The annual Acansa Arts Festival kicks off next week. In its second year, Acansa is bringing back another group of acclaimed performers and artists from around central Arkansas and the region.
Festival events will take place Sept. 16 through Sept. 20 at various venues across Little Rock and North Little Rock and will include concerts, recitals, educational outreach events, and gallery viewings.
At the helm of this year’s event is the new executive director, Kate Quinlan-Laird. A transplant to Arkansas from New York, Quinlan-Laird is a graduate of Terry College of Business at the Univeristy of Georgie with a background in nonprofit and capital campaign fundraising.
Soirée had an opportunity to ask Quinlan-Laird about her hopes on buidling upon the success of Acansa’s inaugural season.
Soirée: This is your first year as executive director. What made you say yes to taking the reins?
Kate Quinlan-Laird: My reason for pursuing working with the Acansa Arts Festival was influenced by my passion for economic development, my belief that arts tourism is germane to the vibrancy and desirability of the region and my desire to make a positive impact on the community.
S: Tell us what we can expect from the five-day festival this year. Any surprises?
KQL: The five-day festival is an exercise in tremendous diversity. We have local and imported art that we know will enhance public participation and engagement. It is our hope that patrons will step out a little, embrace an adventurous spirit and experience something new. I know they won’t be disappointed. We are also pleased to offer several free, family-friendly events this year. Be sure to check out the whole schedule at www.ACANSAartsFestival.org.
S: How do you see or hope Acansa will evolve?
I would like to see the festival grow in length. The goal is to add new events and incorporate different genres each year. We are already in talks to add a playwriting competition and performances based on the winning play next year, which is very exciting. I’d love to see digital film shorts, original compositions from opera to electronica, as well as spoken word events. Spotlighting Arkansas art could be done powerfully through commissioned choreography from emerging local talent or an annual juried exhibition of visual art. Anything that increases engagement, reaches people, keeps us relevant, innovative and inspirational.
S: Can you discuss the Festival’s short term goals versus long term goals?
Our short term goals are easy: a successful festival that grows with increased attendance each year. This year’s attendance goal is 5,000! We also want to continue to have a positive cash flow, which allows us to reinvest in the next year’s Festival.
Long term, we intend for cultural life in September in central Arkansas to be synonymous with the Acansa Arts Festival. The Acansa Arts Festival as a destination will be an economic driver in the region.
We are committed to making art accessible for everyone in the community. My hope is that we find inventive ways connect the underserved and underrepresented to the benefits of artistic expression. A vibrant and thriving community with an engaged and enlightened citizenry – what could be a better goal than that?
S: What are you most excited about seeing this year?
That is a hard one to say. There is effectively something for everyone. I think I am personally most excited to see “Blood at the Root” and the Hot Sardines. That being said, I am really excited about both the opening and closing events. We explode in the beginning with a larger-than-life performance by the Arkansas Symphony and conclude with the St. Marks Choir in the grand finale at a Gospel Brunch at Wildwood. I can’t think of a better note to end on.
We totally agree.
For ticket information, click here. To view the complete schedule, click here.
Be sure to check out our feature on Acansa in our September issue.