PHOTOS BY JOHN FRYMAN / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
FACE PAINTING … Amanda Goheen of Napoleon applies paint on a young girl’s face at the Soaring Arts exhibit at the courthouse square during the Flair on the Square Arts Festival.
DANCE SHOWCASE … Mikauladze Dance Theatre, a non-profit professional modern and contemporary dance company in residence at Purdue University Fort Wayne College of Visual and Performing Arts, performed a dance showcase on the north entertainment stage at the Flair on the Square Arts Festival.
JEWELRY MAKING … One of the several local businesses who participated in the Flair on the Square Arts Festival was Silver & Vine, which makes handmade jewelry for sale.
By: John Fryman
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
john@thevillagereporter.com
The Flair on the Square Arts Festival attracted a large crowd on a perfect summer day on the courthouse square in downtown Bryan on Saturday, July 25.
It featured a juried art fair with various arts including paintings, mixed media, ceramics, jewelry, printmaking and drawing, sculpture, leather, photography, and digital art.
Among the many exhibitors at the festival was Dagmar King who owns Twisted Roots Studio and makes items with handcrafted leather.
“Handcrafted leather is a dying art, and you don’t see it very often,” said King, who resides in Wauseon. “It’s nice to be able to come out and show the creative process. And for people to take a look and find out its real leather, it’s not the cheap leather stuff you find online.”
Megan Leigh of Westerville had several of her watercolor paintings on display in her booth and was working on another painting while waiting for customers.
“Watercolor is definitely not easier; it is faster,” Leigh said. “It also kind of forces you to work with your mistakes because once you put something down you can’t cover it and forces you to think a little differently.”
Drew Kleinhen, who operates her own business, Silver & Vine in Bryan, has been making jewelry for 15 years.
Kleinhen recalled when she was a little kid, she had collected stones and always wanted to wear them, and it’s why she went to school for metalsmithing.
“I’m already starting to plan for Christmas where the ladies could come to do a wish list so that’s where what kind of stones and settings they like,” said Kleinhen.
David Loughborough of Mudsock Glass & Artist Co-op of Edon conducted epoxy art classes for those who created their own wall art. He was teaching how to make sun catchers with an epoxy art process involved.
The Flair on the Square also featured live musical entertainment from Faye Williams, Jon Hayes, 23 Southbound, Venyx, and Fleetwood 2 the Max.
There were demonstrations from Pulaski Garden Club (floral designing), Brandon Knott (pottery), Cam Creates Art Studio (black light art) and Larchmere Fire Works (glassblowing and blacksmithing).
Also, there was artist demonstrations featuring various dance groups on the north stage, artwork exhibited by local high school students in Parlor 1861 and interactive community art where people could participate in chalk art, balloon art, and face painting.
Festival goers were able to stroll along the downtown square to view artwork created by Black Swamp Art Guild artists.