The Art Healthy Festival on April 11 brought together over 100 art and product vendors from across Georgia for a community-focused event on Front Campus.
With carnival games, a Bike Rodeo, caricature artists and live performances from dance groups, there was something for everyone to enjoy. Along with the entertainment, attendees also could take part in free health assessments, making it a perfect mix of creativity, wellness and community.
The street in front of Front Campus was closed off in order for the many booths to set up shop for the event. There was also a stage a DJ set up on Front Campus’s lawn to keep the atmosphere lively.
There were a variety of booths, including art vendors, face painters, as well as food and drink options.
Addison James, a junior biology major, also attended the festival in search of a fun activity to do in town on a Saturday.
“I think it’s really fun,” James said. “There’s a lot of really cool, artsy things.”
Avery Geary, a freshman philosophy major, attended the Art Healthy festival because she loves viewing art and shopping.
“It’s very similar to Deep Roots, which I like because it makes it a little more manageable,” Geary said.
Deep Roots is an annual festival in the fall that has a large variety of vendors and music, and is a larger version of the Art Healthy festival.
Many booths during the Art Healthy Festival had handmade items, like 3D printed creatures, tumblers, crochet items, Greek life decor, college merch and decor and so much more.
“I feel very educated with the amount of art going around, and there’s also a lot more shops than I expected,” Geary said.
The vendors contributed to the atmosphere of the lively event by sharing their unique, handmade pieces that go beyond a simple product.
“[Art] can be used to communicate history, philosophy, even math and it’s a universally understood language between people and unites them together in many different ways,” Geary said.
Allison Bogler, a sophomore exercise science major, passed through the festival after her sorority initiation.
“It’s important because people are able to express themselves in a way and show it to other people and art is just so abstract and it can be taken differently by everybody,” Bogler said.
Many GCSU and local high school clubs also had booths set up, including the GCSU Aquatic Sciences club.
Playing into the “healthy” part of the Art Healthy Festival, GCSU’s mobile health vans were set up. GCSU nursing students were there volunteering and providing health checks for those who chose to do so.
The free, convenient health checks hold many benefits for the local community.
“I feel like they’re important to those who can’t afford to get them on their own,” Bogler said.
According to USA News, based on recent data, 16.4% of the population in Baldwin County, Georgia, lacks health insurance, which makes routine health check-ups difficult to access. High out-of-pocket costs often lead residents to delay or skip care.
“It could probably help people that aren’t able to get them regularly,” James said.
The health checks are also quick and convenient, whereas visiting a doctor’s office is often not the case, especially for busy parents or people with demanding professions.
However, GCSU students have access to Student Health Services, which covers health check-ups, sick visits, Gynecological exams, immunizations, physical exams and more.
“I think everyone deserves a chance to be checked up on, but for the students, I don’t really think it makes so much of an impact because we get free health checks anyway,” Geary said.
The festival also offered face painting, caricatures and bouncy houses, creating an environment for family fun for all ages. Students were even able to volunteer to supervise the bouncy houses for service opportunities.
“I think it’s a good opportunity to have things like this where people can come and show their creative side, and I think it gets the community together,” James said.
