MACFest expected to Draw Crowds to Mesa Every Saturday

Weekly Arts Festival Launches Saturday, Oct. 4, 2008

(MESA, Ariz.) Starting Saturday, October 4, 2008, Mesa will join cities like Santa Barbara with a weekly arts and culture festival.  The event will take place every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. – May and will host an array of food, live music, and most importantly, original artwork from artists throughout the Valley and Arizona. MACFest will take place on Main Street from Sirrine to Morris in downtown Mesa.

The purpose of MACFest is to provide a free, regularly held celebration in downtown Mesa featuring creations from local artists, food, live music, and fun for the whole family. MACFest will also offer a consistent, easy, and affordable way for the many wonderful artists in Mesa, the Valley, and Arizona to expose and sell their work.

MACFest is the brainchild of Johann Zietsman, Executive Director of the Mesa Arts Center, and the Arts and Cultural Director for the City of Mesa. Zietsman was involved in the launch of a similar event in a South African city comparable to the size of Mesa, where the event quickly drew 20,000 people and several hundred artists each week. Zietsman refined the idea based on what he learned in South Africa and proposed it in Mesa at a public meeting on July 30, 2008. Support was immediate and a committee made up of the public quickly formed.

“I was thrilled when Johann Zietsman announced his proposal for MACFest so I attended the initial public meetings.  As a member of Mesa’s Downtown Development Committee, I saw an opportunity to become more deeply involved in downtown dynamics.  Other citizens at the meetings pointed to me to head up the organizing committee and I accepted without hesitation.  I believe MACFest has great potential to draw more visitors to downtown Mesa on a regular basis and to increase business for the merchants.  I firmly believe that the arts are vitally important for economic development.” said Vern Mathern, President of the MACFest Committee.

City of Mesa officials have also jumped on board with MACFest. Councilmember Dina Higgins is going to purchase an exhibition space for her artwork. “I think that MACFest is a brilliant idea and I would like to support the event as a community supporter and a citizen of Mesa. This event is a great way to showcase our City to tourists and all of Arizona.” said Higgins.

Call to Artists: Exhibition spaces are $15 per week and are available through the Mesa Arts Center Box Office at 480-644-6500 on a first come first serve basis. Spaces are going quickly with 41 sold in the first week. Artists can acquire their City of Mesa tax license for $50 by visiting http://www.cityofmesa.org/salestax/pdf/MACFest.pdf or calling Karen Rounsborg at 480-644-3359. Artists will need proof of the Mesa City Sales Tax number to initially sign up at the Mesa Arts Center Box Office. For MACFest tips and guidelines and to get on the MACFest e-mail list contact Sharon Sieben at ssiebenart@cox.net. For event logistics contact Courtney Tjaden at 480-644-6627 or courtney.tjaden@cityofmesa.org.

ABOUT MACFest
MACFest is a community-owned, “made by me” arts and culture festival. The purpose of MACFest is to revitalize downtown Mesa, to support downtown merchants, to offer artists a regular, affordable opportunity to sell their work, and to build a sense of community in Mesa. The event is guided by the following principles it will be simple and easy, affordable to exhibitors, held regularly and frequently, owned and monitored by stakeholders, it will stick to the main goals, and only quality, original, handmade arts and crafts will be exhibited. The event is managed by a committee of community artists, merchants, and volunteers. MACFest occurs every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct.-May on Main Street from Sirrine to Morris in downtown Mesa.