32nd Annual Heart of Lancaster County Art Crafts Show Attendance

If you couldn't find a piece of fine art to accept home Sat, and practice and so within your budget, then you just weren't trying.

Y'all could purchase a calligraphy bookmark or a bottle of artisanal olive oil, or invest in a $2,000 painting or a $15,000 contumely statue — and anything in between — at two bustling art shows that drew thousands of visitors on this breezy and temperate vacation weekend.

A thick cluster of shoppers moved slowly past cheek-by-jowl booths packed with jewelry, paintings, ceramic bowls and more at the 29th annual Heart of Lancaster Arts and Craft Show at Root's Country Marketplace, s of Manheim.

Meanwhile, booths spread out on the sidewalks around the lake at the 38th almanac Long's Park Art Festival immune for easier strolling and more leisurely gazing at contrasting works of fine art, from underwater photography to wooden toys to metal sculptures.

Center of Lancaster

"Oh my gosh," said show founder and promoter Marilyn Hobday when asked if she was pleased with the attendance Sabbatum. "I'yard astounded. The weather is perfect. I think we'll wind up with 20,000 people at the end of the day."

The show, she noted, has grown from 83 vendors to more than than 200 since its starting time three decades agone.

Hobday said she thinks Center of Lancaster is so popular because it's free to get in and considering in that location are so many local artists – from the Lancaster, York and Harrisburg areas – which lets the customers "shop local."

It was hard to get near Andrew Loercher'southward berth at the Center of Lancaster show. Lots of customers were clamoring to buy or ask questions about his redware ceramics – dishes, ornaments and other holiday items.

Loercher, a retired fine art teacher who lives in Lancaster, said he has been a vendor at the show every yr of its existence.

Woodworker Dan Shultz of Bowmansville cut shapes out of wood with a scrolling saw Saturday every bit one of 50 artists or craftspeople doing live demonstrations at the Manheim-area show. His cerise-forest personalized ornaments – scroll-cutting into the letters of dozens of different names – were popular with customers.

"My gramps gave me my first saw for my 10^th birthday," Shultz said. "I've been doing this ever since." His father, John, a retired Manheim Township math teacher, used to sell sundials at the Middle of Lancaster Show, Shultz added.

Randall Snader, of Manheim, a retired Palmyra art instructor, has been doing pen-and-ink and watercolor calligraphy and German-manner Fraktur lettering since he took a class at the Ephrata Cloister when he was eleven.

He added watercolor to some hand lettering Saturday, while his wife, Becky, ran the sales finish of the berth, selling matted and framed Fraktur pieces.

Robert Stadnycki of Harrisburg was selling colorful, decorated jackets, accessories and more, made past photographing his own acrylic paintings and translating them into textile for his line of creative clothing -- chosen Information technology's OK to Accept Besides Much Fun.

"I dear this show, because I dear meeting people and selling to them directly," said Stadnycki, who added that his former men's line of custom-printed article of clothing was sold for a time by Macy's.

Through the oversupply, Pearl Cuthie of Lancaster carried the wrought-iron, chair shaped planter she had only bought. She's had her eye on it since final year'southward evidence, she said, and is finally glad to take bought it.

"I like the creativity and affordability" of the vendors' work, said Paula Deppen, who, with her husband, Chuck, attended the show while staying at their cottage in Mount Gretna.

The crowd also chowed down on pulled pork, Italian ices, walking tacos and lots more nutrient options as they listened to live music or stood in line to buy corn-tassel wreaths or colorful pictures of animals.

Long'south Park

More than than 200 artists from 29 states and Canada perched on manager'south chairs or stood in their booths, chatting with customers, at the Long'south Park show.

While she didn't have oversupply numbers, the show's artistic managing director Diane Moore said attendance Friday "was upwards significantly" from the first mean solar day of last twelvemonth's show. She said the atmospheric condition – articulate skies, breezy, with temperatures in the 70s – probably had a lot to do with and then many people coming to the evidence.

The admission fee for visitors, the coin paid for raffle tickets on donated art items and the registration fees the vendors pay to be at the bear witness all go toward running the weekly free concerts at the Long'southward Park Amphitheater throughout the summertime, Moore said.

Money raised for the concert fund yearly averages $140,000, she said.

"The atmosphere is lovely, and there are always different vendors," Andrea Stoyko, of Reading, said of the show. She and her husband, Jim, had bought a glass pumpkin for some autumnal decorating.

Boris Kramer of Harrisburg, who makes metal sculptures featuring intertwining figures embracing or dancing, said the sale of one large sculpture can turn an boilerplate show into a great show for an artist.

 Kramer had but sold a big sculpture for several yard dollars, so he was having a expert afternoon.

"And a couple came into my booth earlier today, smiled and gave each other a hug" after looking at the embracing sculptural figures. "That's why I do this," Kramer added.

Edward Kidera of Woodbine, Maryland, who makes big metal bells and steampunk-inspired sculptures out of establish objects, said he believes times are tough for artists these days.

The traditional art buyer is now downsizing into smaller homes, he noted, and therefore isn't buying new art.

"Information technology may as well be the economic system," Kidera said. "We don't know what it is." Kidera's bells certainly attracted attention at Long's Park, with kids of all ages taking a turn coaxing a low "gong" out of the hanging pieces.

Children could take a suspension by sitting inside a children'southward art tent, run by the Art Matters Studio of Lancaster, which offers art classes.

Sitting at an art supply-strewn table under the tent, Carolyn Grunden of Palmyra painted with her granddaughter, Brooke Yoder, 12, of Etters. Brooke had also fashioned a colorful butterfly from a painted coffee filter and a clothespin.

Kids could besides make bugs out of plastic canteen caps, said Art Matters Studio possessor Kerry Pease-Coble. All of the crafts involved recycled materials, she said.

Meanwhile, local jazz vocaliser Amy Banks crooned "Blue Skies" on the alive-music stage nearby.

Several visitors said they like coming to the Long's Park show considering they can conversation with the artists and ask them questions. Some of the artists from around the country praised the show'south organizers for making them feel welcome.

"This is my absolute favorite prove," said ceramic creative person Jef Raasch of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who has exhibited at Long's Park for several years. "The volunteers accept such a pride about them. They accept excellent care of us."

"This is ane of the best shows in the country," said vendor Alberto Toro of Maryville, Tennessee, who was exhibiting the leather purses and ottomans he has been crafting for 50 years. He has been coming to Long's Park for 25 of those 50 years.

"People are so nice here," Toro added, "and the park is beautiful. The show is really well-organized, and they accept really good care of the artists. Whatever nosotros need."

What to Read Next

vigilbutiffely.blogspot.com

Source: https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/longs-park-heart-of-lancaster-art-shows-draw-crowds-saturday/article_c0670974-7237-11e6-bf71-ff6046ce1811.html