THE ARTISTS YOU SHOULD KNOW

Our art person this time is really personal for me. I did a Q & A with my husband, Kyle C. Coleman.

Fun fact: we met at an art museum, and art has consistently been a shared joy in our relationship.

Kyle C. Coleman has decades of experience in art education and administration. He is currently finishing his doctoral program at Baylor University while serving as the Fine Arts Manager at ArtFields.With Arfields starting this coming Friday, April 22nd, I wanted Kyle to share a little about it with people who have never heard of the celebration or attended.

With all the pride in the world, my husband, Kyle C. Coleman:

Levata: Kyle, can you please share what you do in art with our readers?
Kyle: I am an arts administrator, art historian, graphic designer, and visual arts educator. I work for an arts-centered not-for-profit organization, the Lake City ArtFields Collective, which organizes the annual ArtFields event.
LC: What is ArtFields?
KC: ArtFields is a nine-day competition and celebration of Southeastern art and artists that accept submissions from twelve Southeastern states (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia). The downtown of Lake City transforms retail, restaurants, barbershops, and more into a town-wide, non-traditional gallery space.
LC: What do you do with the ArtFields organization?
KC: My responsibilities as Fine Arts Manager include facilitating all aspects of the competition, including acting as a liaison between the Artists, Venues, and Organization. I am also responsible for recruiting jury and selection panelists, art handling, and installation.
LC: Kyle, please put on your historian cap and share the remarkable history of ArtFields.
KC: Lake City is similar to many other rural southern towns that thrived as economic hubs of agriculture. When those industries and jobs began to go away, so did the town’s life-blood. ArtFields was deliberately planted in Lake City to help transform it into a culture-based economic engine. Lake City depends on ArtFields the way other municipalities plan for the holiday season. 2022 will mark the tenth year of ArtFields, and we are celebrating!
LC: What kind of art will our readers see at ArtFields this year?
KC: ArtFields accepts entries of all visual art mediums, including drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, photography, digital art and film, and more. Visitors can expect a wide range of techniques and practices: 2D, 3D, installations, and performances.

LC: When is ArtFields? Can someone just come up for the day, or is there enough to see to spend a whole weekend?
KC: ArtFields 2022 will be from Friday, April 22nd through Saturday, April 30th. Visitors can have a full day of art and experiences, but to truly take in the art, venues, entertainment, and hospitality, we advise you to plan for a couple of days to explore ArtFields.
LC: Any other notable happenings going on during ArtFields in Lake City?
KC: There will be daily events during the nine days of ArtFields, including artist talks, concerts, a Maker’s Market, Kid’s Zone, and more. Visit our website: ArtFieldssc.org, and check our Events page for more details! Social Media: Instagram Facebook

ArtFields is an art competition/celebration that draws tens of thousands of people to Lake City, SC. It is a beautiful experience where local shopkeepers share their spaces with artists and become ardent guides to their art for the expanded community. It is free to see and experience over 350 pieces of art throughout the town of Lake City.

I love ArtFields! And know that my family and I will be there for multiple visits (for the art and to see Kyle). Let me know if we will see you there.