THE FACTS:
Date: Saturday April 21
Place: Historic Cotton District

The 2012 Cotton District Arts Festival was successfully kicked off at the unveiling of the official festival poster. The event was hosted by the Starkville Area Arts Council (SAAC) at the Cotton District's Bulldog Deli on Thursday, October 13, where attendees gathered to catch a first look at the poster and pay tribute to its artist, Vicki Burnett.

Vicki's creative and fun entry, "Artistic Illumination" depicts a man with a rather unusual guitar and his dog observing the Cotton District Arts Festival. The upper body of the guitar is an artist's palette and the headstock is a paintbrush. Rays of vibrant color shoot through the painting, illuminating some areas and leaving others black and white. The piece was inspired by a photograph Vicki took at the festival last year: several fellow citizens happened to be milling about in the photo, and she wanted to capture their energy and emphasize through the piece the importance of art and music in life. Vicki's original painting was incorporated into the final poster with the help of her dear friend, graphic artist Charlotte Pickering, a special thanks goes out to Charlotte too!

Vicki laughingly describes herself as an "emerging artist", emerging little by little from the daily humdrum of piles of dirty laundry, book reports, and grocery lists to sporadically develop her artistic talent. With her youngest now in first grade, she has been able to find more time to paint and become actively involved in Starkville's artistic community. Vicki's favorite subjects are her children, her garden, and scenes from places she and her family have lived in or traveled to. She likes her paintings to have underlying meaning. While she was painting "Artistic Illumination", she thought about how grateful she is that God created a world of such beauty and harmony and gave mankind both an appreciation for it and the ability to emulate it through the arts. Her painting is a perfect example of such an emulation and encapsulates beautifully the lively energy of the well-loved annual festival.

Scheduled for Saturday, April 21, 2012, the Cotton District Arts Festival will once again host a broad variety of art villages featuring over 100 artisans, international culture, a sanctioned 5K run and pet parade: both choral and theatrical performances: a songwriter's competition; art and food competitions: and entertainment for both children and adults. And, to top it off, festival goers will once again enjoy delectable cuisine from local chefs and live music stages set up throughout Starkville's Historic Cotton District. There is sure to be something for everyone at the 17th annual Cotton District Arts Festival.

The Starkville Area Arts Council is proud to bring this festival to Starkville and appreciates the support of the City of Starkville, the Greater Starkville Development Partnership, the Mississippi Arts Commission and local sponsors.