The Connective Corridor (www.connectivecorridor@syr.edu) and Summer at Syracuse (www.summer.syr.edu) are pleased to provide free bus service to ArtsWeek 2012.   Check the bus schedule page of this web site for the schedule.

ArtsWeek is a community-wide partnership involving a collaboration of many partners, combining the Annual Syracuse Arts & Crafts Festival, the  Northeast Jazz and Wine Festival, The Stage of Nations Blue Rain ECOfest and the Syracuse New Times Street Painting Festival, with more than 26 interactive arts activities.  An arts walk links Everson Plaza to Columbus Circle to Hanover Square to Clinton Square, and there are many stops from which to connect the free Connective Corridor service to these locations.

Activities include:

July 27-29: AmeriCU 42nd Annual Syracuse Arts & Crafts Festival – A spectacular 3-day showcase of the country’s most talented artists, craftspeople, and entertainers is centered on historic Columbus Circle in downtown Syracuse. The show features more than 160 artists representing 27 states and Canada. The event presents contemporary arts and crafts, ranging from functional to decorative, a wide variety of music, multi-cultural performances, summer refreshments, and participatory activities. Visit www.syracuseartsandcraftsfestival.com for more information. Columbus Circle, Friday 10 am-6 pm, Saturday & Sunday 10 am-5 pm.

July 27-29: Live Entertainment at the Syracuse Arts & Crafts Festival – Performances by Trio Los Arpegios, Colin Aberdeen, Syracuse Highland Pipe & Drums, Jane Zell, La Joven Gurdia Del Teatro Latino, Too Tall String Band, Biboti, Girls Night Out, the Joe and Jane Show. Columbus Circle, Friday 10 am-6 pm, Saturday & Sunday 1 pm-5 pm.

June 27-28: Northeast Jazz & Wine Festival – Two days of free jazz, smooth jazz, and RnB programming on three stages, quality wines from Mondavi, Simply Naked and Ruffino, wine-tasting courses that benefit the American Red Cross, and mouth-watering food, guaranteed to make downtown Syracuse the cool place to be this summer! Visit www.nejazzwinefest.org for more information. Clinton Square, Friday 5-11 pm, Saturday 12-11 pm. Late night jams at Wise Guys Comedy Club until 2am both nights.

July 28: Syracuse New Times 22nd Annual Street Painting Festival -A chalk art contest for artists ranging from young kids to seasoned professionals. The Masters Competition is the highest level of chalk art competition, in which the artist will recreate a renowned masters painting in chalk on the sidewalk. Cash and prizes will be awarded. The art will be photographed and showcased in the Syracuse New Times newspaper and web site. Pre-registration is recommended – call 422-7011. Visit www.syracusenewtimes.com for more information. 200 block of Montgomery Street, Saturday 8 am-4 pm.

July 27-28: Stage of Nations Blue Rain ECOfest – This new element to ArtsWeek is an active, engaging, and educational event. Previously two separate events, the Stage of Nations Blue Rain ECOfest, (together) is expected to be the largest festival in the northeast merging Haudenosaunee values and environmental stewardship with eco-friendly vendors and educational opportunities complimented with native American crafts, food and entertainment. Learn more at www.bluerainecofest.org. Hanover Square & City Hall Commons Atrium, Friday 5-10 pm, Saturday 12-10:30 pm.

July 28: Syracuse New Times Paper Box Painting Competition – The Paper Box Painting competition is a chance for local artists to paint a Syracuse New Times outdoor paper box using their own creativity. These boxes will be located around the City after the competition and be used to distribute Syracuse New Times papers. Pre-registration is recommended – call 422-7011. Visit www.syracusenewtimes.com for more information. 200 block of Montgomery Street, Saturday 8 am-4 pm.

