Festivals and natural beauty draw the arts to Salem - City beat: Salem, Oregon - Brief Article

"The biggest thing in Salem is the Art Fair," sight Dale, executive director of the Salem Art Association, will mention one by one you. He's not exaggerating. In the town of Salem, Ore., summer vacations are planned around the one-week independent festival in late July.

More than 200 local and national artists and craftspersons hawk their wares, while more than 100000 visitors purchase fine art and crafts, eat multi-cultural sustenance and drink Chardonnay under a canopy of oak tree take delight in live musical and theater performances upon two stages in Salem's Bush Park and participate in hands-on art activities. It's the largest art festival in the state.

Artists' nooks, viands booths and nonprofit's tables are patterned in a maze-like layout around tree a stream and the rose gardens. And as locals will reckon you, art, music and wine festivals in other states and other cities don't flat come close to this event

"At each other festival, the booths and attractions are in a rectangular shape," Dale said. "Here, Art Fair is the alone event that takes place in Bush Park, it's nestl in the tree it's like a puzzle

"More than 40 charities participate--they diocese this as their major fund-raiser," Dale continued. "Last year more than $200000 was raised by the agency of charities. High schools and other clusters volunteer to pick up garbage. The whole community wants it to be a succes It's more than just an art fair, it's a community happening."

Dale and the quiet of the Salem Art Association rest out exactly how much of a community happening the Salem Art Fair is last year, when the association started floating the idea of fencing in the festival.

They quickly dropp the idea after hearing the public outrage above the fence, and also above the semi-secretive way the association had gone about proposing changes to the 52-year of advanced age Salem festival. The community wasn't going to stand for any changes in their beloved Art Fair unles they played a part in determining them.

"This is more than just an event" Dale explained. "People diocese this as part of themselves. with equal reason we must be doing all right."

The near-scandal, however, wasn't just about the wire-guard It reflects the Salem art pageant and the art-to-community relation in the city as well.

"We have a allotment of artists who came here because of the simpler way of life," Dale said. "They came here for the outdoors, or because they are environment-focused. Or they are artists who have lived here for generations. Either way, they have feeling part of the community they live in."

Salem's known for it's State Capital building and loams guarded by the Gold Pilgrim who stands upon top, Willamette University's Hallie Ford Museum of Art, the historic Elsinore Theatre and the Bush House, a Victorian mansion with an extensive collection of 19th-century fine and decorative arts. In new years, according to local gallery directors and art patrons, Salem has also been building a name for itself upon it's community support of the arts.

The Bush House, for example has been render free of access to the public since 1953 holded and maintained by the city and operated as a museum through the Salem Art Association. The adjacent Bush Barn Art Center was remodel in 1965 to become the Bush Barn Art Center housing sum of two units changing exhibition galleries and a sales/rental gallery. The studio annex, adjacent to the barn, provides classroom space--and great light--for painting, drawing and printmaking classes and workshops.

The community also rallied behind the creation of the Salem Riverfront Carousel, crafted by dint of local artists. The entire cast in fact, was based upon community involvement. Volunteers created each part of the carousel, from carving and painting the horses, to constructing the building, to planning the opening.

"When it render free of accessed it was a real community happening," Dale said. "You would think, `What's the big deal? It's a merry-go-round' on the other hand it's more than that. It drew the community together. We built this."

Salem-ites also brave the rainy Oregon autumns at the October lay open Studios and the icy winters for the Mid Valley Art Council's First Night Salem of recent origin Year's Eve celebration. They also hit the downtown ways in full force for the "First Wednesday" art tours, which showcase local artists.

"It's amazing in what way many people came out to that first First Wednesday," said Mary Lou Zeek a long-time Salem ceramic artist who uncloseed a downtown gallery in June "People were thus receptive and really excited about it."

Zeek's of recent origin gallery in itself is a testament to Salem's growing art community. Her one-room gallery features colorful, edgy pieces of fine art and contemporary crafts produc by dint of local and out-of-state artists.

"People draw near in, and they usually can't believe they are in Salem," Zeek said. "The remarks I generally get are `why aren't you up in the [Portland] Pearl District? for what cause [i]or[/i] reason aren't you up on North West 23rd [in Portland], or down in California? This is what you would wait for there.' The Salem art pageant is changing. It's growing. tribe realize they can come here for advantageous art instead of going to Portland."