Pittsburgh Steelers Running Back Baron Batch Chosen as Featured Artist of 2013 Lubbock Arts Festival

The Lubbock Arts Festival has announced their featured artist for the upcoming event.

The 35^th Annual Lubbock Arts Festival will have professional football player and former Texas Tech football standout Baron Batch as the featured artist of the event.

The three-day celebration will be held on April 12^th through the 14^th at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center, located at 1501 Mac Davis Lane.

The Arts Festival chooses a visual artist with ties to the community and unique and innovative pieces to honor and spotlight their work.

Batch, a running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers, began painting while rehabilitating a knee following surgery.

“I experimented with mediums, adding color to my walls with each new piece of art that went up,” said Batch. “I discovered that I preferred using acrylics on wood, which is more durable and textured than other mediums, such as paper canvas. I created what was meaningful to me.”

Batch will be onsite throughout the Arts Festival, and his original work and prints of his art will be available for purchase. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Lubbock Arts Alliance’s after school arts programs.

The Lubbock Arts Festival features over 150 visual artists from around the nation each year, displaying and selling original work.