Marion Arts Fest

By Katie Mills Georogio
HooplaNow.com
What do you get when you combine amazing art from across the country and a quaint city park? The Marion Arts Festival, of course! And there’s so much to do at the 17th annual, award winning (It was recently named the no. one festival of this size in a 13-state Midwest region. Take that Des Moines!) event that you’ll want to stay all day. The self-proclaimed “come-as-you-are” festival offers stunning art for purchase, hands-on art activities, entertainment (local favorites Junk Funk will be back), food and fun for the whole family. And best of all, it’s free.

 This year festival artists from Florida,  Washington, New Mexico and New York (15 states in all) to display their art. Plus, 21 of the 50 exhibitors are making their festival debut, so you’re bound to find something new and eye-catching. The “empty bowl” project is also returns to the festival. Student-made ceramic bowls created by area art classes and donated to the festival are sold for $5 to support food banks.

 But don’t just look and buy. The Marion Arts Festival allows you theopportunity to be an artist, too. The “Art in the Depot” program invites all attendees to work side-by-side with an Iowa artist to create a piece of public art. This year, festivalgoers will help guest artist John Paul Schafer produce a large-scale painting for Taylor Elementary, which is scheduled to reopen in August 2009 after being flooded last summer.

There’ll also be artist demonstrations, including a daylong large-scale metal sculpture welding demonstration by Mount Vernon artist Dale Merrill. And if you’re an early bird, get up and run (or walk) the Marion Arts Festival 5K.

 The Marion Arts Festival and related activities run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 16 at City Square Park in Marion. It’s free. For more information go to www.marionartsfestival.com