G Love, Amy Jo Johnson, Will Dailey to headline virtual arts and music festival which kicks off on Thursday, April 30th and runs through Saturday, May 2nd
April 21, 2020 (Hyannis, MA) – A star-studded lineup of local, regional, and national artists will come together for a 3-day virtual arts and music festival, Home Is Where The Art Is, to raise money and awareness for the Cape Cod Arts Relief Fund.
Organized by the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod (AFCC), the festival will feature live music; a themed dance party; a painting workshop; an architectural tour of a modern home; and an interactive discussion with local musicians about what life has been like during the quarantine, all streamed on Facebook and Instagram.
“We decided to take what artists throughout the world are doing during this time and put a Cape Cod slant to it,” said AFCC Executive Director Julie Wake. “We’ve curated a great assortment of talent representing different creative mediums, but sharing one thing in common – they all want to use their art to give back to our community. That’s the true power of the arts. They offer avenues for us to heal in moments like we’re in right now.”
The festival will serve as a fundraiser for the Cape Cod Arts Relief Fund, which the AFCC launched at the beginning of this month. The fund’s initial focus is on providing one-time emergency financial assistance of up to $500 to local artists who have lost income due to the coronavirus pandemic. In the second phase, the fund will be used to support Cape Cod cultural nonprofits, post-pandemic.
In the past 21 days, close to150 artists have applied for funding from the Arts Relief Fund. Last week, the AFCC granted nearly $12,500 to 35 of those applicants.
“The need is real,” said Wake. “That’s one of the reasons we decided to organize this festival. We want to show people how dynamic the Cape’s cultural scene is by featuring the artists who contribute to it. And we want to raise additional funds to ensure our region doesn’t lose its artistic character.”
The lineup of artists is headlined by Cape Cod’s own G. Love, the lead singer and guitarist for the band G. Love & Special Sauce, and filmmaker, actress, and musician Amy Jo Johnson, whose latest movie, “Tammy’s Always Dying” starring Felicity Huffman, will be released worldwide Friday, May 1st on VOD.
Johnson, who grew up in Dennis and now lives in Toronto, Canada, said she was eager to give back to the community where she discovered her love for the arts. “I’m doing well and counting my blessings, but I’m also trying to figure out, in small ways and gestures, how I can help,” she said. “That’s why I said yes to this festival. Why not do these gestures of giving in creative ways right now?”
Musician Will Dailey, who has been live streaming shows throughout his house, including his shower, as part of what he has dubbed his Isolation Tour, will be lending his talents to Home Is Where The Art Is. “This event just reinforces my whole philosophy during this time – that anything we’re doing should be about lifting other people up,” said Dailey, whose virtual concerts have already raised more than $13,000 for staff at several Boston-based venues where he regularly performs.
While the festival will be heavy on music, it will also include several other arts-related events, including a themed dance party organized by dance instructor Adam Spencer, the owner of Adam in Chatham dance studio. Since the pandemic started, his staff has been offering virtual classes and holding Friday night dance parties on Zoom.
Singer and songwriter Tianna Esperanza said being involved with the festival is a way for her “to further connect with my local community online. I’m grateful to be given an opportunity to give back through my art.”
Others involved with Home Is Where The Art include local musicians Brad Conant and Schuyler Grant; Peter McMahon, founding director of the Cape Cod Modern House Trust in South Wellfleet; painter Cynthia Packard of Provincetown; Crooked Coast lead singer and guitarist Luke Vose of Falmouth; jazz musician and composer Bert Jackson of Brewster; classical musicians Kyle Spraker and Maria Rindenello-Spraker of Sandwich; Provincetown-based musician Zoe Lewis; Newbery Honor-winning author Lauren Wolk of Centerville; conductor Matt Scinto of West Yarmouth and the Cape Cod Chamber Orchestra; and country/folk singer-songwriter Monica Rizzio of Yarmouth Port.
For a full list of days, times and when each entertainer will perform, visit www.artsfoundation.org or view the Home Is Where The Art Is Facebook event page at www.facebook.com/artsfoundation.
RogersGray will be sponsoring Cynthia Packard’s segment on Saturday, May 2. Businesses interested in sponsoring Home Is Where The Art Is should contact Amy Tuttle at atuttle@artsfoundation.org.
Donations to the Cape Cod Arts Relief Fund can be made at www.artsfoundation.org.
About the AFCC
The AFCC’s mission is to support, promote, and celebrate the arts and culture of Cape Cod. It fulfills its mission by funding grants, fellowships, and scholarships; by advocating for more awareness on the impact the Cape’s creative economy has on our region and beyond; and by building a strong arts community network through membership.