Artists Telling Their Stories: Art in the Park event set for early October in Highland
Everyone wants to tell the story of their lives, and artists are no exception.
The Highland Arts Council will celebrate world-class art in a hometown atmosphere with its 18th annual Art in the Park event. At this free, two-day outdoor and indoor-juried show, people will have time to meet artists and listen to the stories behind their artwork.
How were they inspired to create it? What does it take to create such a piece? Where were they when the inspiration hit? All this will happen during Art in the Park from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9, at Lindendale Park in Highland.
Brady Kesner, photographic artist from Highland, might tell people this: “I spent four days in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park of East Tennessee chasing this landscape photography addiction that I have and came home with some nice images and a relaxed state of mind. Nature is good for that. I got rained on all four days and didn’t see a sunrise or sunset but that’s what nature gifted me. And that works just fine. Those conditions were ideal for waterscape and delightfully foggy forest scenes like this one from Cades Cove. The trees are a gift.”
“I am fascinated and sometimes obsessed with the process of visualizing a shape in my mind’s eye and working through the engineering, mechanical and fabrication steps to build a finished piece,” said David Bailey, jewelry artist from Alton. “It is always wonderful to behold a finished piece that came from the cosmos between my ears.“
“My favorite part of the design is mixing the blocks of color to create just the color I have in mind,” says Peggy Bellm-Carnley, a mixed media artist from Highland. “My work is created with polymer clay, a man-made material that is light in weight, but very strong and durable. Each design is my original work. Each piece is one-of-a-kind.”
“Some people have never heard the terms Steampunk and Cyberpunk,” said Greg and Janey Brummett of Highland, who entered in the culpture category. “We create industrial art lamps and tables in these styles using antiques, 100-year-old barn wood, and copper fold form. Everything is handcrafted in our studio.”
This family-friendly festival brings professional artwork to the community while providing music, food and fun for children and adults.
For more information about the event, visit: highlandartscouncil.org/art-in-the-park-attending.
This story was originally published September 6, 2022 at 10:16 AM.