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Friday, Oct. 03, 2008

Artists gather for Merced show

Big Valley Arts and Culture Festival will have everything from pottery to paintings

“Suddenly, it seemed like the whole city came to life,” Staci Santa, executive director of the Merced County Arts Council said, recollecting her first Big Valley Arts and Culture Festival. “It was amazing to be out on Main Street and see so much talent.”

Certainly, the event, now in its 15th year, has a way of reaching out to the community. “We have a strong tradition,” Santa said, “and people keep coming back.”

This year’s event, which will take place between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday promises to be another great one. Centered at the Multicultural Arts Center, 645 W. Main St., with activities planned to spread between M and N streets on Main Street, the festival will feature arts of all kinds, food, music, and even children’s activities in the “Arts Alley” located behind the main building.

New this year will be an art demo area, where artists can have 25-minute time slots to explain how they create their work. Those interested can also buy art directly from the artists themselves, giving insight into how and why various pieces were made.

It’s also a great time for early Christmas shopping. No need to worry about the quality of the art being sold, either -- Santa emphasized that those selling will “only be artists who create their own work.” There will be no political booths and no non-arts-related organizations involved. The event is strictly about sharing artwork and reaching out to the community. “This is actually an art festival – we mean it,” Santa said.

That doesn’t mean, however, that patrons should plan on having empty stomachs.

Fresh Off the Grill will offer food, and there will also be vendors selling shaved ice, hot dogs, and kettle corn. Coincidentally, the event will also take place just after the Merced Rotary Club’s pancake breakfast, which will happen in the same area.

A perennial favorite part of the event is Arts Alley, which will offer free arts activities for children. Santa remembered that in past years she has seen parents on cell phones calling their friends to tell them about the children’s area, unable to believe that there is so much fun to be had for free. “They’re quick activities,” Santa said. “The kids can stand and work at tables to create different things.” The Kiwanis Club will staff this area.

Though the event is 15 years old, it has changed a bit over the years. The first event, called Threads, took place at the moat at Applegate Park — and featured similar work on a smaller scale. Recent years have all seen the festival at the Multicultural Arts Center — and in part, this has helped to raise awareness of the work there.

“It’s our big how-you-doin’, Merced,” said Operations Director Joey Essig. “It shows that art does exist here — your neighbor might be an artist.”

Certainly the diversity of featured artists backs him up. Among those confirmed to attend are Rene Reyes, who works with watercolor, Cheryl Carlsen, who makes jewelry, Pope Lawrence, a wood carver, Richard Kirkman, who works with acrylics, Carol Elligot, who works in mosaic, Mary Martin, who works with fabrics, and others. There will be glass vendors, homemade soaps, food from the Buchanan Hollow Nut Co. and small craft-style projects like wristbands, buttons, and T-shirts from Happy Dinosaur. The Arbor Gallery will also have space. Essig says that, while most artists are from the Valley area, including Modesto, Fresno, Mariposa and Stockton, there will be a few from Southern California and the Bay Area as well. Also featured will be Playhouse Merced, the Harmony Valley Chorus (doing karaoke!) and the Steven Stayner Memorial. Musicians will include Tahitian dancers and a ukelele player – among others.

This year, as in the past, the event will take place the first Saturday in October — in some ways, it’s an unofficial kickoff for Humanities Month, which is officially designated as October.

The entire event is open to the public and free of charge. It will take place Saturday on Main Street in Merced between 9 a.m and 4 p.m. Those interested are encouraged to check out the Web site www.artsmerced.org for more information -- or to contact Joey Essig at stage@artsmerced.org.