On October 4, 2014, the Madison Street Festival opened its parking lot and was swarmed with 30,000 people. And with the parade, great food to eat, free admission, and many different activities to do, it is no wonder why the Madison Street Festival was so popular this year. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg for Bob Jones students; Sunny Tsai won the art competition and Ariel Lavish received an Honorable Mention.

“The medium I worked with was watercolor and the subject of my painting is subject to your thoughts. It took me about a week and a half to plan everything and create the flowers,” said Tsai. “Art has inspired me to look at the beauty of the world. Art is everywhere and ever evolving. In a sense it’s like how people read books to gain knowledge; I like to delve into artworks to gain insight on different thought processes.”

Andrew Smith, who worked in the parking lot that day, was happy to answer a few questions as well.

“I worked from about nine to two, although people from JROTC were manning the lot all the way to about five. The heat was exasperating, but being able to work with friends the whole day made it much more bearable. I’d say my favorite part was simply being able to help out and make sure things went smoothly for the festival.”

The Madison Street Festival is an annual event that continues to grow and support the arts in the Madison community.