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Artists of all stripes gather to paint, pick, sculpt
Annual Artsfest gives area talent room to shine
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
 Click here to enlarge this photo Photos by FAYE STINEHART
At River Artsfest on Saturday, Lorina Harris, owner of the Art Smart Studio, makes a few suggestions to young artist Trinity Mays as she draws live models dressed in costume at the of the Charles County Arts Alliance festival in Indian Head. Seated behind them is Sarah Latimer.
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Whether they had a talent for visual art or just a love for it, Southern Maryland residents spent Saturday afternoon celebrating their neighbors' creative skills at the 17th annual Charles County Arts Alliance River Artsfest.
"We came last year and enjoyed it," said Waldorf resident Kim Forinash, who was joined by her daughter, Emily. "We just like art, and appreciate other people's efforts."
"We have talented people here in Southern Maryland," said arts alliance President Diane Rausch. "This is our gift to the citizens of Charles County."
Hosted on the Indian Head Village Green, close to 40 artists were on hand to answer questions, accept praise and exhibit their work for festival attendants.
"It's a nice weekend out," said Dustin Mace, who was busy hammering and twisting metal at his Mace Family Blacksmithing booth. "I get to talk to people and learn new things."
"This festival started out with one tent," said Betty Carney, a La Plata resident who operates Corner Studio out of her home. "It's a great way to meet fellow artists and critique work. It's a very healthy venue."
Because Charles County does not have a main gallery to display artwork, resident artists often find themselves looking for any temporary venue in which they can show their work, Rausch said.
If one can't be found, often those creations go unnoticed by the majority of the public.
Learning about the hidden talents of Southern Maryland residents is one of the main reasons for the arts festival, Rausch said.
"We were looking to work with underserved areas and artists around the county," Rausch said of the festival's conception.
When the festival first began in 1992, it was held at the St. Charles mall under the title "A Touch of the Arts."
Several years later the festival moved to Cobb Island under the name Island Arts Festival, and in 2001, Indian Head began hosting the event.
"It's been a wonderful partnership," Rausch said. "It's the perfect venue and a solid, cooperative partnership."
In 2005, which happened to be the year Maryland chose to honor rivers, the named changed to its current moniker.
"We appreciated the environment and wanted to join in," Rausch said. "This is also a celebration of the natural environment that inspires artists."
The show is not juried, and while most of the artists are from Charles County, other portions of Southern Maryland are represented.
Planning for the arts festival starts shortly after the event, with a recap of lessons learned, Rausch said.
Once February comes around, the River Artsfest Committee kicks into high gear to make sure enough volunteers are on hand to help facilitate the remainder of any planning and monitor the day's events.
This year between 10 and 15 volunteers were behind the successful festival, said Steve Cavanaugh, the festival's committee chairman.
"Everything turned out great," Cavanaugh said. "It's been a wonderful day, just like I envisioned."
