The Artist Colony of Zanesville is pleased to announce that the J.W. & M.H. Straker Charitable Foundation has awarded the 15th Annual Y-Bridge Arts Festival $10,000 in grant monies to help make this year’s festival even more outstanding! The Y-Bridge Arts Festival and the Straker Charitable Foundation have a common goal to support the arts and educational activities that have a positive impact on the lives of children in the City of Zanesville and Muskingum County, Ohio, and we cannot wait to share this event with our community.
The 15th annual Y-Bridge Festival is Friday, August 1st from 2 p.m. until dark and Saturday, August 2nd from 11 a.m. until dark. We are thrilled to bring this exciting annual event to our community and offer a unique opportunity to experience the best of local and regional artists, musicians, children’s activities, and food vendors! New in 2025, the festival is moving temporarily to Zane State College/OUZ (1555 Newark Road, Zanesville) due to downtown construction. We will return to downtown Zanesville in 2027 upon completion of construction around the Secrest Auditorium and Muskingum Convention Conference and Facilities Authority.
This year’s festival will feature artists working in many mediums including painting, stained glass, jewelry making, ceramics, photography, mixed-media, artisan soaps and candles, 3-D work, fiber art, leather and more. Several artists have shown throughout the state and even nationally. Pottery and ceramic artists have an opportunity to win extra prize monies this year thanks to a McCoy Lovers NMXpress Pottery fund held at the Muskingum County Community Foundation. Artists in this category have the opportunity to win $600 for 1st prize, $400 for 2nd prize, and $200 for 3rd prize! This is in addition to our traditional Best in Show and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prizes. Once again, we thank Kristy Szemetylo and Janet Debray for sponsoring Best in Show in honor of their late father Mr. Kazemekas, who appreciated the Zanesville art scene. Thank you to the Muskingum County Community Foundation for sponsoring 1st thru 3rd and Honorable Mention awards.
Friday night’s musical entertainment includes Brian Smith, KLB & Co, Mike Hawley, Steve Spires, and Spelchek. Ribbon cutting at 5 p.m. on Friday with special guests. Saturday begins with yoga on the green at 11 a.m., followed by entertainment by Marjorie & Butch’s School of Dance, Evan Abood, Mister Joe, Dr. Laura Schumann, A2J Crew Dance Company, and Tongo Rad.
There will be plenty of opportunities for kids to experience art. The Zanesville Museum of Art will be sponsoring free, hands-on 15-minute activities for children of all ages. Several of our artists will be demonstrating their talents and welcome the chance to connect with area students. Some activities include Australian aboriginal dot painting, Mexican tin art and foil printing, and the popular Japanese Koinobori fish kites.
Food trucks include Randy’s Backyard BBQ; Pizza Man, New York Style pizza; and Schmidt’s Sausage Haus, featuring authentic German flavors. Unwind and enjoy great food, music, and a beverage from the Budweiser trailer featuring draft beers, wines, and spritzers. Also on tap, Weasel Boy Brewing Company.
It is our goal as the Artist Colony of Zanesville to provide a great arts experiences to Muskingum County and help our community thrive artistically, educationally, and economically. We could not do these things without the support of the J.W. & M. H. Straker Foundation, and our many community sponsors and partners.
For more information, please follow the Y-Bridge Art Festival on Facebook. Admission is free.
The submitted photo is artwork from Jon Schaeffer, a metalwork artist.