The second annual Fall Festival at the Innisfail and District Historical Village had plenty of dash, colour and inspiration that shone brilliantly in all styles and textures.
The village and its collection of heritage buildings were the settings for a dozen local and regional artists on Sept. 6 to display their talent and ongoing work, from Wendy Johnsen's acrylic paintings of mountain scenery and parkland vistas, to Theresa Potter's original stained glass art, and to the whimsical rock art of Karen Gibbons and Linda Fulton's mystical Zentangle offerings, a form of abstract art where images are created by drawing patterns one stroke at a time.
“It was a nice opportunity for local artists to come to the historical village and show the people in Innisfail what we are doing the last few years and maybe get them interested in local art,” said Iris White, president of the Innisfail Art Council, who displayed her own watercolour and acrylic landscape paintings in the Parker cabin.
Jane Duncalfe, projects coordinator for the village, said the success of last year's inaugural Fall Festival led to the idea of incorporating the first-ever Art Walk into the event, with a hope it would inspire more citizens to celebrate the autumn season and the rich talent of the arts community.
“We had never done an Art Walk before and we thought it would be a good way to get people to support the local arts scene and get more people to our Fall Festival,” said Duncalfe, noting the afternoon event also featured a blacksmithing demonstration, entertainment provided by the local Seniors Musical Jam session, and a sold-out Harvest Dinner. “A Fall Festival is something they always did in days gone by. Often it was later, after harvest was in. This is just to celebrate the fact that we got through summer, the crops are good, fall is here and we're ready to move on to the next season.”
Adding the Art Walk to the Fall Festival was not only an opportunity for established local and regional artists to display their work but a chance for lesser known and up-and-coming artisans to make their mark.
Betty Hobbs, who lives on a farm southeast of town, displayed her new style of abstract pottery in the Tea Room, the first time she has done so in public. “I like chances to display my work,” said Hobbs, who teaches adult classes at the high school. “I always had a love for the natural things.”
And then there was the historical art offerings of Christina Ekman, a relative newcomer to town, whose art is dedicated to her rural roots from growing up in the Coronation area.
In the village's pioneer school, a colourful and imaginative selection of children's art was featured from the students at École John Wilson Elementary School, including student Ashley Arthur's painted chair that was based on the work of post-impressionist Vincent van Gogh.
“Every year we study an artist. Last year we studied Claude Monet (founder of French impressionist painting) and we started with water lilies and a lot of the work is based on them. We work it through different mediums, like pastels, paint and tissue,” said school art teacher Ruth Handford.
When citizens and artists finished their day at the village with a traditional Harvest Dinner there was a joyous feeling of celebration that the event, honouring both the coming autumn and the region's art community, was a joint success.
“The artists were all very happy, and they had good responses to their pieces,” said Duncalfe, “There is a very good chance we will do this again next year.”
