The Main Street Chestertown program invites artists and creative spirits of all ages to participate in a new project in conjunction with the annual Tea Party Festival: transforming burlap bags into oversized art-infused “tea bags.” The painted and embellished bags will be displayed throughout town in the weeks before and during the Festival weekend, May 26-28.
The Main Street Program will supply participants with these basic materials:
· A burlap bag, in one of three sizes: 22 by 24, 24 x 36, or 34 by 40 inches.
· A length of cotton rope/cording to serve as the tea-bag “string.”
· And a corrugated plastic “tag,” with the pre-printed message: “CHESTERTOWN: Steeped in History. Stirred by Art”
Participants can create their art directly on the burlap, or use another material to create the art and then glue or stitch it onto the burlap. They will fill the bag with their choice of material (Styrofoam, bubble wrap, wood shavings, etc.; weatherproof and recycled items preferred) before folding the top over like a tea bag and attaching the string and tag.
The “tea bags” will be displayed inside participating store windows or outdoors in the streetscape throughout downtown. Creators may choose to sell their work to benefit the work of the Main Street Chestertown organization and the Chestertown Arts & Entertainment District; if so, they will mark the sales price on the tag. Main Street will accept payments at its booth during the Tea Party Festival. All unsold bags will be returned to the artists or retained by the Main Street A&E Committee for possible reuse, whichever the artist prefers.
Anyone interested in participating in the Tea Party Tea Bags project should contact Kay MacIntosh, Manager of the Main Street Chestertown program and Arts & Entertainment District, to get more information and reserve or pick up materials (kay.chestertown@gmail, 410-778-2991). The complete “tea bag” kits will be available for pick-up at Chestertown’s Town Hall beginning March 17. The burlap bags are already available for pick up for those who want to get started earlier.
MARY WOOD says
Jan & Howard Burns of Church Hill, started the Eastern Shore Tea Company during an early Tea Party festival. They sold many interesting flavors of teas packaged in colorful bags. These were decorated with interesting local scenes by Howard, an Artist. People would enjoy seeing examples of his work.