National Folk Festival Announces That PNC Bank Will Sponsor the North Carolina Arts Marketplace and That Artists May Apply For Inclusion in Marketplace

North Carolina Arts Marketplace to feature dozens of our region’s finest artisans, craftspeople as part of National Folk Festival

Greensboro, N.C., May 20, 2015  — The National Folk Festival announced today that PNC Bank will sponsor the North Carolina Arts Marketplace at the 2015 Festival, which will feature 300 artists on seven stages over three days in downtown Greensboro from September 11 – 13, 2015. The Festival is FREE; no tickets are necessary.

Located on the streets around Center City Park, the North Carolina Arts Marketplace will showcase the juried, handmade creations of dozens of the finest artists and craftspeople from North Carolina and the region.

Making the announcement today at Greensboro’s Center City Park were David Leppert, Relationship Manager and VP – PNC Wealth Management; Florence Gatten, Board Chair – ArtsGreensboro; Tom Philion, President and CEO – ArtsGreensboro; Julia Olin, Executive Director – National Council for the Traditional Arts; and Greensboro City Council Member-At-Large Marikay Abuzuaiter.

“It’s my great honor to announce that PNC—one of our nation’s largest diversified financial services organizations—is making a major commitment to the 2015 National Folk Festival,” said Philion. “With this investment in the North Carolina Arts Marketplace, PNC is not only giving dozens of regional artists and craftspeople the chance to display their handmade artwork, but also providing tens of thousands of people the opportunity to enjoy and purchase a variety of art during the Festival.”

“At PNC, we focus on strengthening and enriching the lives of our neighbors in the communities where we do business,” said David Leppert. “We see our sponsorship of the Arts Marketplace at the National Folk Festival doing just that—strengthening the city of Greensboro and state of North Carolina, and enriching the lives of people who exhibit in or shop at the Marketplace. We’re proud to be part of this important event.”

Following the announcement of PNC’s sponsorship, Julia Olin, Executive Director – National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA), which awarded the National Folk Festival to Greensboro and is co-producing it with ArtsGreensboro, announced that artists may now submit applications to exhibit in the North Carolina Arts Marketplace.

“The North Carolina Arts Marketplace will add a special dimension to the National Folk Festival experience,” said Olin. “We’re especially excited about the incredible richness and variety of the arts and crafts communities in and around North Carolina—from pottery to textiles, from basket-making to watercolors, from jewelry to instrument-making, and everything in between. We expect a record number of applications for the Marketplace as well as truly unique opportunities for festival-goers to take home hand-crafted mementos from the Festival.”

Applications for the Arts Marketplace are available at nationalfolkfestival.com/marketplace or by e-mailing info@nationalfolkfestival.com. Applications must be postmarked by June 12, 2015."

- A Press Release