ArtsAlive! Looking for artists!

Area artists are invited to participate in ArtsAlive! 2015, that will be held March 21 from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. in Old Town Bay St. Louis.

Produced by The Arts, Hancock County, the festival is comprised of several events encompasses the visual, literary, musical, and culinary arts.

The Artists Showcase is the main focus, with dozens of artists showing and selling their work at “Host” businesses in Old Town.

The showcase is open to artists nationwide for a fee of $25 for members of The Arts, Hancock County and $50 for non-members. Deadline to register is March 4. Applications are available at www.ArtsAliveGulfCoast.com.

There’s also a competitive side to this new ArtsAlive!

“Think of it as sort of an ‘American Idol’ for the arts,” said The Arts president Cynthia Mahner. “Our new motto is ‘Celebrating Art, Engaging Communities and Enriching Lives!’ So we’re staging events that will engage entire families and get them excited about creative endeavors of all kinds. People can come out and cheer on their favorite artist or student.”

Several competitions are offering nearly $3,000 in cash prizes. There will be a “Flash Fiction” writer’s contest, a “Southern Sweets” culinary competition, and a singer-songwriter competition.

In addition, a juried art show and high school student art show – both offering generous cash prizes – will be on display. In the afternoon, a theatre tableau will take place on the courthouse steps, with actors bringing to life the characters from a famous painting.