Today we’d like to introduce you to Lili Bulkowski.
Hi Lili, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
It all started in summer 2023 when Lili’s band Small Foreign Faction put on their farewell show/festival at Sullivan Field. After seeing a great response from the community, Lili joined forces with local artists Donovan Estep, Ava Curran, Jon Carr, and Brady Olsen to put on a bigger and better festival than before. With no goodbyes in the mix, we wanted to focus our efforts on platforming the same community that gave us our start in the arts, highlighting the best of the best in music, visual media, and craft goods that Michigan has to offer.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been easy. With the festival at a larger scale this time around, there were more elements to consider: How are we going to organize this? What businesses would share in our mission of platforming local art? How are we going to earn the community’s trust? We knew that this would take a level of professionalism as we partnered with local businesses and worked alongside other community organizers. The support from our community was vital to the execution of the festival, with this being a free event. We also knew the key to our success hinged on smart branding and a strong visual identity.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am Lili Bulkowski and I am a community organizer and live performer. I have spent the better part of the last 8 years performing in the Grand Rapids community as an actor, singer, dancer, musician, recording artist, and have more recently branched out into being a organizer. From playing leads in musicals to selling out local venues, a wealth of experiences and opportunities has curated the artist I am today. I carry those skills with me daily. I am known for my ability to captivate an audience and for my ability to build teams of like-minded individuals in the pursuit of higher creative potency. My dedication to reaching new artistic heights is what sets me apart from the pack, being uniquely passionate about the cultivation of artistic expression.
I am Ava Curran, a graphic designer and illustrator specializing in visual identity, editorial and poster design, and typography. My background in illustration informs my design approach as I often use drawing as a way to explore and define a strong visual direction. I am extremely proud of the design work I have created for Small Foreign Festival. As the event designer and a co-organizer, I had the unique position of being my own project manager. I communicated and organized the art vendors and spoke with sponsoring businesses while making promotional materials that represented them.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
Grand Rapids has a thriving community of hungry working artists. The youth of the city thrives in this vibrant world of self expression that our city is becoming more known for, and it is all done peer-to-peer. Local groups and organizations are always putting on shows, running vintage markets, or carving out creative space for people of all backgrounds to find themselves in and this commitment to community spaces will always have my heart. If anything, I think my only gripe with the city is that it is lacking encouragement of younger voices in the community. We hope to add to this new wave of artistry by platforming new, unique voices at a larger scale. Small Foreign Festival aims to inspire future generations to find themselves in the arts and to see the community that is excited for them to join.
Pricing:
- The event is 100% free to attend!
- Event merchandise and artisan goods will be available for purchase at our artist market.
- Food and beverages will be available for purchase as well.
- We are doing a donation based raffle, $10 per entry must be present during ticket pulling to win.
- Raffle prizes include gift cards to local business and merchandise packages.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smallforeignfestival/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/sullivan-field/small-foreign-festival/1939221173480739/
- Other: https://linktr.ee/smallforeignfestival
