Grove City Messenger - September 4th, 2022

www.columbusmessenger.com September 4, 2022 - GROVE CITY LIVING - PAGE 7
Grove City Area Chamber of Commerce
To create a positive environment for the development and success of business
Creativity and fun abound at Arts in the Alley
This month, Arts in the Alley will return
with its 43rd edition of celebrating the arts.
Attendees will enjoy familiar favorites,
along with plenty of new features to make
the 2022 festival its own unique event unlike
the year before, making it a must-attend
event over the course of the weekend,
September 16-18.
Coordinators behind the scenes aim to
make it “an event people look forward to
every year” as Trent Soles, Chamber board
member and Voice of Grove City coordinator,
put it. This includes consistently seeking
out new vendors, new show participants,
and new contestants in The Voice of Grove
City.
And while Trent explained that all elements
of Arts in the Alley are connected–
and they most certainly are, below each
‘element’ of Arts in the Alley has been broken
down into further explanation.
The Vital Details: Sept. 16 - Sept. 18
Arts in the Alley will kick off on Friday
evening, September 16, with opening
rounds of The Voice of Grove City. Additionally
vendors will begin showcasing their creations
for sale and food vendors will serve
up snacks and dinner.
The fun continues Saturday with the
Community Parade stepping off at 9:30 am
at the corner of Southwest Boulevard and
Broadway. The parade will kick off a full
day of fun with vendors, music, show displays,
and more.
The fun does have to come to an end,
though Sunday will bring the announcement
of a variety of winners. Show winners
will be recognized and from the finalists’
performances, a Voice of Grove City winner
will be chosen.
The Vendors
The big news is over 30-and-counting
new vendors will be joining us this year as
the vendor list is one of the biggest yet. In
short? Expect a lot of vendors, with plenty
of first-time vendors! Vendors are coming
from near and far and will be ready to share
their creations.
Vendors registered so far cover a vast
range of arts: wood, photography, fine art,
jewelry, ceramics, glass, leather working,
and a variety of home décor art. There will
be something for everyone. Many vendors
will also showcase how they create some of
their pieces, so take time to stop, watch, and
learn along the way.
The Voice of Grove City
In chatting with coordinator Trent Soles,
the Voice of Grove City
is continuing to grow
while entertaining and
offering a platform for
vocal talent. Entries
have rolled in from
across Ohio, and while
a few competitors may
return from 2021, remember
that there is
always a new winner
named each year.
Two emcees along
with a strong, and diverse,
panel of judges
have been lined up
with emcees engaging
the audience and the
judges leading the way
in narrowing the contestant
field. The
judges aren’t the only
ones with a say–the
People’s Choice winner
from Saturday’s field
of 10 will automatically
advance to the
Sunday finals.
But, it’s not all
about the competition,
as Trent said one of the
original goals was to
ensure people had a
stage for their performing
talent, and an opportunity
to learn.
Similar to the TV show
format, The Voice of
Grove City added a coach last year. The
coach’s job is to help carry out this original
goal–“help people be able to share their gift”.
Additional information, including contestant-submitted
videos, can be found on
The Voice of Grove City website:
https://artsinthealley.us.launchpad6.com/
The Shows
To share and encourage artistic talent
both near and far, Arts in the Alley has five
shows to enter:
Craft Show
Fine Arts Show
Photography Show
Quilt Show
Youth Art Show
Each of the five shows has its own special
criteria, classes, and even distinctions for
professional or amateur artisans. To learn
about each show and entry requirements,
Artist at work at Grove City’s Arts in the Alley.
find the fliers online at: https://www.gcchamber.org/arts/
All shows bring together a variety of entries
to share the uniqueness of their field
and individuality and talent of the artist.
The Youth Art Show showcases many works
that local students completed during the
past school year.
Artists looking to compete for the Grove
City Easel Award have ‘tweaked’ criteria this
year in that the theme “My Hometown Original”
has been expanded to include works
with a hometown theme beyond Grove City.
The winning piece will still be entered into
the city of Grove City’s art collection.
Entries into any of the five above-listed
shows that feature or use flowers are considered
for the Helena McComb Award.
This award is in memory of Helena Mc-
Comb, who was instrumental in the earliest
days of the Arts in the Alley and building it
to become the event we love. With her love
of flowers, it’s a fitting way to honor and remember
Helena.
The Food
Food vendors are all local non-profit organizations
and money raised will go to support
their various causes and efforts. Both
the non-profits and the food they serve offer
variety.
Attendees can look forward to: pizza,
grilled bologna sandwiches, kettle corn,
deep fried cheese, corn dogs, New Orleans
shaved ice, Lemon shake ups, hot dogs,
sausage sandwiches, pulled pork, chicken
salad wraps, popcorn, cookies, and plenty of
water and bottled drink options. Groups include
church groups, civic organizations,
and local scout troops.
See ARTS, page 8