July 28: Syracuse New Times Figure Drawing Competition – The Sketch Art Competition has 3 ability levels – Youth, Teen and Adult, whereby artists will sketch a live model in chalk or pencil. Prizes will be awarded and the winners will be displayed in the windows of the Syracuse New Times offices on West Genesee St. These winning artists will also be offered the opportunity to auction their work for charity at the Habitat for Humanity auction in November. Pre-registration is recommended – call 422-7011. Visit www.syracusenewtimes.com for more information. 200 block of Montgomery Street, Saturday 8 am-4 pm.

July 27-29: M Street Cooperative – The event brings 65 local crafters downtown with booths offering stained glass and handmade wooden toys to wrought iron sculpture and handmade children’s and adult clothing. Culinary delights are supplied by the Onondaga Historical Association’s booth with members of the Onondaga Nation cooking Buffalo Burgers and Venison Sausage, with Gwen’s Soul Food and Destiny’s fresh fruit drinks. Media Unit street performers provide original choreography with the dancers roving back to Oz Nation and staging a Tribute to Michael Jackson. 300 block of Montgomery Street, Friday 10 am-6 pm, Saturday & Sunday 10 am-5 pm.

July 27-29: Media Unit Monster Book Sale – The region’s largest annual used book and vinyl MONSTER SALE. Browse used books at bargain prices–you make an offer, everything must go! 300 block of Montgomery Street, Friday 10 am-6 pm, Saturday & Sunday 10 am-5 pm.

July 28 & 29: Typewriter Poetry Gallery – Come type a poem on an old-fashioned typewriter, and make an artistic contribution to a gallery of poems written by Syracuse poets, young and old. Anyone is welcome to type a poem! Drawing material will also be provided if you’d like to illustrate your work. A digital gallery of all poems will be posted online. We are located in the Syracuse Commons between City Hall and Hanover Square. Recent art work entitled the Contemplation of Language by Mark Povinelli will also be on exhibit. This event is brought to you by the StoreFront and the 40-Below Public Arts Task Force. City Hall Commons Plaza, Saturday & Sunday, 10 am-5 pm.

July 28: The Erie Canal Museum’s 50th Anniversary Community Celebration – Fifty years ago, the historic Syracuse Weighlock Building, the last remaining building of its kind in the world, was saved from destruction by a group of community members and transformed into a Museum. To thank the community for its support through all of these years, the Erie Canal Museum invites everyone to celebrate the Museum’s 50th anniversary. The event is free and fun for all ages. Activities for children will include making ice cream, butter, mule puppets, paper, and more. Presentations will be given during the day about the Erie Canal, including 80 Years Workin’ on the Erie Canal with Dr. David and Liz Beebe, co-founders of the Camillus Erie Canal Park. And of course, Franklin the Mule will be available to meet and get a picture with from noon to 2pm. Erie Canal Museum, 318 Erie Blvd E., Saturday, 12-4 pm.

July 28: Everson Museum of Art – Join the Everson Museum of Art as we explore two exhibitions currently on view through September 2nd, 2012 – People, Place and Progress: Local Landscapes in Paint and Print and Julie Blackmon: Other Tales from Home. Celebrate Syracuse by drawing your favorite views of downtown (inspired by the exhibition People, Place and Progress.) Create a photo collage using recycled magazines to depict your home and family life (inspired by the exhibition Julie Blackmon.) City Hall Commons Plaza, Saturday, 10 am-3 pm.

July 28: Serenity Gardens at Prince of Peace Missionary Baptist Church – Prince of Peace Missionary Baptist Church invites you to stop by the Serenity Gardens to enjoy a fabulous soul food meal: fried chicken, hot dogs, cold soda, and delectable desserts. While inside, feel free to have you blood pressure checked by registered nurses, who will be there to answer any questions you may have and give out material to read in your spare time. For more information contact the church at 474-1238. 300 block of E. Onondaga St., Saturday, 9 am-5 pm.

July 25: Flicks on the Crick – Each Wednesday in July & August, bring a lawn chair to Armory Square’s Creekwalk park & enjoy a different movie each week as it’s projected on the side of the Sound Garden. Safe House will be screened on July 25. For more information, visit www.cdjoint.com. Sound Garden, 310 West Jefferson Street, Wednesday, dusk.

