THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, June 8, 1996 TAG: 9606080003
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: 41 lines
Rock 'n' roll and the Virginia Beach Boardwalk Art Show are roughly the same age.
Born in 1956, the four-day art show is now the centerpiece of the 10-day Boardwalk International Arts Festival, in its second year. The festival theme this year, appropriately enough, is the influence of rock 'n' roll on art and world cultures.
The festival began Friday with rock music and a film. The art show, which will run 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., June 13-16, is a summer dream come true for early Christmas shoppers: a mile of good art, with about that much food.
Like Harborfest, the arts festival is a labor of love for hundreds of volunteers. Their efforts will draw 1.5 million to the festival, half from out of town. The impact on the local economy is estimated at $30 million.
In 1994, Sunshine Artist Magazine rated the art show No. 1 in the mid-Atlantic and No. 17 in the United States. In June 1995, the Southeast Tourism Society named the show one of the top 20 events in the Southeast. In other words, it's big, with more than 450 artists, and it's good: Second-rate artists are screened out. The Oceanfront venue adds to the fun.
Other festival events this year are the Children's Art Fest, a series of rock 'n' roll performances and the nationally touring exhibition ``It's Only Rock and Roll.'' Rock headliners include Jefferson Starship, Blood Sweat and Tears, BeatleMania Live! and Bachman Turner Overdrive. There will also be blues, jazz and country and classical music.
The festival is put on by the nonprofit Virginia Beach Center for the Arts, which has a full-time staff of 15 and more than 1,000 volunteers.
Almost everything in the festival is free, and the 17-block stretch of art is a feast for the eyes. Lucky are the tourists whose stay here coincides with the festival. Lucky are the people who live here and can visit the festival as many days and nights as they like. For more information on the festival, call 425-0000. by CNB