Help Us Build a Community Tower

Date: Saturday, September 26, 2020

Time: 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m

Location: Rockwell Parking Lot at the corner of Main Street and Lincoln Street on the Kent Campus of Kent State University

Join us for a special, socially distanced Kent Creativity Festival. During this event, you will be able to drive-in to the Kent Creativity Festival and participate in a hands-on art project – all from the safety of your own vehicle!


The annual Kent Creativity Festival provides an opportunity for people of all ages and skill levels to come together to create, share and explore the creation of all forms of art.

A group of local stakeholders, including Kent State University, the City of Kent, Main Street Kent, local non-profit organizations and Kent businesses, plans the festival. For people of all ages in a hands-on environment that allows everyone to BE AN ARTIST! 

The Kent Creativity Festival, sponsored by the City of Kent and the Kent State University College of the Arts presents an annual outdoor hands-on arts festival on the Lester A. Lefton Esplanade between Kent State’s Rockwell Hall on Lincoln St. and downtown Kent, near Haymaker Parkway. The event features a wide variety of interactive creative activities presented by local and regional artists and art educators.  Attendees enjoy hands-on activities in jewelry-making, weaving, dance, silk screen, architecture, creative writing, improvisational theatre, poetry, sewing and music therapy. This multigenerational event is free and open to everyone. Over 2,500 visitors enjoyed the festival in 2019!

We ask artists to ENGAGE our visitors, being prepared on the day of the festival with supplies and materials for 200+ very enthusiastic, budding artists including children, adults and seniors. 

 

Partners

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  • Artists

    Artists

    2019 MARCHING BANDS
    Kent Roosevelt High School Marching Band, 11:00 a.m. – Directed by Dr. J. Roebke

    Rootstown High School Marching Band, 2 p.m. – Directed by Daniel McCloskey
    Kent State University Marching Band, 4 p.m. – Directed by Kate Ferguson

    2019 ON-STAGE PERFORMANCES
    Ugandan Sanyuka Children’s Choir
    AseXpressions
    ArtSparks Scholarship Dance Team
    Hip Hop Hoop Troop


    2019 CREATIVE ACTIVITIES

    The Sanyuka Children’s Choir  Learn a traditional Ugandan song and/or dance taught by this children’s choir visiting the area. The choir will perform a variety of traditional Ugandan songs and dances to inspire hope and create awareness of the plight of at-risk youth in the children’s home country. On behalf of Sanyuka Children Ministries

    I Dream of Weaving  Write your hopes and dreams for the future on re-cycled fabric and join us in weaving our dreams together! Using hula hoops as looms we will be creating several collaborative weavings while encouraging positive thoughts through art in our community. NAEA Kent State Student Chapter

    Thai Musicians  Listen and participate in a demonstration of the Thai long drum ensemble. Participants will be taught simple, rhythmic patterns, and with a little practice will be playing music with the group. KSU students and faculty – Thai Ensemble

    Kent State University Robotics Team  THREE stations will provide hands-on activities that include a game about gravity, drivable robots, and a big robot on display for all to ask questions and learn about engineering. KSU Robotics students

    Tech Infused Jewelry  Be creative and design and make your own bracelet, necklace, ring, etc. that infuses one or more of the following technologies: 3D printing, lasercutting, or small electronics. Portage County Bio Med Science Academy

    Theatre on the Spectrum-Improv for ALL Through theatre games and improvisation, company members will engage participants in spontaneous acts of theatre! The goal is to create an inclusive environment where people of all abilities and ages can meet to create mini performances. The Center for Applied Drama and Autism and Ardmore, Inc. have partnered to develop an adult theatre program for people of all abilities with an interest in learning and creating theatre. Center for Applied Drama and Autism

    Pop Goes the Orchestra   Experience musical instruments you can touch, explore and play! Enjoy a musical instrument try-it tent! Ever wonder… how does an instrument make a sound, how heavy is it, how can you play it and what does it sound like?  Join us and make some music. KSU Music Education students

     Dance! Music! Joy! Step up, experience and learn basic elements of dance and a short piece of choreography.  The ArtSparks’ Scholarship Team ages 8-13 will end the session with a short performance.  ArtSparks

    Fashion Designer for a Day  Participants will create their very own fashion design. First they will draw their idea on the fashion croquis (sketchbook), with some assistance as required.  After choosing their own designer fabric from a large collection of swatches, they will mount the swatches to their sketches and take home their very own design. Kent Fabrics

    ASE Xpressions The troupe will be demonstrating different African dancing, both traditional and modern. After performing on the main stage, a workshop will be conducted teaching the dance that was just performed.  KSU students

    Pull Up a Chair and Dance! Participants will be guided through dance/movement explorations with an emphasis on the joy of moving and connecting with others.  Whether you want to rev up to walk around the festival or relax and renew before setting out again, Pull Up a Chair and Dance! will engage, entertain and invigorate. KSU Faculty

    Silkscreen Your Own Tote The student printmaking club have created a 2-color design for this activity.  Participants will be able to silkscreen the first color for the tote at station 1, then move to station 2 for the second color, leaving with a tote bag that can function as a reusable grocery bag. KSU student United Print Alliance

    Modular Building  Join in creating a large installation using a large format modular building element that can be easily connected to other self-similar elements. The pieces are easily manageable, soft sheets of rigid foam to keep participants safe and to allow artists of all abilities to participate. The building components can be assembled in a number of smaller compositions or combined together into one, large-scale piece. DS Architecture

    Design a Sea Star Materials include paper plate, markers, scissors, glue, yarn, a variety of colorful cereals and grains and sequins. We will make suggestions about what they could include to make their sea star more beautiful. Learn some fascinating facts about sea stars as you work. Fun Dimensions of Creative Writing

