Oregon City brimming with art this weekend
Looking for art, food, family fun and music? Mark your calendar for the Oregon City Festival of the Arts on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 10 and 11.
Admission is free to browse the work of 65 artists from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. each day at the End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center.
This year the festival received more than 80 artists' applications, and with only room for 65 booths, a jury from the Three Rivers Artist Guild chose the top participants.
Arts festival co-organizer Trieste Andrews said the festival each year strives to include an eclectic range of genres, including ceramics, glassware, paintings, sculptures, woodworking, photography, metalwork, jewelry, garden art and more.
"Food trucks and all-day performances from local musicians on two different stages round out the event, plus a Kids Craft Corner make it one of the summer's best things to do," Andrews said.
Andrews mentioned a few of the artists that are bound to be highlights at this year's festival:
1. George Shubin's photography focuses on various Oregon landmarks, with an emphasis on the beauty around Oregon City.
2. "Elisa Saucy's handwrought silver bracelets are breathtaking at first glance," Andrews said. "Take a closer look and you'll see traces of mountains with tiny jewels set in as the moon and stars."
3. Looking for something whimsical that makes you giggle every time you see it? Andrews recommends Susan Woodworth's hand-painted gourds in the shapes of chickens, fishes and hobbit houses. These gourds are functional birdhouses. Sealed with layers of shellac, they will withstand the Oregon weather while cheering up your yard.
4. Halima Taylor's imaginative handcrafted ceramic birds, inspired by her grandsons, can be used for vases, pitchers or as a vessel for treasured items.
Andrews said that no Northwest festival is complete without food trucks. This year's offerings include Chop Chop Chicken Sundaes, serving a healthy menu of veggie-stacked chicken options; the Coop Food Truck, which will satisfy meat lovers and vegetarians alike; Sub Zero Ice Cream where you can invent your own ice cream and watch it created before your eyes using a nitrogen-based process; and the Red Head Cookie Shed, selling cookies and "painting kits" to take home and decorate the cookies yourself. Beer and wine also will be available for purchase from the End of the Oregon Trail beverage window.
Big Yellow Taxi, Grey Dogz, Heather Andrews and Kelly Brightwell will be the Festival of the Arts musical guests, plus the Krayon Kids Acting Group and the Nautilus Zumba class will perform onstage.
Portland Opera a la Carte's converted food truck will roll out its stage at the festival on Sunday, when singers will perform a variety of operatic and popular show tunes. "It's always one of the favorite musical performances of the day," Andrews said.
In its annual effort to make this a family-friendly event, the festival caters to kids with a free hands-on art project under the trees across from the main stage. Little Bear Playcare will host the Kids Craft Corner on Saturday, with the help of the Kraxberger Junior High Robotics Club; Geeks and Games will host Kids Corner on Sunday. Flower Power Face Painting will be on hand this year, along with Squirrel the Clown, "balloon-maker extraordinaire."
A new addition to this year's festival is the Emerging Artists exhibit.
"The program is intended as a steppingstone for artists just beginning to show their work," Andrews said. "Come join them under the portico next to the Main Stage, view their work and consider purchasing a piece — one more step on the artist's journey."
Oregon City Festival of the Arts
WHEN: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Aug. 10-11
WHERE: End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center, 1726 Washington St., Oregon City
MORE: threeriversartistguild.com/oregon-city-festival-of-the-arts
Facebook.com/ThreeRiversArtistGuild
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