APSU to host Govs Creative Arts Festival in downtown Clarksville

By: Kara Zahn August 5, 2024

The Downtown Commons will host APSU’s inaugural Govs Creative Arts Festival from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14. Attendees can enjoy free live performances, activities and more.

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Austin Peay State University (APSU) has announced its inaugural Govs Creative Arts Festival, a free experience for all ages, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sept. 14 at the Downtown Commons.

The Govs Creative Arts Festival will feature various dance, theatre and musical performances and a free activity area, complete with a painting class for all ages, a make-your-own-print experience, an instrument petting zoo and more.

APSU's College of Arts and Letters, the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts, the Community School of the Arts (CSA) and Clarksville-Montgomery County Parks and Recreation collaborated on the event, with funding from a $15,000 Google Data Center Grant awarded to CSA in January 2024 to create accessible art experiences.

"We are thrilled to bring the Govs Creative Arts Festival to downtown Clarksville, providing the community with a unique opportunity to celebrate the arts and showcase the incredible talent within our university," said Dr. Buzz Hoon, dean of the College of Arts and Letters.

Stage entertainment highlights include opera, musical theatre and spoken word productions by APSU students and faculty. Attendees are encouraged to bring a blanket or chair to enjoy the performances from the green space.

In addition to the entertainment lineup, the festival will feature a range of interactive activities designed to engage community members of all ages. Highlights include a printmaking session with Department of Art + Design Professor Patrick Vincent, an instrument petting zoo conducted by professors and students from the Department of Music and a way to experience philosophers of the past coming to life with the Department of History & Philosophy.

Sarah Spillers, an alumna from the Department of Art + Design, will offer a free painting activity for all ages. Spillers, who also teaches painting at the Community School of the Arts, is an accomplished artist who has frequently exhibited her work throughout Clarksville and Nashville.

"As the proud home of Tennessee's only Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts, we are grateful for the additional funding that supports our Community School of the Arts and our community outreach initiatives," said Andrea Spofford, director of the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts at Austin Peay. "The Govs Creative Arts Festival is one of the many ways we strive to make the arts accessible to everyone."

For more information about the Govs Creative Arts Festival, visit apsu.edu or contact APSU’s College of Arts and Letters at 931-221-6446.