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SIERRA VISTA — Dust devils and threatening skies did not hamper the activities at this year’s Art In The Park in Sierra Vista Saturday and Sunday.
The estimated 25,000 people who attended the event found works on display from cork stoppers to four-foot vases with feathered accents to culinary creations.
Gray and Barbara Larkum of Tucson work together to create one-of-a-kind pottery and decorative gourds.
 Nine-year-old Amber Davidson, left, and Kaylee Wohlenhaus, 9, watch Joseph Robertson of Prescott produce a scratchboard picture at Art in the Park on Sunday. (By Suzanne Cronn-Herald/Review) |
“She’s the artist,” admitted Gray. “I just cast the pots and put them together. She takes it from there.”
After the pots, which range in size from 1 foot to 4 feet tall, are cast, Barbara paints them with specific enamel finishes and then it’s into the kiln for a quick dry, he said.
The Larkums, who have been participants in Art in the Park for the past 10 years, also produce gourd art including Southwest Native American figures decorated with peacock and golden pheasant feathers and bits of turquoise.
“This is one of the better shows we attend,” he added. “The organizers are wonderful. Not all shows are fun to attend. This one is. Everyone is helpful and friendly.”
Scratch board artist Joe Robertson, Prescott, is also a 10-year veteran. With a Dremel tool in hand, he began the painstaking task of removing the India ink coating from the melanite board. Line by line the image of a shirt-sleeved arm began to appear. His latest idea came from a photograph he took of two friends. All his works are etchings from his photographs and all involve scenes of Western life.
“I’m a recovering guitar player,” he joked. “This an old art form that very few people do these days. I taught myself and now look.
“This is a great show for me. There are a number of people who come back year after year to add to their collection.”
Albuquerque, N.M., resident Andrew Eales found his niche quite by accident. Originally from England, Eales at one time taught glass-making and then sold Italian glass. During one of his trips to the States, he ended up in Sonoma, Calif., at the Sebastiani Vineyards. It was in the gift shop that the idea was born to create uniquely distinct “recorkers” for wine bottles.
Eales said: “Lots of people buy them for gifts. Each is quite unique. I have always been taken with the old Venetian glass paperweights. So, I decided to make some them like miniature paperweights. The enamel on copper native designs for others came out of the Southwestern influence.
“I love doing this. I love the independence as much as I love working with glass. Sierra Vista is one of those rare places where it seems all the residents turn out to see everything. It’s great. This is my second year and I hope to be back again and again.”
There was also art that was for more than just one’s eyes. There were the wares of the culinary artists.
Tasters lined up at Giget’s Gourmet booth to sample several kinds of salsa, dip and even Bloody Mary mix.
Jess Uselton, Glendale, said this was his second year at Art in the Park and things were going well.
Three years ago Uselton decided he wanted to do the festival circuit and chose salsas because he liked spicy things.
“It just seemed to be the thing to do,” he said with a smile. “I love spicy foods. Apparently, we aren’t alone. By far the favorite crowd-pleaser is ‘Giget’s Spicy Secret Salsa.’ A lot of people also buy the Bloody Mary mix, not just for the usual reason, but to spice up pasta dishes.”
Frankie Douyon, who just moved to Sierra Vista from Florida, was there with 10-year-old Lorena Flambert sampling the different salsas. Both agreed the Spicy Secret was the best.
Every year members of the Huachuca Art Association send out around 700 applications for Art in the Park.
Wendy Breen, Huachuca Art Association co-chairwoman, said: “We get around 300 of them back with requests to be in the show. It’s a juried show, so vendors have to be approved by a five-panel board.”
Schaaf added that artists who come to the event often request to be added to the list. Sometimes scheduled vendors are unable to attend, and then the artists on the waiting list are called to fill the spots, she said.
Schaaf added: “This is quite a boon for the community. The hotels, motels and restaurants benefit from all the visitors and the non-profit organizations are able to raise funds for their causes. This is a good thing for Sierra Vista.”
herald/review reporter Shar Porier can be reached at 515-4692 or by e-mail at shar.porier@bisbeereview.net.
Ezai I. Martinez wrote on Jun 24, 2009 7:58 PM: