Serious Fun Arts Fest Five-Day Celebration in White Plains
The Serious Fun Arts Fest will celebrate public art, music, and dancing over five days in downtown White Plains starting October 12.
The festival brings monumental works of art to the city’s streets, including a six-story vibrant fabric sculpture by internationally renowned artist Amanda Browder that will be installed on the front façade of ArtsWestchester’s headquarters. The celebration’s headliner concert event is October 16 with performances by Sammy Rae & The Friends, the Brighton Beat and ANDROMEDA.
“We expect this event and all five days of public art celebration to offer vibrant art on and off the walls in White Plains for visitors and residents alike,” said ArtsWestchester CEO Janet Langsam.
The festival’s highlights include:
- The ticketed Sunday headliner Sammy Rae & The Friends, an electrifying act that is selling out concert venues in New York City and throughout the East Coast. The band channels a kaleidoscope of influences ranging from classic rock to soul in high-energy performances.
- The free Saturday block party, including performances by the Slambovian Circus of Dreams, REMY, Westchester Dance Artists, Matt Turk & Friends, Will Evans and Porter Carroll, Jr.
- The Social Fabric, the new exhibition at ArtsWestchester’s gallery, features recent works and site-responsive commissions by artists who use textiles and fabrics to explore issues of broad social consequence.
- The Serious Fun Art Fair, a 5-day pop-up in at Macy’s Backstage with more than 200 artists organized by the Blue Door Art Center, New Rochelle Art Association, and others. Live mural painting will be by artists Katie Reidy, Ian Rizzo, and Ramiro Davaro-Comas.
Monumental public art displays around the downtown include a skyscraper-high landmark mural on The Mitchell by artist Bianca Romero and sculpture installations by artists Shelley Parriott, Margaret Roleke and Cheryl Wing-Zi Wong.
The festival is ArtsWestchester’s latest investment in a public art program that since 2020 has provided artists with more than $700,000 in grants and commissions and delivered two dozen new works throughout Westchester County.
The Serious Fun Arts Fest is possible thanks to a Market New York grant from I LOVE NY/New York State’s Division of Tourism through the state’s Regional Economic Development Council initiative. Major support is also provided by Montefiore Einstein, the festival’s presenting sponsor.
For a complete list of events, visit the Serious Fun web page.
This is a press release provided by the organization. It has been lightly edited and is being published by Examiner Media as a public service.
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