The second edition of the Fabric Arts Festival takes place in Fall River, Massachusetts, October 16-17, celebrating art, music, community and the city.
The two-day day festival, limited in scope by the coronavirus pandemic, features cultural events which includes a series of live music concerts, films, art exhibitions, art installations, and murals.
Organized by Casa dos Açores de Nova Inglaterra (CANI) under the leadership of Benevides, FABRIC is curated by Jesse James and Sofia Botelho, artistic directors of the Walk and Talk festival in the Azores, and António Pedro Lopes, co-director of the Tremor music festival in the Azores.
“FABRIC 2020 is an exercise of endless imagination, and I am very proud of how the team was able to shift and realize our vision to bring these cultural experiences to the community safely,” said Michael Benevides, who designed the festival.
The program of events aims to interweave local traditions, places and people in the creation of a new way to experience the city, to inspiring a new narrative that builds upon Fall River’s industrial heritage and reinforces a cultural bond with Portugal.
The main goal, according to festival organizers, is to celebrate the urban and social fabric of Fall River, which is interwoven with the industrial heritage of textile mills and a deeply rooted cultural bond with Portugal.
Curator Gustavo Ciríaco
Prevented from coming to the United States due to current restrictions on international travel, some of the curators had to plan the festival from abroad.
“We could not cancel this festival,” James said based in the Azores. “It was super important to continue this process of making connections and relationships with artists, agents and people in the city.”
The Fabric Arts Festival will occupy several venues and locations in the Purchase St. area of downtown Fall River: The Narrows Arts Center, Gnome Create, the Fall River Carousel at Battleship Cove, The Eagle Event Center, People Incorporated, and the Police Athletic League (P.A.L.)
For information, complete schedule and artist bios, visit fabricfallriver.com.
PAJ/Staff
Curator Gustavo Ciríaco
