Fair Full of Treasures
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May/June 2008
Jodi M. Webb
A venue known for giant pumpkins, chocolate cakes and tractor pulls may initially seem like an odd place for art, but many artists agree a fair has one thing most art galleries and competitions don’t have. Lane describes it as “potential for what can happen. At an average art show, maybe 300 folks make a special trip to see your work. At the fair, they tell me the doors open and close half a million times over two weeks, so perhaps 200,000 people will see your work. You have to have a piece there!”
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Many fairs also provide “artist-at-work” demonstrations. Fair-goers had the chance to look over painter Earl Boley’s shoulder as he did plein air painting (in the open air) at his favorite spot – the California State Fair racetrack. Not only did visitors get to see the creation of art, Boley sold four of the six paintings created during the demonstrations.
Fair exhibits aren’t just for “traditional” art – paintings, drawings and sculpture. There are also regionally unique ethnic craft displays. For example, our local fair includes categories for Scherenschnitte (Sharon-sh-net), the German art of paper cutting; Pysanki (Pi-san-key), Ukrainian decoration of blown eggs using beeswax and dye; and palm work, the twisting of palm fronds into elaborate shapes practiced by many Eastern European Catholics just before Easter.
When you’ve finished your apple fritter, oohed and aahed over all the cute rabbits and goats, and laughed at all the entries in the decorated outhouse competition, stroll over to the art building. You might even see your work there next year.
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