CEO of Downtown Durham, Inc. states "DDI applauds the Arts Council and it's partners to take the time to plan a new signature event that will be unique to our community & region. DDI is pleased to be a partner in this exciting effort."
In the 2011 interim in lieu of CenterFest in September, Durham Arts Council will provide artists and the community a larger Durham Art Walk event on November 19th and 20th – a weekend that will also feature GRAND OPENING EVENTS for the Durham Convention Center, Carolina Theatre of Durham, and Durham Arts Council buildings following completion of major renovations to all three facilities
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