July 27-29: Plymouth Congregational Church – All are invited to browse Plymouth Church’s sale held within the church. Featured is an assortment of church baked goods, Saratoga water, Snapple and coffee. All proceeds will go to support the community ministries of the church. Several artisans will display their work as well. Visit plymouthuccsyracuse.org for more information about Plymouth Church. 232 E. Onondaga, Friday 10 am-6 pm, Saturday & Sunday 10 am-5 pm.

July 27-29: St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral – St. Paul’s will hold a garage sale during the Arts and Crafts Festival in the Hanson Dining room. St. Paul’s will be open for visitors to visit, relax and enjoy the beauty of this building during this time. Look for area artists in and around the Cathedral participating in a Plein Aire Paint-Out. Enjoy entertainment on Saturday, July 28: Chevelle Moore with Sounds of Eternity at 1 pm and Nitelite Mary at 3 pm. Visitors to the Cathedral and the garage sale should enter from the East Fayette Street door. 310 Montgomery St., Friday – Sunday, 10 am – 5 pm.

July 27-29: Syracuse Stories – Syracuse Stories is a multi-media art and story-telling festival celebrating and sharing the stories of the people, cultures and institutions that make up our community. We need your stories! During ArtsWeek Syracuse Stories invites members of the Syracuse and CNY community to share their stories; who they are, where they come from, how they got to CNY, why they stay, what they care about, what they would like their neighbors to know about their culture and its traditions. Syracuse Stories and the Downtown Writer’s Center collaborate to help people tell their stories in a variety of ways; in writing, in story-circles, thru individual story-telling and two person interviews modeled on NPR’s Story Corps. Stories will be filmed and archived. Stories gathered during ArtsWeek will be accessible through the Syracuse Stories/ProLiteracy, “Know Your Neighbor, Know the World” project. The project is a computer-based way to discover through stories how people in CNY and around the world understand the common experiences of being human within their diverse cultural traditions. To schedule a time to tell your story, contact: syracusestories@gmail.com or sign up that day. Downtown Writer’s Center at the Downtown YMCA, 340 Montgomery St., Friday 10 am-6 pm, Saturday & Sunday 10 am-5 pm.

July 27-29: Film: “Syracuse Stories” -The documentary about last July’s ArtsWeek Syracuse Stories Festival, “Syracuse Stories” by Courtney Rile, will be shown several times each day at the Downtown Writer’s Center and the Erie Canal Museum. Come see how members of the CNY and Syracuse community shared their stories last summer. Stay for a story circle or tell your own Syracuse story. Contact syracusestories@gmail.com for more information. Downtown Writer’s Center, 340 Montgomery St. & Erie Canal Museum, 318 Erie Blvd E., Friday-Sunday, Friday 10 am-6 pm, Saturday & Sunday 10 am-5 pm.

July 27-28: Onondaga Historical Association (OHA) – The Onondaga Historical Association Museum will host for the fourth year, the artists and performers of the Native American Circle of Life. A performance by the Native Shawl Dancers will take place in the Museum Auditorium Sunday, July 29th at 2 pm. Traditional foods will be available for purchase in front of the museum. Museum exhibits on display include: Take No Prisoners – Political Cartoons Over Time and Place, Associated Artists of Central New York 85th Anniversary – 1926-2012 and 100 Years of the New York/Pennsylvania Girl Scouts. The OHA gift gallery will be open. Visit www.cnyhistory.org for more information about the museum. 321 Montgomery Street, Friday 10 am-4 pm, Saturday & Sunday, 11 am-4 pm.

July 27-29: Downtown Writer’s Center – The Downtown Writer’s Center of the YMCA, Central New York’s only literary writing center, will offer activities under the DWC tent all weekend including collage poems, Magnetic Poetry, and the annual Six-Word Memoir Contest. Meet DWC faculty and browse through the library of books published by both our teachers and Center members, with book signings by our authors throughout the weekend. 300 block of Montgomery St., Friday 10 am-6 pm, Saturday & Sunday 10 am-5 pm.

