The third annual Clarendon Arts Festival will be held this week October 20-23 at the Donley County Activity Center.
The event, sponsored by Clarendon’s Les Beaux Arts Club, continues to grow each year and was recognized by the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce this spring with the prestigious Golden Nail Award. The award, established in 1982, honors financial, in-kind, and volunteer contributions to the fine arts in Amarillo and the Panhandle. Out of 425 nominees, the Clarendon Arts Festival was one of six award recipients in 2011.
This year’s festival begins with the Preferred Buyers Reception held Thursday evening, October 20, where buyers will be delighted with the variety being offered at the Clarendon Arts Festival this year.
Many art works were checked in on Sunday and Monday at the Clarendon Arts Festival including oils, acrylic, gauche, pastels, collage, watercolor and pottery. Anyone is welcome at Thursday’s reception; and if you haven’t already pre-paid as a preferred buyer, you can pay that night at the door.
As well as the large selection of art being offered, buyers will be treated to an elegant evening of live music by Chamber Music Amarillo’s String Trio and heavy hors d’oevres prepared by the ladies of Les Beaux Arts Club.
Several students from the Texas Panhandle have submitted art, which will be judged for ribbons in time for the Student’s Free Fine Arts Day, Friday, October 21.
Also on Friday, Middle School and High School students will tour the show, watch acrylic painting demonstrations by Roylynn Evans of Amarillo, pottery making demonstrations by Bill Dunn of Amarillo, and pottery building demonstrations by Rafael Canizares-Yunez of Amarillo. More than 300 students and faculty have responded with reservations to attend sessions by Rafael Canizares-Yunez on the construction of various types of pottery, Patrizia DaMilano on color theory and creative processes through the expression of beauty through her art, and Dirk Fowler of Lubbock on the process involved in print making via the letterpress.
The Clarendon Arts Festival opens to the public Saturday at 9:00 a.m. and again at noon on Sunday. Those attending the Festival will be treated to food prepared by St. Mary’s Catholic Church on Saturday and their famous Annual Enchilada Dinner on Sunday. Live music is being offered by area talent on Saturday and a special performance by the Jazz Ensemble of Chamber Music Amarillo will be held on Sunday.
In addition to the art show, there are many artists setting up booths with only hand-constructed items for sale. Each participant of the booths will donate an item for door prizes; these prizes are available to the lucky holder of $1 tickets purchased at the door. These prizes will be given away throughout the Show on Saturday and Sunday. The public will be able to vote on their favorite work of art for Best of Show which will be awarded at the end of the Show on Sunday.
Booths reserved to date are as follows: Manuel Franco, Dumas, with western and Indian watercolors; Bill Dunn, Amarillo, displaying his ceramics, Weyman Brown, Canyon will show mesquite root hand turned bowls, inlaid with turquoise; Allen and Dianna Price, Amarillo, paintings on recycled items and industrial chic lamps, Deena Richards, Hereford with hand lettered signs with sayings, Sorella Studios (Chriss Clifford and Theresa Shelton), Clarendon, with hand painted furniture, paintings, up-cycled lamps, and fairy sculptures, Don Baskins, Tucumcari, NM, wrought iron accessories, and Virginia Bailey, Amarillo, jewelry.
The 2011 Clarendon Arts Festival is sponsored by the City of Clarendon, Clarendon Economic Development Corporation, Donley County Junior Livestock Association, Clarendon Family Medical and Chamber Music Amarillo. With all the fine art and crafts showing in Clarendon this weekend, everyone should be able to find a very unique gift or treasure.
Proceeds from the event go to scholarship funds and education opportunities to Donley County.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.