By Darla McCammon
and DeeAnna Muraski
Guest Columnists
WARSAW — We take a short break from our Art in America series to talk about the local art fair. We apologize that we did not mention the local Winona Lake Fine Arts Festival last week. Not that they needed our help to market and advertise the event. However, Darla started this column, over 15 years ago, as a way to encourage, educate and bring awareness of art to this area. We are both passionate about continuing this legacy.
To make up for our inadvertent omission, we will use this week’s column to talk about the art festival and appreciation of art in general. But it is not really about the festival as much as the value art festivals like this bring.
The first question is: Why go to an art festival? There are the usual suspects such as having something to do and helping the local economy. The bigger overarching reason is to support and put a value on art. By attending, you are saying that art is important to you and the community. To an artist, each painting, sculpture and piece of jewelry is a creative infusion of their mind and talent melded into a tangible item. It is the best of them proudly displayed like a newborn babe. For this reason, it is difficult for the artist to let their “baby” go or allow it to be analyzed like a slab of meat under a microscope. Proffering the art for display is a tremendous gift from the artist that should be appreciated with reverence.
The next question is: What can you gain by attending? Art is not meant to be something snobby that only the upper echelons of society engage in. Art helps us all grow mentally. We see diversity of thought and presentation. There are many different techniques on display in one small area such as art created through blowing, mixed media and mixed textiles. There are also different types of art such as sculptures, hand carving and glass. Taking a young child opens their eyes to the variety and possibilities of art. I still remember my mother, Darla, taking me every year to the Sawdust Art & Craft Festival in Laguna Beach, Calif. The ground literally had a thick layer of sawdust on it, and I can still smell it in my mind. I was fascinated and excited by all the creative synergy, which impacted me tremendously. The festival is still around, garnering thousands of visitors. This is not to take away from our local festival, only to emphasize that these types of events are pivotal and critical for childhood development.
The last question is: Why buy art at a festival? Or really why buy art at all? When you boil it down, we all have a value for the work we do. Artists are no different; but, instead of creating a spreadsheet or a PowerPoint, they are creating a work on canvas. Good art continues to appreciate in value and is an investment. Additionally, since you personally picked the piece, it provides a physical, visceral and mental connection, which gives you peace, happiness and pride of ownership. By purchasing original art, you have allowed that creative to construct more and inspire others through their art.
Lastly, and most importantly, we are helping to preserve our culture and history. We previously did an article on Adolf Hitler and his ability to paint, quite well surprisingly. But when Hitler came into power, he ordered the sequester of all the art in Poland. He retained any European masters for himself and commanded the destruction of all Polish paintings (500,000) and sadly Polish books (15 million). He wanted to destroy their culture. Art provides beauty to our communities and homes.
If you did not get a chance to attend the Winona Lake Art festival this year, I hope you attend next year and invest in an original piece of artwork, helping preserve our culture for generations.
Place To Go
Sawdust Festival: It is still in operation. The festival is in Laguna Beach, Calif., and runs from the end of June through September. To find out more and purchase tickets go to, visit sawdustartfestival.org.
Warsaw City Hall Art Gallery: Hurry to see this artist — she is only displaying a few more weeks. Artist Brenda Ramseier is showcasing her years of experience as an art teacher. You can view her artwork from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at City Hall, 102 S. Buffalo St., downtown Warsaw. You also can learn more by visiting theartgiraffe.com.
Darla McCammon is an artist, columnist and author. DeeAnna Muraski is executive director of Operation Read USA Inc. Send an email to the mother/daughter team at either [email protected] or [email protected].