July 28: Buck Up! Support Creativity in Syracuse – Salt City DISHES (Dine In. Sustain Happenings. Enliven Syracuse!) brings you five innovative, community-based projects that need your vote! For only one dollar, you’ll be able to vote on the initiative that you would most like to see happen in Syracuse. The team that raises the most money will take home up to $1,000 to realize their project. This event is co-sponsored by the 40-Below Public Arts Task Force. For more information about the projects we are vending and other events we are participating in, please visit our website: www.saltcitydishes.blogspot.com. City Hall Commons Plaza, Saturday, 10 am-4 pm.

July 27-29: Syracuse University Bookstore Book Fair – The Syracuse University Bookstore will host a Book Fair as an exciting portion of the Annual Syracuse Arts and Craft Festival. The centerpiece of the Book Fair is local fiction, non-fiction, poetry and children’s books whose authors and illustrators will be on hand to discuss, read and personally autograph their books. The literature and creative talents of local and regional authors and illustrators will be showcased. The Book Fair tents will be located at the heart of the festival in the 300 block of Montgomery Street between East Jefferson Street and the entrance to the YMCA. Visit bookstore.syr.edu for more information about the Syracuse University Bookstore. Columbus Circle, Friday-Sunday, 10 am-5 pm.

July 27-29: Painting demonstrations by Sandra Fioramonti – Sandra Fioramonti, art instructor and owner of Liverpool Art Center will be offering ongoing demonstrations throughout the 2012 AmeriCU Syracuse Arts and Crafts Festival. Enjoy watching her paint as she creates colorful landscapes and soothing abstracts in various mediums including oils, watercolors and acrylics. Sandra will also answer questions and offer advice for budding artists. Samples of her artwork can be found online at ArtBySandra.com. 300 block of E. Onondaga St., Friday 10 am-6 pm, Saturday & Sunday 10 am-5 pm.

July 27-29: Do-It-Yourself Wrap Bracelets – Visit the Crafistas booth to make your own DIY wrap bracelet! Too often we get stuck in our daily consumption of technology and forget to take a moment to create hand-made. Crafistas, with the help of Camille Malkiewicz – SU Art Studies graduate, wants to help remove your hands from cell phones and keyboards and use them for creative good. Crafistas has individually packaged the exact amount of materials needed to create your very own wrap bracelet, and has even included detailed instructions to help you along the way. We’ve done all the prep work, so you can have all the fun! 300 block of E. Onondaga St., Friday 10 am-6 pm, Saturday & Sunday 10 am-5 pm.

July 27-29: Guardian Angel Society – Stop by the Guardian Angel Society’s booth on East Onondaga Street across from the Cathedral, to learn more about their mission to support the education of local children in need. Father Joseph Champlin’s books entitled Slow Down and Take Five will be available for purchase as well as Guardian Angel Society merchandise and beautifully hand painted wine glasses. Columbus Circle, Friday 10 am-6 pm, Saturday & Sunday 10 am-5 pm.

July 28: 40-Below Public Art Task Force Tunnel Vision Design Contest – Armory Square is one of the most vibrant parts of Syracuse — until you circle behind the Museum of Science and Technology and behold a drab tunnel, the one leading under the railroad tracks to the so-called Trolley parking lot. That’s about to change, and you can help. The 40-Below Public Arts Task Force wants to create a light installation to add some zip to the tunnel, making it “a destination place in the city that offers a picture of vibrancy and innovation.” The plan would also make the parking lot more inviting to visitors. See the winning designs from the recent Post-Standard coloring contest and add your own design to the mix. Pens, crayons and blank coloring sheets will be provided. The arts task force just may consider your design as it chooses the look of the final project. City Hall Commons Atrium, Saturday, 10 am-4 pm.

*In case of inclement weather, events scheduled to take place in City Hall Commons Plaza will take place in City Hall Commons Atrium.