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Home > Archive > Mar 20, 2008

Town Square Comes Alive With St. George Art Festival
By Elizabeth Brown
Local art-lovers are gearing up for one of their favorite events of the year – the annual St. George Art Festival. The festival will take place March 21-22 on Main Street in front of the Tabernacle.
“We hold the festival at Easter time every year,” said Kent Perkins, director of the festival. “This is the earliest date it has ever been.”
For the first time, the festival will make use of the city’s new Town Square, which boasts a water fountain, a stage, and family-friendly spaces to stroll and sit.
“This is kind of a family show,” Perkins said. “You can find something for everyone. There will be a children’s area with free hands-on art projects, about 20 food booths, and performers in two different stage areas.”
All this is in addition to the main attraction: art. About 100 artists from 12 western states will be present at the festival to showcase their work, including paintings, sculpture, ceramics, drawings, metal, glass, wood and wearable art. Artists were selected from among 250 entries and 13 categories.
The festival’s featured artist is well-known Southwestern painter Amado Maurilio Peña Jr., whose photo and artwork can be seen on the posters and Web site publicizing the festival.
“Peña is an extraordinary artist,” Perkins said. “He has been painting for many years, and his work has been featured in magazines, galleries and festivals throughout the Southwest.”
According to the city’s Web site, Peña is a native of Texas and is of Mexican and Yaqui descent. His painting, which is known for bold colors and dynamic composition, is inspired by Native American culture and the dramatic landscape of Arizona and New Mexico.
Other well-known artists scheduled to show work at the festival include Al Rounds, Del Parson, Roland Lee, Eric Dowdle, Darrell Thomas, Sam Lawlor and many others. Each artist will have a booth with his or her art for sale, from high-end bronzes down to the smallest items.
The St. George Art Festival is in its 29th year, and has built a reputation of success.
“This may not be the biggest festival,” Perkins said, “but it’s one of the best in the U.S., as far as quality. Painters who come here say we have one of the strongest collections of painters, especially in the watercolor category.”
Perkins said artists have also told him the St. George festival is the most relaxing one they attend.
“We judge the artists, but the artists judge the attendees,” Perkins said. “They tell us that the quality of people who attend the St. George festival is high. The visitors are positive, supportive, and upbeat.
“A lot of these artists have a following. Some visitors have reunions at this time of year so they can attend the art festival, and you see people you’ve seen every year. We have a core group of artists who come every year, so you feel like you know these people.”
Perkins said the festival normally attracts between 25,000 and 30,000 visitors from western states such as Utah, Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, Wyoming and California.
Of course, one primary goal of the event is for artists to successfully sell their art. Those who do will want to come back to St. George. Another goal is to expose festival visitors to quality art, which Perkins feels is successfully accomplished each year. And of course, out-of-town visitors in turn have a positive economic impact on the community.
In addition to art and fine crafts, live entertainment will be provided at the festival by a variety of performers, including J.D. Zimmerman, Sheri Peterson, Lysle Crowley, Van Goh, Hollywood Music Academy, several children’s groups and many other musicians and dancers.
Food booths will also be part of the festival, with cuisine ranging from Polynesian and Navajo to Thai and Greek – and of course, good ol’ American burgers and hot dogs. Popular snacks such as kettle corn, shaved ice and funnel cakes will also be on hand.
Summing it all up, Perkins said simply, “This is a great place to come at this time of year. It’s a great show, a quality event. We want to make it an enjoyable family-oriented destination.”

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