Foothills Art Show attracts artists of all ages

Art forms of all types were on display at the Springville Veterans Memorial Building last weekend.

The Sequoia Foothills Art Show featured 50 artists of all ages, and about 200 pieces of art, in a wide variety of mediums, Saturday and Sunday.

The foot traffic was consistent on Sunday, and the building kept busy each day of the weekend, according to volunteer Springville Community Club member, Debbie Stengel. The Springville Community Club sponsors the 49-year-old event.

“Its been great. There have been people coming in all day,” said Stengel.

“You’re in for a treat. There are some really talented people in there... really good stuff in there,” said Ron Reyea, walking from the building with his wife, Margaret. “We go every year and were just amazed at the talent in this little bitty place.”

Inside, four artists demonstrated their work and talked about it with curious people. Visitors roamed the room, holding ballots, and searched for their favorite pieces in three categories — hanging art, three-dimensional art, and photography. Their votes decided the recipients of the People’s Choice Award.

I didn’t know how many talented artists we had in town. I think the art show is a great deal and a great idea, said Duke Snyder. He and his wife Jan have wanted to attend an art show since they moved to Springville four years ago, and have not had the day available to do so until this year. They brought their grandchildren, Dylan, 5, and Jacob, 2.

I think its important that kids know what is going on in the world, so its good to educate them with all different facets, said Duke.

The event chairperson, Marilyn Knesel, said the artists who enter their work into the show generally come out of the area, but sometimes come from as far as out of the Valley. While the overall number of photography entries was lower, student photography is a growing section.

In addition to the art on display throughout the main floor of the building, a special section held paintings, drawings, ceramics and other types of art from students at Springville and Porterville schools, including Alta Vista Elementary, St. Anne’s, Bartlett Middle, Burton Middle, Monache High and Porterville High.

I think its neat that the children are part of [the art show], because it allows them to develop their art skills, which is dying in schools. Its good they are participating in this, said Sally Bird, who lives in Visalia.

Bird volunteered to be a model for artist Edwin Batsch, who does face casting. This technique involves covering a person’s face with a white mixture that goes from liquid to solid as he molds it to the contours of his volunteer’s face. This enables him to create detailed masks, resembling his volunteers. He adds a raku ceramic glaze to give the finished product a metallic look.

“You’re my 335th model,” he told Bird. “I want to sell them after they are raku-glazed, maybe to eBay or some gallery. So you may see your face on eBay some day.”

Another artist demonstrating his work was Ron Zanini, who began his hobby of parquetry nine years ago, after retiring as a teacher.

“I was just lost. I didn’t know what to do with myself, so I started learning about this,” he said.

Zanini makes wooden boxes mostly, decorated often with forms from nature. Recently, he has ventured into larger projects such as inlaid coffee table tops.

“I don’t do it to make money. I do it because I like it,” he said. “I get up at 5 a.m. and work until noon, and I take my nap and then work again.”

He has collaborated with artist Frances Pyles, who was demonstrating her work on wildflower watercolor paintings and creating paper mache coyotes. Her other art mediums on display were an acrylic painting of a honeybee in a cactus flower and several of her fused glass creations. By fusing glass with the left over flowers she uses as models for painting, she creates glass pieces with floral imprints. Her husband, Jim, normally welds creative holders for each of her glass pieces, but more recently, she began making her glass pieces as inserts for Zanini’s boxes, as a less-costly alternative for buyers.

Lindsay Dion kept busy as well, spinning yarn for scarves, in her own corner which displayed the products of her real job — stained glass creations. She took the Judge’s Choice Award for one of her windows. She said she has designed and made glass windows for about 40 years.

One fairly new artist was octogenarian Bonnie Jensen, who began knitting a year ago. She enthusiastically showed off one of her table runners, which took first place in its category, and another, which took third place. A painting by her daughter also took third place, and she could not help but show it off, too.

“I’m busy. I’m a widow and I just keep busy,” she said. “There is a lot of talent here in this community, beautiful paintings.”

The Photography section was judged by Michael Hansen. The Judge’s Choice Award went to Karen Dever for “Broken Past.” The “People’s Choice” award went to Don Pagh for “Virgin River Sunset.”

The Hanging Art section was judged by Ellen Gorelick. The Judge’s Choice Award went to Janice Harris with “Holdin’ On.” Harris won the People’s Choice Award for the same entry.

The 3-Dimensional section was judged by Ellen Gorelick. Judge’s Choice Award went to Lindsay Dion for “Pastel Kaleidoscope VI,” a stained glass piece. The People’s Choice Award went to Diane Burkey for “Chickadees,” a gourd sculpture.

School art was judged by Sue Marcotte. The People’s Choice Awards in the Sculpture division went to Mason Pengilly of Burton Middle School in the Sculpture division for his ceramic Pepsi can. In the Hanging Art division, the People’s Choice Award went to Mariza Corona of Porterville High School. And the People’s Choice Award for Photography went to Ashley Bennett of Monache High School.

Division winners

First place winners in the various divisions were as follows:

Photography, Open, Don Pagh for “Schwabachers Landing;” Photography, Amateur, V.J. “Chris” Christianson for “St. Peter’s Basilica;” Photography, Beginner’s, Karen Dever for “Broken Past.”

Watercolor, Open, Kay Hays for “Proud Papa;” Mixed Media, Open, Karen Smithey for “Dream a Little Dream;” Oil/Acrylic Open, Bob Goetting for “Trees at Dusk;” Drawing Open, Richard Norback for “Curious;” Pastels Open, Janice Harris for “Holdin’ On.”

Oil/Acrylic Amateur, Debra Glahn for “Life.”

Watercolor Beginners, Pam Hays for “Spring Flowers;” Oil/Acrylic Beginners, Mary Grey, untitled; Drawing Beginners, Alexandria Biggs for Moonlit Forest.”

3-Dimensional, Kinetic, Edwin Batsch for “Gravity Motor #2;” Sculpture, Christy Cole for “Mozart; Mixed Media, Diane Burke for “Chickadees; Stained Glass, Lindsay Dion for “Pastel Kaleidoscope VI;” Textile, Bonnie Jensen for an afghan; Woodcraft/Carving, Gabe DeLeon for “Once a Tree Bear.”  

  
Student first place winners were:

Sculpture, Mason Pengilly; Hanging Art,1-3rd grade, Love Davis; 4-6th grade, Hailey Johnson; 7-8th grade, Chrstan Boudreaux.

High school Hanging Art, Morgan Cooley; high school photography, Gustavo Carranza.