The new Chestertown RiverArts (the union of Chestertown Arts League and Chester River Artworks) has teamed up with the popular Chestertown Jazz Festival to bring Art in the Park 2012 to Wilmer Park on September 15 from 10am – 5pm. Over forty regional artists will display quality, affordable art that includes paintings, photographs, pottery, sculpture, fiber arts, jewelry, and decorative gourds. Visitors will be able to browse the art while listening to world class jazz. While the Jazz Festival requires tickets, Art in the Park is free.
Art in the Park has been popular with visitors and artists alike since the 1980’s. This year we will have popular artists returning while many artists will join the festivities for the first time. Perhaps the most loyal exhibitor is Margaret Trussell of Vulcan’s Rest Fibers in Chesapeake City. Margaret has participated in Art in the Park for some twenty years. She says she enjoys the event because she has found that “the audience genuinely appreciates creativity.” Margaret will be offering knitted and woven items as well as related supplies. Demonstrations of weaving and spinning will be ongoing and children will have the chance to try their hands at these skills.
Susan Nonn used to exhibit with Margaret but this year she will have her own booth, Hand-Crafted Gourds. “Living in Maryland there was little activity in gourds. It was through the American Gourd Society’s website that I found local gourd growers and tips about crafting gourds. I drove to the closest gourd festivals in N. Carolina and Florida for more workshops and supplies. Twelve years later I am now teaching at state gourd festivals and selling my hand-crafted gourds at regional craft shows” Today Susan creates decorative and functional bowls and birdhouses as well as whimsical seasonal items. More recently she has begun incorporating her weaving skills into creating gourd baskets using a variety of materials including reeds, sea grass, pine needles, and yarns that she dyes using multiple colors.
Marilee Schumann exhibited at Art in the Park about 25-30 years ago when she first started as a potter. All she showed was a table set with dinnerware and she sold the whole set. Marilee decided to participate again this year because of the new location and the association with the Jazz Festival. She will be showing functional pottery including bowls, pitchers, and teapots.
Two well-known wildlife artists will also be returning to Art in the Park, Kurt Plinke and Raymond Bell. Raymond’s medium is soft pastel. His preferred subjects are landscapes and waterscapes of marshlands and beaches of the Eastern Shore along with the waterfowl found in these habitats. Raymond will be bringing original pastels and reproductions of the originals in the form of signed and numbered lithographs and giclees. He says he likes Art in the Park “because of its attendance by people genuinely interested in art who want the experience of it in their homes and businesses. Feeling that my art is appreciated by those who come to the show is the wish of every artist…”
Cindy Bowers Fulton is participating in Art in the Park for the first time in years. Asked why she decided to join the event this year she replied, “I love jazz and I love art, so it seemed like the day would be most pleasant sitting in my tent listening to great music, surrounded by my art and that of my friend, Marti Hawkins.” Cindy will be showing her new series of Flower Fantasies and Marti will be showing her sumie (oriental brush painting) work. Both artists can also be visited in their studio on October 27-28 and November 3 -4 for the RiverArts Studio Tour. In both the Art in the Park and Studio Tour events they will be talking about their paintings as well as selling them for attractive prices.
Carol Kynett became aware of Art in the Park from friends in Kennedyville and then once again Margaret Trussell recommended she participate this year. Carol purchases only the finest of yarns from around the world to make her one-of-a-kind knitted “lovelies” that include formal clutch purses, shoulder bags, small hand bags and Parisian tote bags that are adorned with vintage 1940’s-50’s Aurora Borealis brooches; these bags are colorful and fun. Carol’s luxurious woven Ribbon Scarf is her “signature piece” and is woven with long lengths of rich hand-dyed ribbon that also has flecks of gold thread throughout. Stunning felted silk scarves can be worn as wraps for formal affairs or worn casually with jeans. Also available are warm and cozy winter hats, slouch hats, cowlneck scarves and infinity scarves that double as an accessory for ones favorite outfit or can just be looped around the neck twice to simply keep ones neck warm on cold blustery days. “This is just a small sampling of the wares that I have to offer, so you’ll just have to come see the rest!”
So save the date, September 15, to enjoy wonderful art and music in beautiful Wilmer Park overlooking the Chester River. For more information contact Chestertown RiverArts at 410-778-6300 or email [email protected].
Write a Letter to the Editor on this Article
We encourage readers to offer their point of view on this article by submitting the following form. Editing is sometimes necessary and is done at the discretion of the editorial staff.