The 43rd annual Greeley Arts Picnic kicked off under sunny skies Saturday in downtown Greeley’s Lincoln Park with more than 160 artists and crafters showcasing work ranging from photography and ceramics to custom drinking horns and salsa.
Tom Segura, owner of TS Designs in Eaton, brought out a variety of his custom photo mat works, frames and other creations.
“We’ve been doing really well. It’s always been a good show for us. It’s been really busy,” Segura said. “We do a lot of custom work, but we’ve brought in a variety of things that draw people in.”
And getting people involved was just what the event did. The Art Picnic Walks were packed with visitors perusing the various merchandise, chatting with the artists, listening to live music and enjoying goodies from food and beverage vendors including Grammy’s Goodies and Old Tyme Concessions.
Longmont-based wildlife photographer Fi Rust is a four-time art picnic vendor. Photographs in various formats lined the walls of his booth, including an amazing photo of a 1,200-pound bear, while matte prints sat neatly in boxes waiting for visitors to flip through them.
“I’ve been doing this for over 30 years in the days of film and manual focus. I have an art background, so I’m very selective about how I set things up,” Rust said. “Most people never see any of these animals. I am grateful every day that I found this passion. Animals have come and sat next to me and it’s a privilege that they allow us into their lives.
Youngsters of all ages could flex their artistic muscles at the Kids Creation Station. The station offered a variety of craft projects such as paper bag dolls, garden bouquets and coloring pages.
Between strolling past vendor tents and soaking up the warm summer sun, visitors were able to view artwork created by community members at the Arts Picnic Fine Art Show at the Tointon Gallery, located in the first floor lobby of the Greeley Recreation Center, 651 10th St.
“It’s the one time a year that it’s really a community show. So once a year we have everyone in Weld County submit one piece of art,” said Public Art Coordinator Kim Snyder. “We always try to get student art, so we don’t limit the number of student submissions .It’s hard to get in the summer because they’re not tied to the school.But this year we have some art students back.
The exhibit features a variety of different types of artwork, including fiber art, sculpture, collage, and more from artists of all ages.
The exhibition runs until Saturday, September 3 and admission is free.
The gallery is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday to Friday.
For more information about the Tointon Gallery, the Art Picnic Fine Art Exhibition or upcoming exhibitions and events, visit https://bit.ly/3B53JWn.
The artwork was not limited to the Art Picnic and the Tointon Gallery.
The first 8th Street Art Fest kicked off at 8th Street Plaza on Friday night during Friday Fest and ran until 5 p.m. on Saturday.
Organized by Danielle Devore, owner of Mariposa Plants and Flowers, and her staff, the event gave local artists and crafters a chance to display their work and products outside of the art picnic.
Dawn Swanbom, owner of Dawn til Dusk Gifts from the Farm, had two 4-month-old goats in her booth along with lotions, creams and other products. Swanbom uses goat’s milk to make its products.
Swanbom has been a vendor at the art picnic before, but this year he was unable to attend both the Saturday and Sunday events. The new 8th Street Art Fest gave him a chance to still get out and showcase his wares without having to commit to an entire weekend.
“It’s great. I hope they can grow it and do the other side of the field,” Swanbom said. “There’s so much learning when you do events like this. It gives people a chance to learn.
Sitting behind a small card table under a canopy, 16-year-old Ren Noffsinger busily worked on her beaded jewelry, chatting with passersby. The art festival was an opportunity for a young lady to display her work in a public place without having to pay large vendor fees or own a certain amount of product.
“These are all my crafts. I use very small and very minimal beads, but I also do very large projects,” she said. “It’s the first time I’ve ever done a show like this. It really helps because we don’t have to compete with it. It’s all very local, very small. It’s fantastic. It gives an opportunity to local artists who might not have the money to get into an art picnic, space to show and sell your work.
If you missed Saturday’s festivities, the Greeley Art Picnic continues from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. sunday Admission and parking are free and people of all ages are welcome.
For more information, visit https://bit.ly/3qo6kD7.
