ArtisTREE is a new festival coming to Government House, and it could really go one of three ways. According to ArtisTREE music curator Mike Roma, fest producers Market Collective are marketing it as three separate events.
“They wanted to market ArtisTREE as just music if you just wanted it to be; ArtisTREE is just vendors if you just want it to be; ArtisTREE is visual arts if you just want it to be,” says Roma.
By having three separate events at one festival, each can draw a crowd for the others.
“Music brings the people for the vendors; the vendors bring people for the music and the visual art component,” says Roma. “Really quite a beautiful symbiotic design that the Market Collective has put together.”
Music is often played at markets and community festivals; however, it isn’t always the main focus. By marketing music as being something in the background, Roma says it diminishes the value of the art form, or vice versa for vendors.
“[Market Collective is] very cognizant to respect each community and give it the attention it deserves,” he says. “It’s not just a music festival; it’s not just the vendor festival; it’s all of these things combined to make like a super event.”
Rather than doing an open call for musicians, the music for ArtisTREE was curated by Roma to have an American bluegrass folk sound. Recommendations came from the community regarding styles and artists they knew. Some of the bands have family connections while others are touring artists.
“There’s a bluegrass band that’s playing on Saturday called Invisible Hands and the guy that fronts that is the father of the guy that’s playing bass in Electric Timber,” Roma says. “As a lot of the artists themselves play in different projects, it’s kind of a really nice symbiotic system. There’s a real family vibe to the musicians, and a lot of guys that play in other, bigger projects, that are touring artists, that have wanted play together are coming together just for this event.”
An important factor to Market Collective is that vendors have a profitable day. They want the festival to be enjoyable for everyone involved, not just attendees.
“I think, and I’m speaking on behalf of Market Collective because I know them quite well, they’re also really conscious of the fact that people make a living doing this,” he says. “They want to make sure that it works for them financially, especially because they depend on it. If you have something that’s curated and has a flow to it, and it’s taken into consideration that world and for those people, then there’s a flow to it and they’re set up for success.”
ArtisTREE is one of the first events held at Government House by a third party. The way the connection between Market Collection and Government House was forged had a royal touch.
“Because Cory [Judge of Market Collective] is also an artisan, when [Prince Harry] and Meghan Markle came to town, there were certain vendors that they wanted their wares, so to speak, and Cory was one of them,” says Roma. “So it started a conversation with Government House.”
ArtisTREE
10 am to 7 pm Saturday, July 27
10 am to 5 pm Sunday, July 28
Free, Government House
artistreefestival.com