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In its third year, the Roswell Arts Fund's Beaucoup Jazz + Blues Festival is back on September 30th and features a variety of amazing musicians, artisans, food vendors and more. In this blogpost, we brought in Becky Kile, RAF's Marketing Director, and Elan Buchen, RAF's Program Director, to highlight the great work the Roswell Arts Fund does throughout the community. We'll also get into some details about what festival attendees can expect that Saturday.

Visit Roswell: Give us the background of the Roswell Arts Fund – how it came to fruition from its initial days of establishment. What is your mission and purpose throughout the Roswell community?

RAF: Established in 2014, Roswell Arts Fund (RAF) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to advance the arts and enrich Roswell's thriving cultural landscape. In 2015, we proudly became the designated Art Agency for the City of Roswell, as such we lead public art initiatives guided by the Imagine Roswell Arts and Culture 2030 Study and the Public Art Master Plan.

Beyond City initiatives, we actively seek other opportunities to leave a positive and lasting impact on our community. Our focus is on creating high-quality and meaningful creative initiatives, collaborating with businesses, artists, and arts organizations, while also listening to the community's voice.

Our core vision is simple - to Ignite imagination, Impact economic growth, and Inspire connections within the community through the enchanting power of the arts. We believe that art has the ability to shape lives and elevate the spirit of a place, fostering a vibrant and inspiring environment for all.

Visit Roswell: Tell us about the various projects that you both implement and support.

RAF: Roswell Arts Fund is charged with executing all public art programs for the City of Roswell. Therefore, we work as a partner with the City to advise on policy, procedures, and implement the Public Art Masterplan completed in 2017. We also provide guidance to businesses and individuals that have questions about public art, planning, permitting, and more. Our programs and exhibits fall under an umbrella term known as ArtAround Roswell. Literally speaking to the “art around” the city, this includes the monumental permanent and temporary sculptures, the Painted Utility Box project, the Roswell in Print photography exhibits, Pop In and Pop Up concert series, the Pathways visual and performing arts festival, and public art maintenance. Finally, we host an annual Jazz & Blues festival and artist market every fall as part of our fundraising initiatives.

Visit Roswell: How do you select artists and panelists for upcoming projects? Do you feature Roswell artists?

RAF: Every project and exhibit is unique and requires different selection criteria and parameters. We absolutely seek out Roswell talent wherever possible. Some calls require a proposal, some a review of qualifications, while others may require very specific qualities for an invitational. Based upon these prerequisites, stakeholders, experts, community members, and more are convened to evaluate submissions. All of our calls are shared on our website, on our social media channels and in our newsletters and we encourage all artists and community members who are interested in applying for upcoming projects to follow our calls!

Visit Roswell: Let’s talk about the upcoming Beaucoup Jazz + Blues Festival. Give us the details on the artists, location, duration and what attendees can expect.

RAF: The third annual Beaucoup Festival will be held on September 30, 2023 in the parking lot adjacent to the PGA Superstore in East Roswell (1575 Old Alabama Road). The festivities will go from 2 pm – 11 pm and there is a lot to experience!

The lineup for 2023 features Jason Marsalis, known for his virtuosity on the vibraphone, Eddie 9V, a rising sensation in the blues scene, the Joe Alterman Trio, offering soulful piano performances, The Hibbard/Wright Project, a captivating jazz ensemble, Tyler Neal Band, known for their dynamic fusion of rock, gospel, and blues, and the exceptional young (Roswell!) musicians of Tritone Youth Orchestra.

In addition to the incredible lineup, the festival will also include a vibrant pop-up artisan vendor market, delicious food and beverages led by From the Earth Brewing Company, a preview of cars from the Roswell Motoring Festival and our emcee for the day will be the extraordinary Tamara Fuller from GA’s #1 Jazz Club the Velvet Note.

Visit Roswell: What does the festival support and how do you envision its growth throughout the next 3-5 years?

RAF: The Beaucoup Festival is dedicated to supporting the year-round operations and programming of Roswell Arts Fund, serving as a vital fundraiser for our initiatives. As the festival evolves, we value the feedback from our community and learn from it each year how to make the next one more enriching and entertaining. In addition, building strategic partnerships and securing sponsors are instrumental in our growth vision. With their support and the invaluable feedback we aim to shape the Beaucoup Festival into a true celebration of the arts and incorporate an ever-expanding range of art experiences for everyone to enjoy.

Beaucoup Jazz + Blues Festival Returns September 30th

Good tunes. Good times. Good stuff.