Bringing the Big Names in Street & Pop Art to a Small Town
Date Posted: Aug 18, 2022
The Pensacola Museum of Art has a solid week all about art scheduled for Foo Foo Festival
The Pensacola Museum of Art has long offered incredible exhibits within its facility. This year, the organization is bringing art to the streets during the Foo Foo Festival with Vandals to Vanguards: Seven Days of Street Art and Pop Art. Pensacola Museum of Art Director Nicholas Croghan sat down to talk about what to expect and how your attendance can help those in need.
Q: Seven days of art—there’s a lot on the agenda! What will be going on during those seven days?
A: We thought it would be fun to take the art out of the museum and into the street, so we’ll kick off the first night (November 4) with a block party. We’re going to be closing down Jefferson street, bringing in a DJ, some food, and having some fun art-themed activities. The block party is going to be from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m..
Q: But the exhibition kicks off that day at the Museum, right?
A: Yes, thanks to the generous grant from Foo Foo Festival, we’re opening up the Museum from the 4th until the 10th with free admission to the general public to see the exhibit. There will be a little over 40 works on display—with the most coming from the collection of Lewis and Bell Bear—taking over the entire second floor of the facility.
Q: The week starts with a block party and ends with a party as well, right?
A: The week will close out with an event at Vinyl Music Hall on November 10. From 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., we’ll bring the vibe and cultural context of these artworks to life. We’re going to merge it with music and video projections, live street art demonstrations, and even live screen printing so that attendees could participate in printing their own tote bags or T-shirt with designs created by local artists.
Q: And there’s an element that’s all about helping others. Tell me about it.
A: For the closing night’s event at Vinyl Music Hall, we’re playing off the fact that Andy Warhol was known for soup cans and collecting canned food donations to benefit Manna Food Pantries, a local organization that strives to fight hunger in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties by providing groceries to individuals and families in need. People can have a fun night experiencing great art and music and helping others in need. It’s a true win-win.