Artwork on display during the 2020 Ethos Celebration of the Arts, an annual festival held in downtown Franklin showcasing a wide variety of visual, performing and other types of art. This year’s event will be all day Oct. 1.
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For one afternoon, the Franklin community will band together to celebrate the town’s creative spirit.
A juried art show will feature the best paintings, ceramics, jewelry and other work made by the best artists from around the region. Community creators will have their own display, touting the best from local artists. People can check out large-scale chalk art on the sidewalks and watch as a work of art unfolds before their eyes.
Listen to drumming and singing from the Miami Nation, dance an Irish jig or salsa to the Latin beats of Grupo Bembe.
“It’s turned into into this huge community collaboration of lots of organizations,” said Jess Giles, executive director of Discover Downtown Franklin. “Everyone is kind of partnering together to make it fun across town.”
The Ethos Celebration of the Arts returns for its fourth year this weekend, bringing visual, performing and other forms of art in a daylong festival. Discover Downtown Franklin, working together with groups such as Franklin Parks and Recreation, the Creative Council of Johnson County and the Franklin Symphonic Council, have worked together to put a wildly multi-faceted event together.
“A lot of the activities were already in effect that were already taking place. We asked, what if we combine them into one giant day to celebrate?” Giles said.
The Ethos festival was founded in 2019 as a way to showcase Franklin’s robust arts community. City officials and arts organizations have been working to have the city’s downtown area designated as a state-recognized art district, in the same vein as Bloomington, Columbus and Carmel.
Events such as Ethos only helps in that effort.
“The city of Franklin and city partners have really started to prioritize the presence of art in the downtown community. This is one of the stepping stones to increasing the volume of art that we see,” Giles said.
The centerpiece of the Ethos celebration has always been the juried art fair. Professional artists, or those who want to be professional, will have the chance to put their paintings, sculptures, glass- and metalwork, multimedia pieces and many other forms of art on display for the public to consume.
A panel of judges will award prizes to those deemed the best.
But amateur artists from the community will also have a chance to show off their talents. The community art show, organized by the Franklin parks department, features submitted pieces will be judged in categories such as two-dimensional, acrylics, mixed media, oil, photography, pottery, recycled materials and woodwork.
Monetary prizes and ribbons will be awarded to first, second and third place in each category.
Other special events planned throughout the day will appeal to art lovers of all kinds.
The Canvas Clash brings asks competing artists to create a work in a 20-minute time frame. Over the course of three rounds of competition, the ultimate artist will rise to the top. Attendees will be able to vote for the favorites.
Previously, the Canvas Clash had been held the night before the event. But organizers wondered if it might get more attention in the midst of the festival.
“We thought that would be such a fun attraction for families to enjoy at the amphitheater while a really great band is playing, and we have beer and wine available,” Giles said.
More than 100 craft, antique, vintage, artisan, handmade and art booths will be set up around the downtown area, offering eclectic, funky and unique items for sale.
The Chalk the Walk event allows visitors to show off their own creativity, purchasing a 3-foot by 3-foot square at the downtown amphitheater to decorate with chalk however they want.
Through the Franklin Symphonic Council, people can experience different styles of music from around the world. Take in the Miami Nation singing/drumming ensemble, the Indianapolis Ceili Band, the Latin salsa of Grupo Bembe and the pounding percussion of the Southern Indiana Taiko Drummers.
A band is also scheduled to perform on the front porch of Wild Geese Bookshop, helping to draw attention to the Porchtober event planned by the Creative Council of Franklin that will be ongoing throughout October.
“What’s great is that all of the times for the musical performances throughout the day, they fill in the gaps and it encourages people to move around town to see these different musicians,” Giles said.
Ethos finishes with a headlining performance by the Indigos, an Muncie-based independent rock band specializing in “indigroove” — groovy roots meshed with a collective rock ‘n’ roll influences.
“This event is a favorite of ours. It’s not a fundraiser; it’s about supporting our mission of encouraging people to visit, helping our local community and increasing the accessibility and beautification of the downtown,” Giles said.
