RiverArtsFest happens this Saturday and Sunday in the South Main Arts District, with music on 5 stages, food, and more than 150 artists selling their work. South Main from Huling to St. Paul will be closed off for the event, which will run from 10 AM to 6 PM Saturday, and 10 AM to 5 PM Friday. This is the descendant of the South Main Arts Festival and Arts in the Park, and drew 40,000 people in its first year last year.
I want to personally recommend the work of one of the artists who will have a booth there: Shane Paris Art. I’ve known Shane for 5 years and have seen his work in several galleries during previous South Main Trolley Art Tours. His premise is that everyone should be able to afford art, not just the rich. You can check out some of his artwork here. He also can be hired to create a custom photo montage of your favorite images. Shane also does logo design, and he custom-designed the logo I currently use on my business cards to reflect a “Downtown” feel. He does freelance ad layout design too. Also, he can take an ordinary photo of your pet and turn it into a truly unique and special memory.
Furthermore, Shane is not only an artist I highly respect, but a true friend as well. When I was invited to come to Sunday brunch at Sleep Out Louie’s one day in early 2003, Shane was one of the first people I met, and he and his girlfriend Leigh immediately made me feel welcome and part of the group. Since then he’s always been there with advice when I needed it, and has just been a real good person to sit at a bar and drink a beer with. He’s a good person for Downtowners to hire to do custom work, because he lives and breathes Downtown Memphis.
Be sure to look for his booth this weekend. Look for me too – I’ll be at RiverArtsFest both days, probably getting there around noon and staying until close.