Lincoln Highway Arts Festival fills uptown Mount Vernon Saturday
September 24, 2008 · Jake Krob

Uptown Mount Vernon will be filled Saturday with what Galen Lacey calls "a comprehensive array" of art.

The third annual Lincoln Highway Arts Festival runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with artists set up right on First Street West.

Lacey, a member of the Mount Vernon Area Arts Council that puts on the festival, said the festival continues to grow in both depth and breadth in its third year.

"We literally had to turn some people away," he said of the artists - all from Iowa - wanting to be a part of the festival.

In total, 33 artists will bring their pieces to uptown Mount Vernon. The festival features food from three vendors; Paul Imholte of St. Cloud, Minn., will return to the event this year, performing on dulcimer and other stringed instruments as he strolls through the event. The Arts Council, along with the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance and the local Community Development and Main Street organizations will also have a booth.

Organizers of the Arts Fest say Mount Vernon's event is set apart for its quality and diversity.

Many arts festivals also include crafts, whereas the Lincoln Highway event focuses solely on quality art. Artists apply to be a part of the event, with Arts Council members viewing photos of works and gallery and exhibit history to determine who can participate.

They also look for diversity, Lacey points out. This year, for instance, there are artists who specialize in jewelry (such as natural stone and seed beads sewn in intricate patterns), fiber art, photography, sandcastings and acrylics.

Local art, too, is a theme at the Arts Festival. This year, eight of the featured artists are from the community.

The festival, Lacey said, also goes to the heart of the Mount Vernon Area Arts Council's focus - promoting the arts.

That includes introducing art to those who "might not otherwise go into an art gallery."

Additionally, the festival is interactive. It's not one in which attendees simply view art on their own, but get to interact with the artists and other festival goers.

"There's a lot of energy there," said Mount Vernon artist Katrina Garner, a member of the Arts Council whose work is in the festival for the second year. "I really enjoy that interaction."

She added that for most artists, there aren't many opportunities to talk with people about their work.

Another clear focus of the Arts Festival is to promote the community as a whole.

"All the artists I've talked to think Mount Vernon is a charming place to be," Garner said.

Bill Micheel, Mount Vernon's Main Street and Community Development director, said events like this certainly draw in dollars from outside of the community on that day. Some out-of-towners are introduced to the town at the event, others return and many come back at other times.

He added that such events are just as important for local residents, giving them another reason to explore their uptown.

"This is a wonderful event," Micheel said. "And what's great about Mount Vernon is there are a lot of these types of activities happening on a more regular basis than in other communities of our size."

Artists

• Dan Schuster - wood sculpture

• Ruth Ipsan-Brown - sandcasting

• Doug Hanson - ceramics

• Keitha Anderson - metalsmithing and jewelry design

• Diane Crowder - weaving and glass

• Susan Hightshoe - photography

• Linda K. Smith - pottery

• Steve and Phyllis Hunter - photography, jewelry and acrylic painting

• Betty and Ed LaPointe - sterling silver jewelry

• Denny Smith - watercolor landscapes

• Aaron Askelson - oil paintings and prints

• Jeff Bower - wood

• Laura Dostal - ceramics

• Jane Fink - fiber/silk painting

• Cindi Weyer - beaded jewelry

• Bonnie Hendrickson - jewelry

• Mark Benesh - acrylics

• Katrina Garner - pastels

• Joelle Bartleson and Laura Glanz - jewelry

• Jim Quaintance - carved stone finger rings

• Paul Corbin - clay

• Tom Newport - fused glass jewelry

• Gene Brown - acrylic, graphite and conte

• John Klopp - watercolor and oil landscapes

• Mark Messner - gourd art

• Paige Messner - acrylic paintings

• Lawrie See - jewelry

• Barbara Jones Prall - oils and watercolor

• Doug Cole - wheel-thrown stoneware pottery

• T. Oberoi and K. Jackson - original print on ceramic tile

• Jon Stokes - oil and acrylic on canvas

• Becka Owen - fibre arts

• Michael Zecher - photography

Food

• Methodist Church - walking tacos, soda, water

• Vernon Inn - Greek food

• Kettle corn