    Jumping Off The Page! Join Wandering Aesthetics for a day of improvisational play for ALL AGES and ALL SKILL LEVELS! Guided by the storytellers, participants will be encouraged to put on a costume, grab a prop or two, and enter the world of the story. Using animal tales as our structure and improvisation as our rule, this activity is sure to bring out everyone's creativity. From myths to fairy tales, this day is sure to be an adventure like none other. A few props, some makeshift costumes and a story is all you'll need throughout this interactive theatrical affair. From trickster foxes to helpful monkeys, step out of reality and into the world of make believe. Wandering Aesthetics

    Hip Hop Hoop Troop Dance The group will perform on stage and conduct workshops to teach their moves. Participants will be engaged in following a step-by- step process to learn hoop dance skills.  Based at Kent Parks & Rec Fitness Center

    Natural Spinning & Dyeing Hale Farm Spinners and Dyers present natural dyeing, using natural materials from garden, field or forest. A team of dyers will help you select materials for dye and then dye yarn or silk cloth in a surprising array of colors. Hale Farm & Village

    Story of Self The project uses the arts to engage in how we honor differences and empower change, creating buttons to raise awareness of how we empower ourselves to have conversations and engage with others.

    Boomwacker Band Come join the Boomwacker Band! Up to 12 participants at a time will work together using color-coded boom wackers and push bells to re-create family friendly pop hits. No musical experience is required and all abilities are welcome to ROCK OUT with support from our team of music therapists! The Boomwack Band will be set up all day, allowing participants to come back and play as much as they want! The Groovy Garfoose

    Poetry Experience Enjoy a fully immersive poetry experience through micro-workshops that will guide guests through short writing prompts. Record your poem in a special recording booth and then view it in real time on the full-wall white board in a classroom of the Wick Poetry Center inside the Mary Prentice House. Wick Poetry Center

    Puppets and Pitches Better living through Puppetry.  Come create hand puppets and then learn how to use your new friend to pitch yourself or your greatest idea. With the power of creativity and crafts, you can really Sock it to ‘em! KSU LaunchNet and Theatre & Dance faculty & students

    Small Pillow Making Create small pillows with custom printed fabric designs on sewing machines set up at the booth.  Several choices of fabrics will be offered. KSU Fashion School TechStyleLAB

    Paint & Snip A kinesthetic sensory exploration through splatter paint creations. Step 1: cut out a shape. Step 2: grab a postcard. Step 3: splatter watered down tempera paints onto them with different tools. The result will be a collaborative mural and a postcard you can pop in the mail to a friend! School of Art Alumni

    Re-cycled Shirt Macrame Using yarn made from upcycled t-shirts (tarn), participants will make a simple braided creature. The Socially Responsible Sweatshop of Kent, Ohio

    Button Making 
    Participants will provide the artwork and we will provide everything else needed to make two buttons each. Artists can use crayons, markers, stencils, stickers, or bring their own supplies! Sparrow Haus

    Peking/Beijing Opera Masks Transform a white paper mache opera mask into your very own masterpiece. Pick out a design, learn it's significanace and history, and create your very own opera mask.  KSU Student Asian Studies Club

     

    UNITY PROJECT
    A global project where participants celebrate their uniqueness and strengthen their ties to each other. Join us in building a larger-than-life structure by creating a web of interconnectedness. Visit http://www.unityproject.net/
    The Kent Interfaith Alliance for Racial Justice & Reconciliation

    WE THE PEOPLE EXHIBIT
    The public exhibition “We the People” consists of large-scale portraits of NE Ohio community members who also identify as refugees.  With images by photographer Erin LaBelle, this project is organized by the GURI group at KSU to emphasize our common humanity. Each portrait is accompanied by a panel that outlines each person’s journey to our region. Global Understanding Research Initiative (GURI) at Kent State University

    FOOD TRUCKS
    Smash Time
    Erie Street Kitchen

    KENT CLEAN TRANSPORTATION CRUISE IN
    The Kent Clean Transportation Cruise-In showcases energy efficient, hybrid, and electric vehicles, and is part of the Kent Green Energy Ohio Tour.  Energy-efficient vehicles (EEVs) include: Tesla, Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt, Honda Civic Hybrid, PARTA Compressed Natural Gas Bus, Kent State University's Zero Emission Vehicle, and the University of Akron’s Electric Race Car. Children and adults are encouraged to “Touch-an-EEV”.  Local public and bike transportation options will also be highlighted and a free activity for kids provided by the Kent State University Child Development Center.  The Kent Green Energy Ohio Tour is a joint event coordinated by the Kent State University Office of Sustainability, the City of Kent Sustainability Commission, and Green Energy Ohio. LOCATION: Part of the Kent Creativity Festival in KSU's R17 parking lot at the southeast corner of E. Main and S. Willow streets (near Starbucks) . Behind KSU Cutler Building 414 E. Main Street. PARKING: Parking is free in the Rockwell Hall R1 parking lot, off S. Lincoln Street at 515 Hilltop Drive. For more information visit: https://tinyurl.com/KentGEOtour2019

     

     

  • Photo Gallery

    Photo Gallery

    Enjoy a photo gallery of many of the activities captured during the Sept. 30, 2017 Kent Creativity Festival. Check out barefoot painting, indigo dye technique, conducting the orchestra, Unity Project and much more! 

     

  • Donations

    Donations

    Help us to make the Kent Creativity Festival a success! We appreciate your support of this Kent community event.

Previous Sponsors

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Previous Supporters

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