April 09, 2012 | By: pbeyer | Tags: music, festival
The Tom Tom Founders Festival is starting its month-long celebration of music, art and innovation with a kickoff block party on April 13 at McGuffey Art Center.
The Founder’s Day event will include outdoor performances on the McGuffey’s steps from 5 to 8 p.m. Bands will include Beleza Brasil, the Downbeat Project, the Olivarez Trio and the African dance troupe Chihamba.
A block of Second Street Northwest in front of McGuffey — between Market Street and West Jefferson Street — will be closed to provide space for the block party, which will include activities for children.
After 8 p.m., the music moves inside. Bands will include Hot Twang!, the Eames Coleman Trio, the Invisible Hand, Borrowed Beams of Light, Dwight Howard Johnson and DJ Kris Bowmaster. The back-to-back musical performances will take place on all three floors of the building.
Sculptor Ed Miller will be making an interactive plaster sculpture on the McGuffey lawn, and visitors will be able to help him create the work’s surface texture. Miller, a visiting professor in studio art at the University of Virginia, is a festival artist in residence.
During the block party, festival organizers will announce the full schedule of events and its other artists in residence and innovators in residence.
The outdoor music will be sponsored by New Belgium Brewing Company, and beer sales will benefit the Dreamfield Foundation.
The festival will conclude with a music festival weekend from May 11 to 13. Learn more about the events at www.tomtom2012.com.