Artosphere Festival returns to Northwest Arkansas

(Fayetteville, AR) Walton Arts Center proudly presents the 7th Annual Artosphere: Arkansas' Arts and Nature Festival, May 10-27. Featuring both free and ticketed performances, events and activities at locations across Northwest Arkansas, Artosphere celebrates artists influenced by nature and provides a creative framework to discuss issues of sustainability. Tickets are on sale now!

Artosphere 2016 features an expanded Trail Mix weekend. Capturing the very essence of Artosphere, Trail Mix is a time of music, art, hiking and biking along local trails and the Razorback Regional Greenway. Creating a one-of-a-kind experience, audiences can visit stages throughout the region and enjoy performances by artists and musicians from across the country.

On Saturday, May 14, enjoy a full day (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) of free programs along the Razorback Regional Greenway, from the Fayetteville square to the Mill Street District in Springdale, then to Mercy Trailhead in Rogers and ending at Lawrence Plaza just off the Bentonville square.

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art hosts the 2nd Annual Garden Party until 5 p.m. with music, food trucks and special performances by Trail Mix artists.

On Sunday, May 15, Trail Mix comes to the Frisco Trail in downtown Fayetteville from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Both days’ Trail Mix events are free.

“At its heart, Artosphere celebrates artists who are influenced by nature and who help us to live more sustainable lives,” said Jenni Taylor Swain, vice president of programming at Walton Arts Center. “The 2016 festival brings high-quality artistic experiences for students, families and the entire community to Northwest Arkansas through dozens of events and activities, most at low or no cost.”

“In the spirit of National Bike Month in May, Artosphere will also celebrate the Razorback Regional Greenway, recognizing the unique power of the bicycle and the many reasons we ride, and applauding Northwest Arkansas’ ever-expanding commitment to bike infrastructure.”

Another festival highlight is the Artosphere Festival Orchestra (AFO). Now in its sixth year and comprised of more than 90 musicians from prestigious ensembles, orchestras and music programs around the world, the AFO will once again gather in the Ozarks for a professional music-making experience unique to Artosphere.

Directed by internationally acclaimed Music Director Corrado Rovaris, the orchestra presents three concerts: Russian Masterworks on May 21; the Heroic Beethoven concert on May 24; and Live from Crystal Bridges: Mozart in the Museum on May 27. The May 21 and May 24 concerts are at Walton Arts Center’s Baum Walker Hall, tickets are $10. The May 27 concert at Crystal Bridges is $40.

Other Artosphere main events include:

The Chapel Music Series in locations across Northwest Arkansas, May 10, 16, 18, and 20. This year’s Chapel Series lineup includes Hawaiian vocalist/ukulelist Paula Fuga, bluegrass band The Barefoot Movement, the Dover Quartet and the Aizuri Quartet. Tickets for each performance are $10.

SPIN by Evalyn Parry, Thursday, May 12 at 7 p.m. and  Friday, May 13 at 8 p.m. at Walton Arts Center’s Starr Theater. Part indie music concert, part performance poetry, part history lesson, SPIN celebrates the bicycle as muse, musical instrument and agent of social change. Tickets are $8.

Circa’s Carnival of the Animals at Walton Arts Center, Baum Walker Hall, Friday, May 13, 7 p.m. The wondrous world of the animal kingdom comes to life when the Circa Carnival comes to town! Tickets are $10.

The Okee Dokee Brothers at Baum Walker Hall, Sunday, May 15 at 4 p.m. This Grammy Award winning duo encourages children and adults alike to break away from our media driven culture and dive into the natural world right under our noses. Tickets are $8.

Egg, Walton Arts Center’s Starr Theater, Saturday, May 21, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. A tale of three birds…and an egg - with a simple story and creative lighting and sound combined with cleverly conceived props, Egg investigates the cycle of life of newly hatched birds. Tickets are $8.

Other festival highlights:

Bike-itecture Tours in Fayetteville and Bentonville; Food & Music Night, downtown Bentonville Square; and National Bike Month events across Northwest Arkansas.

For more information about the Artosphere Festival, a complete festival event lineup, and to purchase tickets, visit www.artospherefestival.org or call the Walton Arts Center box office at (479) 443-5600.

The Gayly – May 5, 2016 @ 10:50 a.m.