(This interview was edited for clarity)
Jason Cregier (JC):This weekend, Rockford will celebrate spring and Mother’s Day with the fourth annual art & wellness festival, BloomFest.
BloomFest is this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Womanspace campus in Rockford. Joining us to discuss the day's activities is Womanspace Executive Director Nicole Landreth. Nicole, thanks for being with us.
Nicole Landreth (NL): Yes!
(JC): What does it mean to local artists to have an event like BloomFest to highlight their work?
NL: It is interesting that you raise that question. BloomFest is primarily an artisan market. The event spans the entirety of our Womanspace campus, with 40 vendors both inside and outside the venue.
Adding the wellness component, including practitioners such as massage therapists and intuitive readers, pairs with the creativity of the artists to get you ready for spring and enjoy shopping for Mother's Day.
JC: While discussing wellness, May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Will that be recognized at Bloomfest, and if so, how?
NL: Not with direct intention, but at Womanspace, wellness and mental health are incorporated into everything we do.
Our mission is to connect, empower, create and transform one woman at a time. We are known as an arts organization, and that is just one of the vehicles we use to bring forward our mission. We want to help people find wholeness, authenticity, and ways to stay grounded and connected within themselves and to others so we can have a beautiful world around us.
JC: I know Womanspace has a large campus. Will people be able to check out its prairie if the weather is nice?
NL: We sit on a 7-acre campus, and the front part of it is where much of BloomFest takes place. That is where you will find vendors, live music and kids’ activities.
The back portion of the campus will feature our meditation garden, and that is also where our pine sanctuary is located. It is a small section of pine trees that leads to our open prairie area, which includes a walking labyrinth. This back portion of the campus will also offer free yoga and meditation sessions during BloomFest.
JC: If you had to recommend one thing to make a point of seeing at BloomFest, what would that be?
NL: What I am excited about is the continuation of our community art project. We have sola wood flowers where people write down an answer to the question, "what’s blooming in you?" The wood flower is added to the mandala installation, which by the end of the day comes together as a beautiful reflection of the community's intention for growth.
JC: BloomFest is this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Womanspace campus in Rockford. Nicole Landreth is the executive director of Womanspace.
Nicole, thanks for joining us.
NL: Thank you so much, have a wonderful day.
Copy Edited by Eryn Lent
