The inaugural North by Northeast Arts Festival took place on October 16th & 17th. Artists and the arts are often the foundation of up and coming, vibrant communities so in order to elevate the profile of the north and east communities of Lubbock, the NXNE Festival focused on celebrating the arts. Grant Gerlich from the Office of Outreach & Engagement worked with the TTU School of Art, College of Architecture, North Lubbock Neighborhood Association, and the East Lubbock Art House to produce this celebration of the arts.
The festival is based off of the Art All Night festival in the Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Art All Night helped reinvent that neighborhood from a forgotten steel and manufacturing hub, to one of the most desirable communities in the city, all thanks to the arts. The North by Northeast festival’s plan was to do just that for the north and east communities of Lubbock.