FestivFALL, Charleston unveil new KRT ARTBus

CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) – The City of Charleston unveiled a new KRT ARTBus Tuesday at Slack Plaza at City Center as part of this year’s FestivFALL.

The bus features three pieces of artwork celebrating the flora and fauna of the Mountain State. The public voted on entries from young artists across West Virginia in three categories during FestivALL in June.

“We’re super excited about this project. It’s been the fifth one we’ve done, and part of FestivALL’s mission is to create a vibrant city where people want to live and visit,” said Mallory Richards with FestivFall. “Another part of our mission is to support young artists so that they can become achievers, and this bus does just that. It’s a great mobile reminder of why we’re here, and how much we support the Arts in Charleston.”

The three winners were Hazel Hagler in the K-5th grade category, Alicen Jones in the 6th-8th grade category, and Cam Haris in the 9th-12th grade category.

Alicen’s honeybee artwork is on the driver’s side, Cam’s native creatures and plants piece is on the passenger’s side, and Hazel’s whitetail deer, whom she said she named Marty, is on the back of the bus.

“It’s different when we know it’s going to happen than actually seeing it happen. So, it was just like – it kind of hit me in the realization, like, ‘oh, my God, my art is on a bus! It’s going to be traveling around, and a bunch of people are going to be seeing.’ So, I was just, like, over the moon,” said Cam.

At only 17 years old, Cam is getting ready to launch her own art business. She says she loves getting to share her artwork with other people, and it’s something she wants to do with her future.

“That was my first actual dip into making content for other people, and I launched an Etsy at the time. I’m not on Etsy anymore… but I had a digital coloring book for the preschool, and my art teacher suggested I put it on Etsy to sell, and they loved it, and I was like, this is something I want to do,” Cam said. “I love being able to create and also share my creations with other people so they have something to enjoy.”

The ARTBuses are a collaboration between FestivALL, the City of Charleston Office of Public Art, and the Kanawha Valley Regional Transportation Authority. FestivFALL has events going through Sunday.

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