Record number of submissions from artists this year

By Alyssa Schnugg
Senior reporter

The upcoming Double Decker Arts Festival has grown in many ways from the number of racers participating in the Saturday morning 5K and 10K to the number of food vendors. It even went from one day to two days.

The growth has also included the number of artists who want to be a part of the event.

According to Kinney Ferris, director of Visit Oxford that puts on the annual event, 302 artists applied to take part in the 2024 festival.

“In 2022, we had 211 artists apply,” she said Tuesday, Jan. 30, during a press conference. “In 2023, 245 (artists applied). We have space for 140 artists. It just shows the level of art we’re going to have and also show the popularity of Oxford.”

Ferris said the applications from artists came from all over the country with most from the southeast.

“The jury had their work cut out for them,” Ferris said. 

Applications are reviewed by a panel of jurors selected by the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council. Selection is made based upon quality of work and diversity of the show. Jurors make their selections based on samples of the work submitted and the description of their work on the application.

“Artists don’t just automatically get in when they apply,” said Lee Ann Stubbs, Double Decker coordinator. “It just shows how much the festival has grown.”

Stubbs said there was also a record number of submissions from artists vying to have their artwork selected as the official artwork.

Oxford native Jules Mikell’s art work was selected as the 2024 official poster and T-shirt artwork.