SLAM fest attendees look over some of the sculptures at the Billis Fine Art space at Bogert Park on Sunday.
While the first weekend of August may be known to many around these parts as "Sweet Pea Weekend," this weekend also included a new, free arts festival, the inaugural SLAM Festival at Bogert Park.
And despite what the name might imply to some, organizers of the event said they aren't trying to compete with the established Sweet Pea gathering, but rather complement it.
"Our focus is positive," said SLAM co-founder Callie Miller. "We want people to enjoy everything that goes on this weekend. This is a big weekend for visitors, and we wanted to give artists the most exposure they can get."
SLAM, an acronym for Support Local Artists and Musicians, is a newly formed non-profit group that aims at reinvesting in programs and projects that promote the arts and art education throughout the state of Montana.
This weekend's festival included a wide array of art booths that lined the grassy field in front of the band stage, from visual arts like photography and eye-catching brass sculptures to body art like intricate tattoos and decorative feather hair extensions. Music and dance performances complemented the art booths throughout the day, and of course there were the culinary arts, like corn on the cob, ice cream, and Montana brewed beer.
The inaugural festival attracted a fair amount of visitors during the busy weekend, especially on Saturday, organizers said.
"It really exceeded my expectations," said Miller. "We saw tons of locals and visitors. Basically, anybody at any income can come support art."
Bozeman photographer and booth holder Diana Proemm agreed that the turnout was exceptional.
"Saturday was huge, especially after the Sweet Pea parade ended," she said. "I was pleased with the amount of people coming to my booth and heard a lot of positive comments about the festival in general."
Proemm said she was pleased with the $150 it costs for a booth at SLAM, which is about half of what is charged at Sweet Pea.
"It's reasonable and accessible for me," she said.
Bozeman resident Tina Deweese, a wire sculptor, painter, and T-shirt designer, agreed that SLAM was more accessible. She said the she had sold her wares at Sweet Pea many years in the past, but was turned down this year.
"I loved participating in Sweet Pea, but it did come to a point that you were competing to get in," said Deweese as she ushered in potential customers. "This is a little bit like the old days."
Visitors also seemed happy with the turnout, including Bozeman resident Marcy Long who was relaxing in the shade Sunday afternoon.
"I'm not interested in paying to look at things," she said. "I like to look around and watch people, and this is as good as it gets."
John Palm was there on Sunday to support his son, Matthew, a young saxophonist for the band Cure for the Common that played in the afternoon. He said that while he rarely attends events like Sweet Pea, he was impressed by the free festival.
"The whole idea of this being free just seems right," said Palm.
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