Canadian River Art hosts first Fine Arts Festival during Fall Foliage Weekend, October 15-16, 2011.
Canadian River Art will bring a new downtown venue for Fall Foliage visitors in its first-ever Fine Arts Festival, an exhibition and sale of original fine arts, pottery, weaving, photography, watercolor and oil. Eight artists were juried in for the event and works by several more artists will be on display.
"We wanted to do something special for Fall Foliage," said CRA Director Marie Bean. When buyers make a purchase, they also will be donating to a good cause. Ten percent of each purchase will be donated to their choice of three charities: the Lone Star Angel Project, Compassion International or Reece's Rainbow.
Of the eight featured artists, two are from Canadian---photographer Dick Wilberforce and glass sculptor Clinton Miller. Other Texans are Clay and Lisa Renick, a husband/wife duo of Borger---photographer and weaver, respectively---potter Roger Holmes of Lubbock, and photographer Deborah Summers of rural Hutchinson County. Out-of-staters are painter Sam Sidders of Gage, Oklahoma, and potter Theo Helmstadter of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Canadian River Art Gallery opened in fall of 2010 and has featured several artists in openings throughout 2011. Artists whose work is currently on display also will exhibit during the Festival weekend: Gordon Snidow of Ruidoso, New Mexico, Doug Ricketts of Lipscomb, Gary Leddy of Leedey, Oklahoma, Kenneth Wyatt of Tulia and Ouray Meyers of Taos, New Mexico.
The 2011 Fall Foliage Festival poster artist, Anna Tepe of rural Hemphill County, will sign posters at Canadian River Art on Saturday, from 1 to 3 pm. Anna's photo of a landscape near her home was the basis of the annual Festival promotion, a tradition since 1990. The Canadian Arts Alliance sponsored this year's poster.
The charities benefited by a portion of the art sales are the Lone Star Angel Project, which assists local children with clothing, medical and education expenses; Reece's Rainbow, a down syndrome adoption ministry, and Compassion International, a charity focused on the spiritual, physical, and economic and social needs of children in poverty.
The gallery is located at 312 Main Street in downtown Canadian. The Fine Arts Festival will be open on Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm, and Sunday, 11 am to 4 pm.
- Article written by Cathy Ricketts
Wildlife photography by Dick Wilberforce
Glass Sculpture by Clinton Miller
Quarai Mission by Clay Renick
Rug by Lisa Renick
Photography by Deborah Summers
