May 2nd
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 With
interest in spotlighting the arts in Bowling Green, a group of
Downtown Business owners and members of the community initiated
the first Black Swamp Arts festival in the Fall of 1993. Though
the festival had somewhat of a rocky start, it was supported the
next year and has been maturing each year since. The Festival
has grown by an increased number of performing artists who entertain
with all genres of music, fine artists who exhibit and sell their
artwork, and an increased number of participants, both local and
out-of-towners, who come to enjoy and support the arts.
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Recognized
nationally and earning a well-deserved reputation, by leading magazines Sunshine
Artist and Art
Fair Source Book, the Black Swamp Arts Festival caters to
artists of all kinds by going above and beyond to help exhibitors
and welcome patrons. The vision of the Black Swamp Arts Festival
not only strives to provide community members with an opportunity
to explore and support art of many varieties, but also to celebrate
and promote community involvement. 
The Black Swamp Arts Festival proudly offers a mix of performance
art with fine art exhibits and vendors as well as offers a unique
opportunity for youth to participate in hands-on art endeavors.
With the involvement of youth art, the BSAF offers families the
opportunity to join in the fun of creating art while stressing
the importance of art to a younger generation of festival goers.
This important aspect of the festival not only draws in families
from the community, but confirms that every one can share in the
enjoyment of artistic creations. 
Similarly
important to establishing the value of art with children of the
Bowling Green community, is the involvement of young adults. With
the promotion of acts for children and adults, teens too are given
the freedom to organize what is dubbed the Peanut Butter and Rock
stage. In realizing the future of the festival will be in the
hands of this important generation, a grant was awarded this year
to help support their effort. Not only is the encouragement of
this grant a push forward, but plans of expansion for future young-adult
involvement is given confidence. Now
in its second year, teens too are given an artistic voice of their
own, planning every happening for this event including booking
bands, backstage organization, and designing t-shirts for the
event. It is here teens are given the opportunity to represent
themselves with bands of varying musical genres by bringing experimental
and underground groups to light. Some bands seen on the
line up this year included: Punctual Afterthought, a unique cello
ensemble, Midflight, The Tapes, an alternative rock quartet, and
acoustic act Angel Saltler and Grace Henley. 
