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SIERRA VISTA — From vendors to power shoppers to casual browsers, Art in the Park garnered nothing but rave reviews Saturday.
“It’s been a great show for us,” said Terry Hatton, who was manning the Taxco Originals booth with his wife, Connie. “This is our first show in Sierra Vista; the people coming through here have been just great, a really nice crowd.”
The couple’s booth features unique sterling silver jewelry, primarily designed by Connie Hatton.
Making the trip from Litchfield Park, which is about 20 miles west of Phoenix, Terry Hatton said they’re already planning to return next year.
  
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This weekend marked the 36th annual Art in the Park, a two-day show that packs Veterans’ Memorial Park with more than 200 vendors, food booths and a steady stream of shoppers.
Sponsored by the Huachuca Art Association, the event is hailed as one of the finest art fairs in the Southwest, not only attracting artists from all over Arizona, but from California, New Mexico and Colorado as well.
Southwestern Creations, a booth filled with an assortment of hand-painted wooden animal cut-outs, was a popular show stopper. Dave Sulger is the artisan behind the array of black bear towel racks, cup holders, picture frames, wind chimes and potty chairs. Sulger, who is from the J-6 Ranch area, designs and paints all the creatures in his exhibit.
For those wanting to add a touch of sophistication to their home decor, the Featherworks Fiber Arts exhibit is definitely worth checking into. Artist Cynthia Adams incorporates a diverse range of color, texture and beadwork techniques to create Southwest landscapes. In addition to the elegant wall hangings, Adams designs handmade dolls she calls “Earth Spirits,” inspired by Native American rock art.
A Buena High School graduate who now lives in Page, Adams has been returning to Art in the Park as an exhibitor since 1996.
“I always have good traffic at this show,” she said. “I look forward to coming here every year; it’s a great show with a friendly crowd.”
While arts and crafts are definitely the event’s main attraction, the food and beverage booths garner their share of business.
Fifteen-year-old Brittany Fellers was busy selling Gatorade and water, part of a fundraiser for her church’s youth program. A member of Sierra Evangelical Lutheran Church, this is the fourth year Fellers has volunteered to work the event.
“We’re staying pretty busy,” she said. “We’re selling more bottled water than anything. I thought more people would want Gatorade.”
Huachuca City resident Janet Morlock said she looks forward to Art in the Park every year.
“I’m here doing a little Christmas shopping for others, as well as a little shopping for myself,” Morlock said. “This show is like going to a traveling museum. It’s a cultural experience.”
Holding up a necklace from a booth called West Wind Designs, Morlock decides to purchase it. Created by Colorado artist Pamela Brown, the necklace is a wire wrap with an assortment of colorful stones.
Sierra Vista resident Courtney Coker enjoys Art in the Park for its paintings and array of unique gifts. Heading back to her car after a full day of shopping, Coker said she especially enjoys the show’s handmade gifts.
“My parents have a craft business, so I like to support people who do that sort of thing,” she said.
Suzanne Whealy, the Huachuca Art Association’s publicity chairwoman, said the show organizers expect between 15,000 and 30,000 people will be visiting the event this weekend.
All artists and crafters are juried into the show by a selection committee. About 68 percent of the participants come back each year as return vendors.
“We try to choose vendors that we believe will be offering a variety of high quality, unique, handmade items,” Whealy said. “No kits or pre-manufactured items are allowed in the show. Everything must be handmade.”
Today is the final day of Art in the Park at Veterans’ Memorial Park in Sierra Vista. It is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
HERALD/REVIEW reporter Dana Cole can be reached at 515-4618 or by e-mail at dana.cole@svherald.com.
