By SYLVIA BENAVIDEZ
Contributing Writer
While the western parts of Calhoun County were caught under a downpour Friday, the people enjoying Art Under the Albion Tower at Crowell Park on northern Superior St. were listening to great music, line dancing, and feasting their eyes on art and crafts of all kinds under sunshine. Mary Slater, president of the Albion Arts Commission, estimated 200 people visited their art and crafts tent during the two-day event at Crowell Park. Music and dancing were added to the second year of this art show.
“I had 25 spaces that were filled,” said Slater. “A couple of them were only on Friday and a couple only on Saturday. There were six non-profits… Some of those groups were selling things and some just talked about their services. There were five people that haven’t been in any of my events before.”
Maria Eugenia Ramirez has been practicing painting since she was in high school and displayed her watercolors and other art for the first time Saturday. “I am just now taking it seriously,” said Ramirez.
She appreciated interacting with the people who stopped by her table. “It’s been really great. I saw a really good turnout in the morning and so now people are trickling in now that the weather is really nice. It was really good to see people react to my art nicely. I sold a couple of them (paintings) yesterday and a couple today, too.” Ramirez works in watercolor, acrylic and oil.
Another artist in the tent familiar to readers of The Recorder was Aiden Wade. He even had a large display of Al the Albion Squirrel for people to pose with and take a photo. Wade thinks having art in the form of comics in newspapers is an important form of expression. “I think it’s a timeless tradition. I think it’s important to keep that alive and give a community something to look forward to. It’s a really positive outlet.”
One of the non-profit groups represented included the Albion District Library. The director, Cindy Stanczak shared the theme for summer reading is “Color Our World.” She said, “We are doing tie dye, and we’ve got free cotton pillowcases, and we’re set up with a limited amount of colors. People can tie dye a pillowcase to take it with them.” Libraries and art are a natural fit in her view. “Art is fundamental for the way that we describe and build in our world and to be able to communicate with other people. A lot of what the library does with its books is a key way that people communicate to each other (including) being able to describe the world in color, and a lot of times in hope, and (that) means we can communicate more effectively together.”
Councilman Donivan Williams of Albion’s Precinct 1 was listening to the jazz. “We want to have events where we can gather, meet, and enjoy music, art, and food,” he said. “I have been working with Mary and the arts commission to help support them creating and working on different things to get events like this sponsored and having infrastructure behind them from the city’s side or whatever so there are not any hurdles in the way of increasing culture ties within our community.”
Eric Hamilton, a musical artist on tour visiting from Las Vegas heard about the Art Under the Albion Tower and decided to drop by Saturday. He especially appreciated why the jazz played by Albion’s Coach Ronnie Parker at the event fit so well with the art shown. “I don’t think there isn’t a genre of music that represents visual art the way jazz can because there is a freedom in visual art that you don’t typically find in music constricted by number. Like jazz doesn’t care about the numbers, it cares about the sound and just the art and output,” said Hamilton.
The Albion Arts Commission has more events in store for Albion and Slater hopes the community will come out and support local artists. She explained the foundation for her passion to serve on the commission. “From pre-history, we are creative beings. We’re meant to be that way. We need to embrace that more especially these days with the stresses that we are living with right now.”
Slater shared that The Albion Arts Commission consists of President Mary Slater, Secretary Nancy Doyle and board members Juanita Solis-Kidder, and Bradley Arndts.
