Diversity highlights Fine Art Festival
by Jim Crawford

Canvas and carrots, concert musicians and cabbage converge on Carefree Town Center during the annual Sonoran Festival of Fine Art in Carefree on March 30‑April 1.

One hundred acclaimed painters, sculptors, jewelers, wood and glass artists and photographers will show their best at the festival.

The event also features live entertainment, in‑booth artist demonstrations, and special exhibits dedicated to wildlife and desert preservation. Best of all, it’s free.

“This is our sixth year,” says Beth Zink, festival chair. “We’re now at a manageable size. The festival is not as big as some of the others, but it is all handled by volunteers. We don’t hire an outside promoter. We handle the logistics, and the marketing and public relations are Sue Kern‑Fleischer’s job. She does an excellent job of getting the word out.”

Months of planning go into the production of the festival.

“We have monthly meetings in the summer and winter,” Zink says. “We welcome any new ideas and new faces to the planning committee. We strive real hard to keep the artistic level at a pretty high standard. There is a variety of different media represented which keeps it interesting to our visitors.”

As part of the weekend’s activities, the Carefree Farmer’s Market will take place in conjunction with the festival in the Carefree Town Center Amphitheatre.

“This is the second year we’ve worked with the Farmers Market,” Zink says. “We did it last year and it worked out fine. Dee Logan runs the market and handles all of the entertainment. We cross promote. We include them in our ads and they mention us in theirs. It’s a nice partnership.”

Both organizations benefit from the collaboration, says Dee Logan, senior coordinator for the Carefree Farmers Market.

“Our partnership is a natural fit,” Logan says. “We’ve been doing this for five years, and so have they. It’s a hometown event and we want to gain more momentum in the community by promoting hometown people.”

“The thing I enjoy about working with the league is they are about education,” Dee explains. “They try to get people to become interactive in the arts and we want to educate people on the other side. We want to tell them about the earth and farming and how important they are.”

The market will feature something for everybody with all kinds of fresh produce, chef demonstrations, organic meats and cheeses, specialty Italian entrees, tamales, award‑winning salsas, luscious desserts, pastries and freshly‑baked artisan breads.

Yummy.

“We have a lot of diverse tastes,” Logan says. “There’ll be a lot of ethnic specialties for foodies. Grady Blair will bring his Chicago barbecue and sauces. Sabeur Rouin has Mediterranean specialties. These are a lot of micro‑industries. We’re kind of like a star discovery machine. One thing that’s very important to know is New River Tomatoes will be there. They’re very popular.”

The interactive “A Brush With Fine Art” allows folks to try their hand at painting. Two tents will be set up with several canvases, paints and brushes inside where adults and children will be able to paint a square on a canvas and contribute to a final piece of art.

“Each canvas is divided into 16 sections and each person can come in and choose what square they want to paint,” Logan explains. “Each piece is painted by 16 different artists. Last year we had over 20 canvasses finished. Then we had a drawing and gave them away. It got an excellent reception, and it only takes people a few minutes to paint a square.

“This is along the lines of what Sonoran Arts League is about, furthering awareness. Anybody can do it. It’s a fun little activity.”

A variety of entertainment will be on hand to help keep the festivities lively.

Deane Stanton of “Deane Can’t Sing” will perform on March 30 and April 1.

“Deane is a retired fireman,” Logan says. “He loves surf music and he doesn’t sing. Deane says he can’t dance either. I feel very fortunate to have him come and play for us. He’s just getting started and is gaining more and more notoriety. He’s flying below the radar right now, but that’s going to change soon. He plays spirit‑lifting music.”

“Journey Along the Silk Road,” a special full‑day production featuring an artistic display of the traditional Japanese kimono, a Japanese Taiko drummer, a classical Indian tabla player and a Tai Chi presentation from Master Ping Wei, will take place March 31.

This event will open new avenues for cultural exchange in the Valley between the Arizona community and the East Asian community (Indian, Chinese, and Japanese) through art, music and theater, says director Keiko Conn. One thousand years of history and culture will be shared.

“I happened to meet Keiko and she told me how she is dedicated to promoting the culture of the Asian community,” Logan says. “She wants to bring to life the history and culture of her homeland. It’s a significant event. It’s kind of like supporting Native American culture. It’s not just entertainment, it’s history.”

Pete Pancrazi’s jazz duo will entertain visitors April 1.

“Pete does sing, and he plays guitar,” Logan says. “In fact he plays a number of instruments. He’s played all over the valley. He plays traditional jazz. It’s feel‑good music.”

Sonoran Arts League members as well as artists from other states who display during the event must follow the league’s specifications to have their work judged by the festival committee.

Profits from the event will put back into the community to help fund scholarships, art awareness and art education.