Due to the possibility of inclement weather, Saturday's 33rd annual ArtsFest celebration has been moved from the traditional location of Sweetheart Circle to the Center for Art & Theatre/Visual Arts Building at Georgia Southern University.

    The free festival, hosted by the Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art at GSU, welcomes members of the community to become artists at ArtStops while enjoying performances, food and the local Artist Market. Festivities will take place from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m.

    "ArtsFest allows our community, young and old, to celebrate the importance of the arts in our everyday lives," said Stephanie Arends Neal, director of ArtsFest. "Through the arts, we develop lifelong skills such as decision-making, motor skills, collaboration, analytical and critical thinking, inventiveness, self-expression, confidence and cultural awareness. It has been an honor to be a part of ArtsFest and watching it evolve over the years."

    In addition to the ArtStops, attendees can experience the musical talents of Those Cats, F-Beams and Pladd Dot School of Rock & Roll.

    ArtsFest is a nonprofit event made possible by community and university volunteers.

    "Volunteers and ArtStop hosts consist of community members and faculty, staff, students and alumni from Georgia Southern," Neal said. "The Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art takes pride in giving back to the local community while offering events and services to provide students with valuable professional and leadership experience."

    Creative juices will flow through the event as festivalgoers create their own artwork at dozens of ArtStops, which allow participants to explore types, techniques and mediums of art while learning about various subject matters not always pertaining to fine art. Patrons can paint, sculpt, measure a fish, fractalize art, create paper flowers, tie-dye an ArtsFest T-shirt, graph sound waves, learn to dance and much more — all for free.

    They also can enjoy a variety of food made on-site and admire one-of-a-kind artwork made by local artists.

    "Not only is ArtsFest quite possibly the largest public service event Georgia Southern offers," Neal said, "it provides a platform for our budding performers to build confidence in a social setting and our young artists to exemplify problem-solving skills by offering multiple perspectives through creative thinking."

            For a complete list of supporters and a festival guide, visit georgiasouthern.edu/artsfest.