By EMILY REED / Special to the Advertiser

CLANTON – Planning is under way for the seventh-annual Chilton County Arts Festival, which will be held July 29 at the Clanton Conference and Performing Arts Center.

“One of the biggest changes we made to the event this year is holding it in July as opposed to November,” said festival director Mack Gothard. “We found that there was a lot going on when we held it in November. We tried to find a month where there is not a lot happening, and the event will be held indoors so people can have a break from the heat.”

A wide variety of art will be on display this year for the free event.

Currently, the Chilton County Arts Council is accepting applications for vendors interested in showcasing their art at the festival.

The deadline for submitting a vendor application is July 1, which includes reserving a 10×12 booth space for $40, or for Arts Council members it is $30.

Although the majority of vendors at the Festival are local artists, Gothard said in recent years it has expanded to include artists from across the state.

“We have a lot of local art, but word of mouth has really helped us,” Gothard said. “We have artists that come from both north and south Alabama, and we have a lot of vendors that have come annually as well as vendors that will be coming for the first time. It is a great way to not only promote the Arts Council, but it brings some truly great art to Chilton County.”

Artwork featured at the Festival must be a handcrafted item, or something made by the artist.

“This is not a place to do any reselling,” Gothard said. “If you make it yourself, then you can sell it.”

Gothard said each Festival typically has a wide variety of mediums presented including paintings, wood-turning, pottery, gourd art, folk art, and woodcrafters.

“It is always a really neat event because you see so much variety,” Gothard said. “You aren’t going from booth to booth looking at the same types of things.”

Another change added to this year’s Festival is the fact the event is being held on one day, as opposed to being held two days in previous years.

“We found that when we held the Festival on Sundays not a lot of people came,” Gothard said. “We thought extending our hours for just one day might be better than stretching it out over a period of two days.”

For more information or to fill out an application, visit chiltoncountyartscouncil.com, or by e-mailing chiltoncountyartscouncil@hotmail.com.