By Koo Hwangbo
For the majority of the year, King Street is a bustling road filled with shopping, dining and history for locals and tourists alike. This September, however, the Old Town Alexandria hub will attract even more visitors when it turns into a world-class outdoor art gallery. The 14th annual Alexandria King Street Art Festival dominates six blocks of Alexandria with booths and artwork from more than 200 artists. The more than $15 million worth of art on display spans paintings, life-size sculptures, jewelry, photography, ceramics and much more—and it all draws thousands of visitors from across the country.
“The show has grown up to be one of the top shows in the country, and it’s ranked that way as well,” says festival organizer Howard Alan. “You’re going to see a lot of different new work that’s never been seen in that part of the country before. You probably won’t find a better show in the area.”
Alan is president of Howard Alan Events, which organizes art tours in Colorado, Pennsylvania, Florida and beyond. Even in Alan’s wealth of experience, he still raves about the Alexandria iteration as one of the best.
“The Alexandria show is the nicest of all of them, and Old Town makes all the difference,” says Alan. “It has such a special feel to it: great restaurants, great shopping, great boutiques. Spread over six blocks, there’s just so much to do.”
“I get a chance to meet a lot of the residents of Alexandria during the weekend, and they’re very proud of the show and very glad it’s on their streets,” says Alan. “When you close a busy street like King Street, you’re detouring a lot of traffic. In the beginning, people didn’t like it, but now they don’t mind at all, in fact, they welcome it.”
The festival brings in a diverse group of art appreciators. No matter a visitor’s age, background or income, Alan is confident there is something for everyone. “You can buy anything from a pair of $30 earrings to a $50,000 bronze sculpture,” he says.
The artists who created the masterpieces on display will also be on-site to represent their work. “You don’t have to buy anything, but you can meet the artists and find out what inspired them,” says Alan. “The artists are very receptive and appreciative when people value their work.”
The Alexandria King Street Art Festival takes place Sept. 17-18. Visit the festival website for more information.
