Francis Marion to host Arts International festival April 12

Francis Marion University will host Arts International, a celebration of arts and culture, on Saturday, April 12. The festival will take place in downtown Florence on the grounds of the FMU Performing Arts Center from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 

Admission to Arts International is free and open to the public, along with all the festival’s entertainment. Food trucks selling refreshments will be available for purchase, along with craft items from local artisans.

The festival will feature musicians and other performers on two stages throughout the day as well as a number of roaming artists. This year’s lineup of performers includes:

• Aroha Afro Latin Dance, a local dance studio, will perform culturally rich styles of dance including the Salsa, Bachata and Kizomba. 
• Bagpipes by Ahren Self, featuring South Carolina native Ahren Self, will pay homage to traditional Scottish culture with his bagpipe performance.
• GRUV Dance Academy will perform Bollywood-inspired dances.
• Guerreros Quetzalcoatl will honor the Mexican indigenous heritage with a traditional dance that originates from Aztec culture.
• Kempertown Musicians will perform German music.
• Triangle Taiko, a traditional Japanese drumming group, will awe visitors with their beats. 

There will also be artisans displaying their crafts as well as selling items ranging from handmade pottery, custom artwork, and jewelry to sweetgrass baskets, hand-dyed yarn, and custom trucker hats. Artisans include:

• Black Lemon Fine Art
• The Curio Cottage
• Bisque n’ Fire Pottery and The Potter’s Hand
• Cotton Sol
• Junecat Crochet
• Sunflower Studios
• Daniela De Art3
• Wendy’s Trendies
• Cord and Quill Studio
• Spinhouse Fiber
• Night Owl
• Dry Creek Woodworks
• ShinyWillow Designs
• SC Fantasy Fibers

In addition to the performances and artisans, younger attendees will enjoy the Children’s Area, which will include a drum circle, a community mural, face painting, bubbles, and more.

The festival stage schedule is as follows:

International Stage 1

11:00am – Danza Guerreros Quetzalcoatl

12:00 pm – Ahren Self Bagpipes

1:15 pm – Danza Guerreros Quetzalcoatl

2:15 pm – Triangle Taiko

3:15 pm – Triangle Taiko

International Stage 2

11:30 am – Kempertown Musicians

12:45 pm – Aroha Afro Latin Dance

1:45 pm – Kempertown Musicians

2:30 pm – GRUV Dance Academy

2:45 pm – Aroha Afro Latin Dance

For more information on Arts International, check out the festival website at https://www.fmarion.edu/artsinternational/.