The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
FireFish prepares for fifth annual show
Free arts festival returns to downtown Sept. 20 and 21
The fifth annual 2019 FireFish Festival will bring two days of arts programming to downtown Lorain on Sept. 20 and 21.
“Things are coming together,” said Festival Director Emily Hoag, who offered her thoughts on the events and the planning process to create the free arts festival.
Anniversary theme
FireFish 2019 is the fifth festival, a milestone anniversary.
“This year’s burning of the fish theme is inspired by the special kind of seed found in nature called ‘pyrophytic,’” Hoag said in her director’s message included with the schedule of events.
The seeds need the heat of fire to germinate and grow.
The burning of the FireFish, and the festival itself, is meant to inspire the revitalization of Lorain through the arts as a cultural and economic force.
What to do?
Like previous festivals, numerous installations and performances all happen at once.
Much of the action will take place on Broadway between West Erie Avenue and Sixth Street.
The seven main venues will be The Morning Journal Main Stage, Gallery 453, Founders Alley, the Anything on Wheels Stage, Union Town Gallery, the Lorain County Community College Stage and Union Town Provisions.
This year, FireFish collaborated with TrueNorth Cultural Arts to create the lineup of performances.
The festival will feature a number of Lorain-area artists, musicians or performers including Benjamin Bill, Debora Wuitowicz, Sammy Deleon, Linda Nardini, the Latin Jazz Players, David Morales, Frank DeTillio, Jeff Pye, Steyven Curry, Jevon Terance, Falcon Eddie Cummins and Lorain City Schools All City Art Show winners Alyssa Hoffee, Mya Cordova and Jaaron Kidd.
“I feel really good about the number of local artists and performers that we have,” Hoag said.
The key is to highlight local talent while bringing in artists and performers from outside Lorain so that they and their fans can experience the city, she said.
“It’s a pretty vibrant mix, I’d say,” Hoag said.
‘Steelyard Meadow’
The former bank building at 453 Broadway will become “Steelyard Meadow” with a large-scale fine art installation created by Lorain County Community College’s STEAM Maker Academy Teens.
The project is described as “a massive interactive art space that incorporates a gritty cityscape transformed into an imaginary night meadow.”
It is under construction now at the LCCC Campana Center for Ideation and Invention, said Joan Perch, program and outreach coordinator there and a FireFish founder.
Much of the project is repurposing items such as cardboard boxes from the college’s new gym equipment and carpet tubes supplied by Lorain Clerk of Courts Ted Kalo, who also operates Ted’s Floor Coverings.
Parade
This year’s FireFish parade, starting at 7:30 p.m., Sept. 21, will begin on Broadway, head through 5/3 Bank parking lot and end on Black River Lane, where the FireFish will be set ablaze.
The Ohio Burn Unit will handle pyrotechnics and the featured artist is Chris Seibert.
As in years past, music and dancing will accompany the ceremonial burning of the FireFish.
Make your own art
Participants who want to join the parade can make their own accessories at drop-in art classes.
The programs running about 45 to 60 minutes from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Lorain County Community College Lorain Learning Center, 201 W. Erie Ave.
There will be workshops for making masks, hats or drums or for performing.
Participants will receive specific instructions for parade participation.
An artisan market is available 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sept. 21.
There will be 10 food vendors and alcoholic beverages available for sale, although the event is familyfriendly with activities for people of all ages.
“Definitely on Saturday (Sept. 21) during the day, is prime time for families,” Hoag said.
New programs
The 2019 festival features Friends of FireFish, which are businesses or organizations offering free art and music programs during the festival, but outside the immediate area of Broadway.
Programs will take place at Constellation School, the Lorain Historical Society’s Moore House, the Lorain Public Library System Main Branch and Speak of the Devil neighborhood bar.
FireFish patrons also have sponsored some of the performances.
Patronizing the arts goes back at least to the Renaissance era, Hoag said.
“It’s been a way to get people involved,” she said. “Sometimes, we forget that our artists deserve compensation, too.
“We just started the conversation, how do we fund free arts events and show our artists that we value their work?”
FirstEnergy Foundation is the presenting sponsor of the festival, but there are additional opportunities for sponsors.
Volunteers also are needed for the festival activities, Hoag said.
For more information, see firefishfestival.com.
Streetscape
The schedule has been published for events that will take place mostly on Broadway between West Erie Avenue and Sixth Street.
That area is a construction zone as crews create the Broadway streetscape, a facelift with new sidewalks, signage, lights and traffic flow for downtown Lorain between West Erie Avenue and 10th Street.
The Broadway streetscape construction has been the biggest challenge to planning this year, Hoag said.
But the city administration and Engineering Department have been responsive helping plan the arts fest this year, Hoag said.
She credited Mayor Joe Koziura and City Engineer Dale Vandersommen for their support.
“They’ve been really great,” Hoag said. “Dale has been really responsive. They even asked us where we thought would be the best place for extra outlets.”
The project completion date remains Sept. 30, Vandersommen said.
Much of the sidewalk construction likely will be complete by then, he said.
However, it was unclear if the signage and streetlights will be installed or activated by Sept. 20.
The new streetlights will operate on at least two circuits that need to be energized by FirstEnergy.
With local crews on call to head east or south due to possible hurricane damage, it was unclear if the new lights would be operating.
“As we get closer to the event, it will be a lot more clear of how far along it is,” Vandersommen said. “I’m optimistic that the project should be far along enough that it should provide minimal problems for the FireFish Festival.”