Rain or shine, the Willoughby ArtsFest was likely to materialize.
While the July 17 celebration did not attribute too much glow, if any at all, arts enthusiasts weren’t dissuaded, perusing a number of vendors’ displays and walking, happily, concerning the raindrops.
Like quite a few community situations, a modicum of uncertainty accompanied the festival’s early organizing, officers reported.
With the Willoughby Western Lake County Chamber of Commerce and the Willoughby ArtsFest Steering committee setting up the fête at the stop of final yr, and because of to the novel coronavirus, the corporations didn’t know what limitations would nonetheless be in location for the expansive out of doors celebration.
ArtsFest Co-chair Bill Rigo pointed out a “zipper” sample was established to provide spacing amongst just about every tent, which served to enhance the stream of foot visitors all through the event.
“Huge thanks go out to this year’s Platinum Sponsors Lake Health and fitness, Lake County People Bureau and the city of Willoughby,” Rigo claimed.
“I’ve been included with the chamber for 6 decades and I’m constantly shocked by the generosity of our volunteers and sponsors that rally all around this celebration to make it a must-show up at present each and every summer time.”
Showcasing shut to 90 artists masking mediums from two-dimensional operate like painting, drawing, pictures, and digital art, to 3-D operates in metals, ceramics, glass, and wooden, festgoers have been also equipped to bid on goods to win from quite a few artists.
Arts lovers weren’t set off by rain and wind on July 17 during the 30th Annual Willoughby ArtsFest which returned are living just after going digital in 2020.
And like all artists having section in the showcase, Stephanie Penick fearful none as well significantly about uncooperative weather conditions, freely dismissing it and engaging attendees at her tent that includes her Cleveland-centered pictures, “CLEbySAP,” born of her motivation to adorn her household with canvas pics of the town.
In just a really short time, good friends and spouse and children started off purchasing her operate immediately off her partitions.
“I had unexpectedly established a business enterprise,” Penick said, including 2021 is her 2nd appearance at ArtsFest. “I have constantly liked capturing moments to try to remember, as properly as photographing cityscapes. After a several several years of just focusing on Cleveland, I branched out to involve portrait and serious estate photography, all beneath the umbrella of Stephanie Penick Pictures.
“I didn’t set out to be a photographer, but it was a passion of mine that has incredibly turned into a career and I am so blessed to be performing what I enjoy.”
For the Hudson resident, there is a contagious sense of satisfaction that will come from dwelling in Cleveland that transcends sports activities, the restaurant scene or Lake Erie.
“People from Cleveland are proud to be from Cleveland, period,” she mentioned. “I enjoy that you can journey the earth and you usually know a fellow Clevelander thanks to our T-shirts or bumper stickers that are on whole display. I hope that my pictures is a smaller section of showcasing that satisfaction and really like for this city.”