WALDPORT – Last fall, 14 Waldport artists put on a one-day show with hopes it would be popular. After more than 500 people poured through the doors of the Waldport Community Center, they had no doubts.
Buoyed by that success, the Waldport Artist Festival & Sale is back Saturday, April 26 for a spring edition with 16 vendors. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the center, 265 N.W. Hemlock St., buyers can browse tables of jewelry, fiber arts, art glass, ceramics, photography and more.
“Last fall we had over 500 visitors from up and down the coast — we did a count,” said sale organizer Ricki Peterson of Waldport, a beaded jewelry specialist.
“It went extremely well,” she said. “The only complaint we heard was about a shortage of space in the parking lot. That speaks to the quality of the work of these participating artists.”
Noting upcoming gift occasions like Mother’s Day, graduations and weddings, Peterson calls the event is “a great place to find something unique and beautiful.”
Admission is free and includes a special feature — free raffle tickets for a chance to win a piece of sculptured glass by Jana Boutwell. The winner doesn’t need to be present at the drawing.
The festival was created last year by Peterson and her neighbor, Marie-Lise Best, as a showcase for Waldport artists who don’t often exhibit their work.
Key to the success of last year’s festival was participation by the Waldport Chamber of Commerce, which is sponsoring the festival and once again supplying marketing support.
In addition to Peterson and Boutwell, artists at the one-day event include Patti Beyer, Anna Biszantz, Carol Cassidy, Gary and Donna Claggett, Juli Dahl, Judy Deam, Chuck Franklin, Linda Hildreth, Beth Kattleman, Dan Kellener, Sharon McCrum, Kellie Nine, Lorrie Owens and Diane Peterson.
— Cheryl Romano/Lincoln Chronicle
