The Art Business

With its temperate weather, flora and fauna erupting into bloom, and the city waking from winter with a stacked calendar of events, spring in Tallahassee is a business in itself. On the roster of headlining events, Word of South, a festival of literature and music, takes a top spot.

For 11 years, hundreds of attendees have headed to Tallahassee’s city center of Cascades Park for a weekend that celebrates writers and musicians, exploring the special ways in which these two disciplines merge and mingle through the festival’s signature “mu-aushups.”

Word of South was created by founder and president, Mark Mustian. An author himself, Mustian attended literary festivals throughout the United States and abroad. Inspired and realizing the Northwest Florida region had nothing comparable, he set out to bring a literary and music festival to the Capital City.

Throughout the weekend, everyone from notable to little-known writers and musicians takes to stages to share their stories and songs. Others, as vendors, sell their merchandise while making meaningful connections with and people that are sure to become new fans. 

Ask any artist why they create art, and it can almost be guaranteed they don’t say it’s for the money. Where a paycheck may not be the muse, artists deserve to be paid for the products and services they provide to the public through their art.  

Word of South is uniquely situated as a festival that provides the opportunity for both artist promotion and artist payment. In turn, the community is stimulated by art while the local economy is stimulated by each visitor who stays in Tallahassee and then purchases a band’s merchandise or an author’s self-published novel.

“Word of South is heavy on foot traffic, which provides the opportunity for that face-to-face connection that’s missing with a writer or musician when you shop online or even in a store,” says Sara Marchessault, director of Word of South. “This not only generates sales for the artist but often results in a new following, which is also highly valuable.”

Photo by Saige Roberts

The meet method is particularly beneficial for self-published authors who may not have the backing or funding of a marketing team to promote their work. The same goes for local musicians who may not have the platform to sell their merchandise, but a connection leads to a purchased T-shirt and a follow on a music streaming platform.

Aside from the artist or performer themselves, Marchessault states that the main criterion for vendors is that they pertain to books, music, or the promotion of community arts culture. 

Repeat vendors that consistently generate sizable crowds at their booths include: My Favorite Books, Midtown Reader, Olde Fields Clothing, University Press of Florida, and Florida Humanities. Unlike some festivals, Word of South withholds no portion of the profit of a vendor’s sales. Only a small fee for the rental of the tent, table, chairs, and setup is asked.

On average, there are over 30 spots available to vendors each year. A handful are granted to sponsors. From there, Marchessault provides spaces to repeat vendors while mixing in new applicants.

“There’s stability to it, with vendors who attend every year that we are happy to reunite with again, and there’s also excitement to the newness—seeing what kind of interest new vendors generate,”
says Marchessault.  

Midtown Reader, Tallahassee’s only New York Times reporting bookstore, has been a sponsor of and the festival’s bookseller for five years. Their tent is centrally located, selling the books of every author in attendance at the festival. Additionally, they host a stage where Florida authors have a panel conversation.  

“Being [one of] the only bookstore at the festival, it does generate a lot of commerce for us over the two-day span,” says Sally Bradshaw, owner of Midtown Reader. “But, even more valuable, this is how many people discover us, especially those who come to the festival from out of town. It often creates new loyal patrons to our store.”

Marchessault noted that what began as a local festival, in recent years has become an event, attracting attendees throughout Northwest Florida as well as travelers from South Florida. With this popularity, Word of South has brought in authors and musicians such as Lauren Groff, The Flaming Lips, Joy Harjo, Allison Russell, and Tommy Prine.

Photo by Saige Roberts

Much of the success can be attributed to the Word of South board who strive to continuously build on the festival. In the early years, it was recognized that the festival gravitated toward Americana music and nonfiction and children’s authors. Realizing this, the board has worked to incorporate hip-hop, pop, rap, and country acts alongside various subgenres.  

Marchessault and Bradshaw commented on the opportunities the festival brings, especially for aspiring authors with the presence of published authors, Florida State University’s creative writing program, Florida A&M University’s journalism program, and organizations like Florida Humanities.

Where commerce is valuable, to many businesses or organizations, making connections with attendees is invaluable. This is how many get their names out, their purposes shared, and their missions recognized.

Repeat vendors, such as Olde Fields Clothing and Sangha Press, often have items for sale that promote both an appreciation for the arts and for Tallahassee. Additionally, all food and beverage vendors are locally sourced.

The prime location at Cascades Park makes the festival walkable from most downtown hotels, restaurants, and businesses without the worry of crossing busy streets. During an already bustling spring season, Word of South furthers the city’s tourism for Tallahassee.

For a weekend in April, Word of South puts artists on stages to showcase their talents and helps art-centric businesses display their products and services. For days and years after, this exposure creates a ripple effect of support.