From Detailed to Whimsy

I need some clients who have money to burn on really expensive houses in Salem Oregon so I can make some more money…know anyone?    See my problem is that I went to the Salem Art Fair, like I have every year since we moved to Salem ten years ago.  This is a problem because it never fails that I fall in love with a $2,000 piece of art.  It happened again this year…okay it was really 5 pieces of $2,000 art, but still…

If you are considering relocating to the Salem Oregon area, the Salem Art Fair is a really great festival that occurs in July every year. It’s held at Bush Park and artists from all over are invited. Artists have to submit their work and be accepted into the fair, so the quality is always stellar, hence my problem.  Art ranges from clothing, to jewelry, to watercolors, to pottery, to…you name it.

For families, the kids section is a separate area where they can do some small craft projects, get their faces painted, and watch performances geared for children.  Live music, food, and of course art are plentiful at the fair.  The hardest part is convincing your children that wandering through aisles of art that they can’t touch isn’t boring…You laugh, but this is harder than it seems. I saw many teens and kids with looks of irritation that can only be explained by that “This is sooooooo boring look” on their faces.   My kids started complaining after three aisles.  This was an improvement over last year’s one aisle stint…Thankfully ice cream, potato chips, and strawberry lemonade were easily accessed bribes that kept their hands occupied and off the art and focused enough to get through all of the aisles.

Anyway, here is a short slide show of a few pictures I took of the art festival, including the cool spin art puzzles my kids made in the children’s area.  If you are looking for detailed art or whimsical art, this event is another one of those great things to do in the Salem Oregon area, and if you are considering relocating here, just knowing that is one more fun thing to do…