Blumenthal Arts says the annual Charlotte International Arts Festival will not return to uptown Charlotte and Ballantyne this month due to funding constraints.
The festival launched in 2022 and featured free outdoor performances, public art and artists from around the world.
Blumenthal CEO Tom Gabbard says the festival was launched with more than $1 million in federal COVID-era funding, but the grant only lasted one year. Blumenthal sought local government support, but Gabbard said they could not secure enough funding to keep the event going.
“At the end of the day, frankly, it was all about funding it and money,” Gabbard said. “What we chose to do with having a festival was largely free...It was a very expensive undertaking.”
Kristen Miranda, Blumenthal Arts’ Director of Community Impact and Partnership, said the organization remains committed to supporting local artists.
“That’s something that we will always, always do,” Miranda said. “And we find ways to do that no matter what.”
Gabbard says Blumenthal will continue supporting local and international artists through other programming.
"I think we have to do everything we can to reset our view to realize that there's a big, beautiful world out there that has a variety of cultural traditions that matter, and they're cultural traditions that we found right here," Gabbard said.
