Savannah Urban Arts Festival Begins this Weekend

It's time to get SUAFY! This weekend, the second annual Savannah Urban Arts Festival (SUAF) gets underway. The event, organized by local arts and education non-profit, All Walks of Life (AWOL), Inc. is an eight day series of live performances, forums, workshops, and film screenings. Activities are presented as a celebration of the diverse styles of art, and music, that have developed in urban culture.

The goal is to foster dialogue between area young people, citizens, and civic leaders about ways to create positive change in our community.

The festival begins Sunday, April 18th and runs through Sunday, April 25th. For a line up of events, click here: www.savannahurbanartsfestival.com

One of SUAF's highlights is the Art, Beats and Lyrics: Urban Art Exhibition on April 24th. The event is partially funded through support from the Georgia Council for the Arts. A sidebar, earlier this week, the House Appropriations Committee passed a $17.8 billion budget that calls for the elimination of the agency. Georgia would become the only state in the U.S. without an arts agency if that plan holds as the budget works its way through full House and Senate before going to Gov. Sonny Perdue.

Another highlight is the SUAF Block Party, also on April 24, at the Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum from 12:00-5:00pm.
Food, vendors, and live performances will be featured on the Urban Life Stage. News 3's Coastal Sunrise anchor Kim Gusby and E-93 radio personality Kenya Cabine will emcee the event. WSAV is one of the media sponsors.

Funds generated by the Savannah Urban Arts Festival are used to support future festival events and the Savannah based nonprofit, AWOL All Walks of Life, Inc.

AWOL's mission is to promote and provide self-awareness through the use of Poetry, Hip-Hop and Life. AWOL provides the youth of Savannah with a safe space during after school and evening hours that encourages respect, creativity, education and most of all non-violence.