CAMDEN – Black Belt Treasures will host ARTFEST on Saturday, May 1 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – the same day the City of Camden will host activities as part of Alabama’s Year of Small Towns and Downtowns Celebration. Black Belt Treasures will feature demonstrations by artists and craftsmen, music, dance, food and great fun.

Artists on hand to demonstrate will be potter Kristin Law, basket weaver Betty Bain, quilter Deborah Carter, artist Jan Agee, wood sculptor John Sheffey, china painter Martha Phillips, crocheter/knitter Bettie Morgan, and stained glass artist Tyree McCloud. Entertainment will be provided by students from A Time to Dance Studio, vocalists Laura Grace Creswell and Valerie Stewart, the Camden School of Arts & Technology Choir, and vocal groups Jimmy Brock & Friends, and Rev. Ed & the Unleavened Bread. Blue Spoon Catering will be on site with barbeque plate lunches ($10) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Visitors are invited to contribute creatively to the Community Art Project by depicting on a clay tile something which relates to the theme, Camden: My Hometown. Drawings of people, places, animals, food – whatever comes to mind when you think of Camden. Potter Kristin Law will be on hand to guide any timid “artists” trying their hand at creativity. Don’t miss this great opportunity to help create an artistic reminder of the day’s celebration to be enjoyed by the community for many years to come.

Art Escape, a painting class for adults, will be a feature of the day’s events. During this class, adults will draw from Camden’s historic architecture to complete a one-of-a-kind painting. The cost for this class is $35 which includes instructions and supplies. Art Escape will be held in the Black Belt Treasures Art Education Room from 10 am – 1 pm. To register contact Black Belt Treasures at (334) 682-9878 or info@blackbelttreasures.com.

The City of Camden will host other events throughout the day. At 10 a.m., the Camden United Methodist Church Choir will present a concert at the CUM Church on Broad Street. Winners of the Camden: My Hometown” Art and Essay contest will be announced at 12:15 p.m. at Black Belt Treasures. The Camden Associate Reform Presbyterian Church Choir will also present a concert at the ARP Church located on Broad Street. Throughout the day, visitors may take self-guided tours of the Camden Cemetery located on Broad Street (brochures will be available with important historical facts about many of the grave sites). At 2 p.m., Mayor Henrietta Blackmon will welcome all visitors and residents to the Veterans Memorial Park, directly across from the Courthouse, for the unveiling of the city’s new Historical Marker.

ARTFEST is made possible by the generous support of the Alabama State Council on the Arts and South Arts with funds from the National Endowment for the Arts and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.