General Information

On September 27, 2003, beautiful Fountain Square Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky will become an International Paradise of nationalities coming together to proudly share their unique cultures. The festival is a traditional celebration that honors the heritage and diversity among our residents through: Music, Dance and Performance, Exhibits, Demonstrations, Authentic Foods, Merchandise Vendors

Children are a major part of the Bowling Green International Festival. Though many of our activities are recreational and all are fun, the focus is on education and cultural enrichment. Children will become acquainted with the customs of their counterparts in far away lands through playing their games, adorning their traditional costumes and experiencing how they celebrate. This year's them is "Celebrations".

In 2002 the festival dramatically increased the number and variety of performances it offered and attendance soared from the 3,000-6,000 it enjoyed in the 1990’s to achieving its goal of 12,000 festival goers.

In 2003 the festival will reintroduce the opening parade, a juried art exhibition and gallery walk and many related events throughout September which has been proclaimed by the City of Bowling Green and County of Warren, Kentucky “Celebrating International Heritage Month”. The festival recently received a Kentucky Tourism Top 10 Festivals and Events of the Fall award.

Mission

1. To celebrate ethnic and cultural diversity in the region and around the world.
2. To educate area residents about the value of international cultures.
3. To promote appreciation of the various international cultures and people within our own community.
4. To empower international residents to fully participate in the life of the community.

Board Members

• Marty Deputy, President - Bowling Green International Center
• Dr. Larry Caillouet, Vice President - WKU International Programs
• Donna Kirwan, Secretary - Department of Communications at WKU
• Linda Rowland, Treasurer - Rainbow Design
• India Hooks - Hooks Entertainment • Gasper River Retreat
• Karl Miller - WKU
• Lee Huddleston - Huddleston & Huddleston
• Johnston Njoku - WKU
• Kelly Thompson, Jr. - Attorney at Law
• Mark Bitterling - Kentucky Info Web, Inc.

Executive Director

• Kim Mason - The Amplifier

The Bowling Green International Festival Juried Art Exhibition

• Suzanne Renfrow, Artshow/Gallerywalk Chair A well known regional studio potter specializing in sculptural and functional wood fired pottery. 270.526.2740
  
  
• David Yax, Juror Since his first one-man show 30 years ago, he has sold his artwork to clients nationwide. Twenty years ago, he was inducted into the Southern Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen as the youngest member in the history of the group.

Related Events

• Downtown Gallery Walk: Area exhibits will include receptions on September 26 between 5pm and 9pm.
  
  
  • Spencer's Coffeehouse: The Bowling Green International Festival Juried Art Exhibit reception September 26, 6-8pm. 2 Dimensional works inspired by the them "Celebrations" on display September 1-30.
    
    
  • Lot 916: Lot 916 on the square will feature exhibiting artists submitting a piece of work reflecting the them "Feng-Shui" as they interpret it. The term refers to the ancient chinese belief assuming balance in our living environment results in inner peace and improved flow of energy in our daily lives. The Exhibits runs September 26-October 10, 2003 with a reception September 26 from 5-9pm wine and treats with an Asian flair will be served. 842-0541.
    
    
  • Brickyard Cafe: The Brickyard Garden features a variety of artists representing the diversity in this area September 22-26. Reception September 26, 5-9pm. 843-6431
    
    
  • Memphis Marsha's: Mail art show themed "This is My Country". marsha@premiernet.net
    
    
  • The Boomerang: Artists Carissa Creek - fiber art, Lauren White - Photo, drawings and jewelry, and Tabitha Griffith - ceramics will be featured September 26-October 26 with a reception September 26, 5-8pm. 782-7459
    
    
  • The Capitol Arts Center: Lunt Memorial Exhibit - Works of four artists in Houchens Gallery and FSP Memorabilia in the Mezzanine Gallery. Exhibits run September 15-October 14 with at reception September 26, 5-9pm. 782-ARTS
    
    
• Faces of Kentucky at The Bowling Green International Center
  • The International Center presents Faces of Kentucky, an exhibit of photos by Tim Broekema which features images of refugees and immigrants living in Bowling Green. According to Executive Director Marty Deputy, they serve "to show the hues and colors of a variety of our friends. They are some wonderful photographs of people that have lived through uprooting, seen war and lost their homelands. With the children, some little ones were born here, but some older ones risked their lives to get here. The little ones don't realize what their parents and siblings have been through and the challenges they have faced. The glimpses of expression and shadows show their past memories, dealing with the present and looking forward to the future while adding to the cultural spice of our area."
    • Tim Broekema is an assistant professor at WKU who's work has been published in newspaper's across the country including small and large magazines. He has placed in the international Photographer of the Year competition five times winning sports portfolio shooting in 1994 and multiple page news story picture editing in 1998.
      
      
• Roll Around The World, a benefit for the festival at Greenwood Skate Center September 12, 6PM-Midnight.
  Tickets $5 (6-9 or 9-12) & $9 (6-12) price includes regular skate rental.
  Live Entertainment, Skating Games, Midway Games, Prizes, Pinata, International Finger Foods in the snack bar. Features The Lotus Dancers performance and free Belly Dancing lesson at 8pm and Au's Shaolin Kung Fu Arts and Academy exhibition and free lesson at 10pm. The festival poster contest will be judged at this event.
  Tickets available at Greenwood Skate Center (843-3394). Blocks of tickets may be ordered in groups of 50 for a discount of $50 to be donated to area children. Individuals or organizations can earn money selling tickets by checking them out at the roller rink an keeping $1 per ticket sold.
  
  
• BG Chamber Orchestra presents "Our Towns" - September 22, 7:30pm at the Capitol Arts Center, a concert celebrating the diversity of our American towns from Bowling Green to Nashville, Louisville, and beyond. Featured on the program are Copland’s reflective Quiet City, and Three Dance Episodes from Bernstein’s jazzy film score On the Town.
  The concert will also feature the premiere of The Bowling Green Suite, a new composition by five Bowling Green composers: Dr. Michael Kallstrom, Mr. Cecil Karrick, Dr. David Livingston, Dr. Charles Smith, and Dr. Calvin Taylor. Each composer is writing a movement of the suite, using a folk song representing an ethnic group from the multi-cultural Bowling Green community.
  The concert will also feature Kelsey Tamayo, the winner of the second annual Young Artists Competition held in June. Kelsey, a ninth grader from Radcliff, Kentucky, will receive $1000 and will perform a xylophone solo with the orchestra.
  
• Aimon String Quartet in concert - From Ulm Germany. Appearing September 23, 7:30 at the First Christian Church sponsored by the BG Chamber Orchestra and Jerry Baker. The quartet was founded in 2002 and takes its name from the French composer, E. Aimon who was born in Provence in southern France where the Aimon Quartet gives concerts periodically. Members of the quartet are Barbara Schreiter, violin; Bettina Glocke-Kaina, violin; Gerlinde Steiner, viola; and Gudrun Roth, cello. All four members of the quartet are currently teachers and performers in Heidelberg and Ulm, Germany, who have performed with orchestras and as soloists throughout Europe, the United States, and Japan. 781-9234/jlbsmithpiano@insightbb.com
  
  
• Bookfair - Sunday September 28, Barnes & Noble donates a portion of designated sales to the festival. Customers must specify they want their purchase to support the festival. The bookfair runs 11am-9pm and features a performance of "Bedtime Stories from the Shaolin Temple" at 2pm
  
  
• The Pots Place presents exhibits of the ancient cultures of Egypt and India, featuring handmade fabrics, prints and pots. Wednesdays & Saturdays 10am-2pm throughout August & September.