Press-Release: The 2009 Junction Arts Festival Blows out Attendance and Remains an Arts Destination Central

Screenshot: The 2009 Junction Arts Festival Web-site: Sun Sets on the 2009 Festival
Credit: junctionartsfest.com

MEDIA INFORMATION - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The 2009 Junction Arts Festival
Blows out Attendance and
Remains an Arts Destination Central

Toronto, ON, September 23, 2009 - The Junction Arts Festival presents an annual cultural arts extravaganza like no other and the producing organization (Junction Forum for Art and Culture) announces a record attendance of 250,000 at the 2009 five-day celebration; an increase of 25 percent over 2008 numbers and the largest to date.

JFAC Chair Councillor Bill Saundercook states, "The Junction itself is a uniquely creative area and the festival allows visitors to discover the innovation and artistry that exists right here. It is the Junction Forum for Art and Culture's honour to have presented a very successful 2009 Junction Arts Festival, and on behalf of the JFAC Board of Directors we thank our outstanding staff, the dedicated volunteers, participants, artists and supporters and we look forward to 2010."

The 2009 Junction Arts Festival (September 9 to 13 in Toronto's west-end Junction area) broke out in grand style under the stars with entertainment from the Starlight Orchestra on September 9 at the opening outdoor ceremony in the Junction City Square (Dundas West at Pacific).

The night was attended by many honoured guest speakers including Mayor David Miller, JFAC Chair and City of Toronto Councillor Bill Saundercook (Ward 13), MPP Parkdale-High Park Cheri DiNovo, Toronto Police Inspector Dave Saunders (11 Division) and festival creative producer Michael Menegon, and the four 2009 Juried Art winners were declared.

The 2009 Juried Art Exhibition first prize winner of a one-year scholarship to the Academy of Realist Art ($7,500.00 in value) goes to Kathleen Coyle, whose stained glass horse mosaic piece called "Painted Pony" was also pre-selected as the 2009 Junction Arts Festival logo.

2009 Highlights:

• Three nights of main stage (Junction City train platform) concerts topped off by the Saturday, September 12 headlining show, which was packed to capacity featuring The Beauties, Jason Collett and proud Junction ambassador Justin Rutledge.
• Unusual performance discoveries all weekend long featuring floating fairies (Jay9 Dance Project), the masked mimer (Aaron Water), musical masters (Maneli Jamal, Mr. Something Something) and graffiti gurus (Art Fuzion).
• An adventureland of fun in the KidZone featuring the mega slide (The Cliff Hanger), bouncy things and sports games.
• The Academy of Realist Art hosting 72 visual artists for the festival's 2009 Juried Art Exhibition.
• Finding recitals by authors and poets in unexpected places, like Jay MillAr and the youthful Amorphus BookThug Readers in the back patio of the Troubadour bar.
• Red Hot Art Spots featuring enthusiastic Junction businesses, shops, restaurants hosting artists of all sorts.
• The creative atmosphere that came from everywhere and everyone including the public, artists (so many artists, we can't mention them all here) and the great volunteers.
• The better than yummy food and awesome artisans in the street vendor booths.
• The festival's third annual Green Village, where it's easy being green.

The Junction Arts Festival takes place annually in September along Dundas Street West between Keele Street and Quebec Avenue. For more information please visit, www.junctionartsfest.com.

The 2009 Junction Arts Festival was generously supported by title sponsor the Junction Business Improvement Area, the Toronto Arts Council, the Department of Canadian Heritage and many more proud sponsors.

The Junction Forum for Art and Culture (JFAC) is a non-profit arts presenting organization and its main project is the annual Junction Arts Festival. The JFAC Board of Directors, chaired by Ward 13, City of Toronto Councillor Bill Saundercook, consists of dedicated cultural producers, artists, residents, business owners and politicians, all of whom are based in the Junction.


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For media information, please contact:
Laurie Lockhart, Publicist
GET THE MESSAGE Publicity
Tel: 416-988-2530 / E-mail: gtmessage@sympatico.ca
Web: www.myspace.com/getthemessagepr

For general information, please contact:
Michael Menegon, Creative Producer; 2009 Junction Arts Festival
Junction Forum for Art and Culture
Tel: 416-767-5036 / E-mail: junctionartsfest@bellnet.ca
Web: www.junctionartsfest.com
Web: www.jfac.org