Durham Magazine, 50 Years of Centerfest, and why I LOVE working festivals.

If you've seen the August/September Issue of the Durham Magazine, you may see a familiar face! In an interview with Laura Montgomery, I was able to speak about my recent collaboration with the Durham Arts Council on the CenterFest 50th anniversary, and share how festivals fuel my creative process. 

"Centerfest is more than a festival-- it's a lifeline. Financially, it sustains my small business.  Emotionally, it fuels my confidence. And creatively, it reminds me why I do this work in the first place." Click here to read the whole article. The write up in on pages 62-63. 

Here's how this interview came about: 

This spring, I was delighted to be contacted by the Durham Arts Council, the organization that hosts one of my favorite Art Festivals-- CenterFest in downtown Durham. This year is the 50th anniversary of CenterFest, and they asked me to design a special limited edition t-shirt to honor this milestone.

Above: Here's my design. It's inspired by the historical markers found throughout downtown durham, and incorporates architectural and botanical elements found throughout the city. 

I was quick to say yes to this project because, as a working artist, festivals like this are the lifeblood of my business. In 2024, sales from events and art festivals represented 55% of my total income for the year-- my single largest income stream. But, even more than that-- festivals are a place that I can connect with my clients and have conversations about what's inspiring them. I can see the way that people respond to certain species and hear their stories about why it's meaningful to them. This is a HUGE part of my creative process.  CenterFest is consistently one of my best weekends of the year- both in terms of sales and in terms of interactions with awesome humans. 

I hope to see y'all out a CenterFest this year! I'll be in booth B01. 

Resources: 

• Merch Website. This is where you can preview and order merch with my design on it.
• CenterFest Arts Festival 2025- September 20-21 in Downtown Durham. Here is a detailed schedule for CenterFest, with information on exhibiting artists, music, parking, and more.
• Durham Magazine August/September Issue.  The interview with me is on pages 62-63.