Downtown South Bend Art Beat presented by Teachers Credit Union enlivens the city

Downtown South Bend Art Beat presented by Teachers Credit Union enlivens the city

The 17th annual Downtown South Bend Art Beat kicked off with music, food, dancing and all the art you can imagine. Teachers Credit Union presented the Art Beat for the second year in a row, with over 800 vendors and thousands from Michiana in attendance. Steel forging, pottery, woodworking, and cotton spinning were just a few of the arts the crowd witnessed firsthand. 

“Art Beat is a great celebration of South Bend’s cultural life,” said TCU President and CEO Paul Marsh. “The artists that the DTSB team bring together and the festive atmosphere the event creates showcase the best of our community.”

The Art Beat is a great opportunity for local artists to show off their talents, network, and gain followers. Which is one of the reasons TCU sponsored the Art Beat, because they’re all about helping the community. 

"One of our strategic commitments is that we're partners in the community,” said Marion Fulce, District Manager at TCU. “We want to be a part of things that are good for our community as a whole."

Attendees Amanda Russell and Steve Krojo have been attending the Art Beat every year. This year, they brought the entire family along, including the in-laws, to show them how much South Bend is thriving. 

DTSB Art Beat 2019: Presented by TCU 2019

DTSB Art Beat 2019: Presented by TCU 2019 54 Photos
DTSB Art Beat 2019: Presented by TCU 2019DTSB Art Beat 2019: Presented by TCU 2019DTSB Art Beat 2019: Presented by TCU 2019DTSB Art Beat 2019: Presented by TCU 2019

"We always come to the Art Beat,” Russell said. “We love to support local artists and we find a lot of good things that we usually buy.”

"I think local artists can help the city's economy really boom,” Krojo said. “They make [the city] a scene for people, and that gives the people who live here and people visiting something more to do.”

The afternoon was full of live performances by organizations and artists throughout Michiana. Performances included jazz bands, dancers both young and old, and even hula hooping. One attendee, Sarah Taylor, came for the art and to see her young niece perform. 

"Art Beat is such a great vibe,” Taylor said. “I'm usually out of town at this time so it's good to be out here and see everyone's artistic abilities and talents in the community.”

The kids even had an art beat all their own with painting, bubbles, chalk and more all to make sure the kids we’re having fun and enjoying art too. Families had the opportunity to donate one dollar to the breast cancer research to get their picture taken in a giant, pink, blow-up chair. 

For more information about TCU, visit www.tcunet.com