by: Tom Tom Staff
We are a small, busy staff at the Tom Tom Founders Festival, and we take pride in our ability to produce two yearly festivals with hundreds of events, artists, and speakers for our community. Looking back on 2017 there is a lot to be proud of. Here are the things that stood out for each of us last year.
Paul Beyer
Founder and Executive Director
Photos by Tristan Williams
“It was incredible to see everyone come together in Emancipation Park for the Fall Festival. After the violent events this summer in Charlottesville, we were the first city-wide event in the park. I hoped that the block parties be an opportunity for some healing and to celebrate the caring, diverse city we know Charlottesville to be. I was so happy, and touched, to see friends, families, and neighbors join us to stand up for the peaceful and inclusive values of this community. We were especially honored to have the Co-owners of Rock Paper Scissors and creators of the Cville Heart fundraising campaign, Heather Haynie and Dani Antol, there on Saturday night to receive a check for $12,758 to the Heal Charlottesville fund. This was the Cville that I know and love.”
Carolyn Zelikow
Hometown Summit Director
Photo by Tom Daly Photography
“I was thrilled – and slightly stunned – that our inaugural Hometown Summit launched with so much success. It was a huge gamble, and I will be forever grateful to our community and city innovators from across the US for bringing it to life.”
Virginia Nelson
Partnerships
Photo by Tom Daly Photography
“After dozens of conversations about moving the stage at the block parties, which lasted far too long because we all have such strong opinions about these things, I loved seeing the stage at the opposite end of the park this Tomtoberfest. It was the rightful spot – easier for everyone to see and enjoy dozens of concerts in between refilling their cups at the beer tents. In my 4 years of being at the block parties, I’d never had such a good time sipping on a Potter’s Craft Cider and dancing to music.”MUSIC AT TOM TOM
Whitney Kenerly
Marketing Manager
“It’s always great when during the chaos of the festival you are able to take a moment to slip into the Paramount Theater and watch part of an amazing talk. At last year’s Founders Summit, I got to see Ting Xu, Cofounder of Evergreen Enterprises, share her story of arriving in the US from communist China was nothing but $200 and hope for a brighter future. She was such a charming and deeply authentic speaker and you could feel the energy in the audience build as they heard the story of her journey and were rooting for her every step of the way. It was a beautiful reminder of the power of the American Dream.”
Renee Shuey
Designer
Photo by Tom Daly Photography
“Once the festival begins, the design rush is over and I get to relax and take it all in. It’s super gratifying to see the Downtown painted purple and red with the dozens of design pieces Matt Pamer [Tom Tom’s Creative Director] and I create each year. I was thrilled with the way the 2017 Fall brochures came out, and the drink tickets were so cute I almost didn’t want to trade them for booze. Almost. ”
Madeleine Rhondeau
Speaker & Art Manager
“I love the 2017 City Art Bus by Paul Hostetler! The colors are so vibrant and it’s really cool that the dinosaurs were designed to life-size scale based on fossil records. Seeing the bus around town and the reaction from people who spot it, especially kids, is incredibly rewarding. It’s one of the most visible reminders that the work we do at Tom Tom has a lasting impact on the Charlottesville community. Can’t wait to reveal this year’s winners!”
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