每年，归国学生和新生都会购买家具、地毯以及装饰公寓和宿舍的物品。第24届一年一度的第四街工艺美术节(Fourth Street Festival of Arts and Crafts)是开始这种装饰搜索的一个地方。免费的节日从周六上午10点到下午6点，周日中午到下午5点。问讯处将位于第四大街和格兰特大街的交汇处。大约有100个不同的摊位，许多不同的媒介将被展示:陶土、珠宝、摄影、绘画、木制品、金属制品、篮子、皮革、雕塑、版画、绘画、玻璃制品、纸张、纤维和混合媒介。洛林·法雷尔(lorraine Farrell)是一位珠宝商，曾在过去举办过珠宝展，现在是第四街庆典委员会的主席。她说:“区分公开节和陪审团节是很重要的。”法雷尔解释说，不是每个人都可以展示自己的商品。只有最好的人才会来，最好的人才会被授予奖项。电影节的一、二、三等奖由六名评审员组成的委员会以保密投票方式颁发。第四街节日委员会的前任主席乔治·扎伊切克(George Zajicek)补充说，评审团“每年由6个不同的人组成”。他说，考虑到这个艺术节是由艺术家创立的，是以艺术家为中心的，每年邀请六名新艺术家并不难。“我们的目标是提供一个高质量的户外艺术展览，这将对参展商和社区都有利，”Farrell说。法雷尔和扎伊切克都指出，该节日被《阳光艺术家》杂志评为顶级节日之一。\nAlthough it is very artist-centered and not strictly commercial, Zajicek said to be forewarned is to be forearmed. If one goes, be prepared for a crowd. The very high quality of the festival, he said, has traditionally pulled in huge crowds. Farrell estimated that it will have 30,000 visitors in two days. Zajicek said in 1995, police estimated the crowd size to be 25,000. And it has only gotten bigger. Local musicians, actors, jugglers and other groups will be performing in designated areas complete with seats for spectators.\n"We'll even have belly dancers and barbershop quartets." Farrell said.\nIt is this mix of art, craft and entertainment that Zajicek said makes the festival so successful. \nFarrell, Zajicek and Conway all have slightly different approaches to their art, but they are all conscious of the history and future of the festival. \n"It started as a very small fair, but always with the idea of excellence," Conway said. \nFarrell stressed that its very integrity is what has made it so popular with the people of Bloomington, year after year. \n"It's remained at a grass roots level since 1976," she said. \n"The show is one the greatest in the country for both the patron and participating artist," Zajicek said. "Don't miss it, because it's great"
