Day two of the four-day La Quinta Arts Festival 2011 and it was 92°! The encircling mountain ranges are still swathed in snow but, with the unexpected summer-like assault, the frosting will soon retreat under the sun's formidable gaze.
The 29th annual arts festival—among the top ten in the nation and featuring 230 distinctive artists—commenced March 10 on the verdant grounds of La Quinta's Civic Center Park, a stunning venue for stunning art.
Today I sallied forth with Mary Pat Anderson, a newbie to this, my very favorite art show here in the Coachella Valley. She'd driven by the park—sprawled between City Hall and the library—but had never enjoyed its bucolic charms up close. This year there seems to be a surfeit of contented ducks, all seemingly unperturbed by the violent disruption to their placid grounds while nonchanlently skirting fairgoers' feet for dropped goodies. Mary Pat and I chatted about returning for a picnic on the grass, something I've always vowed to do.
Starting with a delicious lunch from local eatery Fisherman's Wharf, we then commenced our artwork inspection. Mary Pat was smitten with jeweler Adam Neeley's exquisite creations. He's also the recipient of the festival's Best in Show award. I'm told that he started jewelry-making at the age of 16 and is now only in his 20s.
We stopped at Michael and Sumati Colpitts' booth full of their whimsical ceramic animal creations—of which I own many—in order to introduce Mary Pat. Sumati proudly displayed Michael's foray into fountain-making with a striking piece reminiscent of an Indian textile.
I am always heartened to spy artists new to me as the show continually evolves but loved seeing Mary Pat fall in love with work brand new to her. Before we departed, she'd added a blown-glass vase from newcomer Christopher Jeffries and some more jewelry to her wish-list. Join the club!
Tomorrow, I'm returning with my LA friend and faithful art-going companion, Karen Ralke, and girlfriend, Christy Maganzini, who's heeding my exhortation to drive in from La Habra for an overnight visit in order to enjoy the art show and my company!
To be continued...
Day Three
Another gorgeous day in La Quinta. Fortified with water, snacks and sensible shoes, Karen, Christy and I spent a glorious afternoon basking in sunshine, artwork and comaraderie.
We chatted up Michael and Sumati again so that Christy could admire their dual booths of ceramic animals and oil paintings. Michael's verdict at show's end: "Best show ever!" He was referring to the caliber of the artists. It didn't hurt that he sold some of his own pieces as well.
Christy got to meet Vicki Banks and her bronzes. I just installed a huge basalt stone fountain in our front yard that will soon bear one of her signature crows and I was salivating over the plethora of feathered creatures on display in her eye-catching booth.
Gracie, a formidable vulture with an impressive wingspan, commands notice from each passerby. She really should be gracing some conservation center for the endangered raptor and other embattled birds of prey.
Another of her new pieces, Mama's Home, struck a chord and I mentally placed the piece of the mother crow feeding her hungry brood in my own home. I love how Vicki incorporates vintage objects into her works; this bronze rests atop a curved wood finial.
Check out her website Vulture Sculpture for more of her amazing work.
Of course, I kept dragging Christy from one favorite artist to the next pointing out items Karen and I have either bought or coveted over our years of trolling the grassy aisles while indulging our love of handcrafted art. When we realized Christy has a predilection for heart-shaped objects, it became a running theme of the day as Karen and I ferreted out the iconic shape in jewelry and objects. "Christy! Look at this one. What do you think?"
Kari von Wening wrests metal scultures from objects trouvees. I love the picture of her atop a heap of rusted metal scraps. The city of La Quinta purchased one of her larger pieces as part of its civic art-enhancement program (can't wait to see where it's ensconced in my city). Christy fell in love with the, yes, heart-shaped piece. This is an image from Kari's website of a similar piece which measures 36" by 36."
Karen adores Jim Budish's bronze sculptures of oversized animals. Here she poses with his long-eared lapins and single carrot.
Today's temps were a bit cooler than Friday's and we took enough breaks that the day unfolded pleasantly. When our art tastebuds were sated and the sun was slanting sideways, our little trio departed contented.
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