The second annual 18th and Vine Arts Festival celebrated Black artists located from across the KC metro.
From Sept. 28-29, artists and attendees gathered in the historic 18th and Vine neighborhood and were surrounded by live music, tents full of art, food trucks and a welcoming community.
“This is only the second year of the festival. We were here last year too,” said Loretta Wilkes, owner of Stone Loca LLC. “Loca stands for Loretta Customs Accessories. It also means crazy in Spanish. I’m crazy about some stones or some jewelry.”
Wilkes has been in the jewelry business for almost 21 years and was one of the many jewelers at the festival.
“One day, I made this bracelet, the Black Panther bracelet, and the business took off from there ,” said Dwayne Moore, owner of Scandalous Stones. “I made all the jewelry, listened to music, and made whatever the vibe helped me make.”
The festival aimed to create a platform for Black artists.
“We are located right downtown, and not many people know,” said Yashi Pointdexter, owner of AiZen Root Remedy. “We offer free workshops, free crafts and we sell drinks along with metaphysical treasures too. ”
Pointdexter created the $10 earrings at the AiZen booth– and they were selling fast.
“These are my favorite pieces to create. I think that they’re affordable and they’re fun to create with little pieces,” said Pointdexter. The festival was centered around Black culture and history. Each day, there were events and performances dedicated to celebrating different subcategories of the culture, including a ‘70s inspired fashion show, musical performances and a hair show.
“We plan to be around forever,” said Marquez Beasley, one of the event’s organizers.
For more information on the festival, click here.
