GRAFTON - Grafton has been celebrating local artists and their arts at the Grove Memorial Park for a decade.
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Mary Lillesbe, the coordinator for the event, said he event was created by Carla Newton and Sara Neal "for the sake of the arts." Lillesbe has been involved as the Art in the Park Committee Chairperson for about six years, and said the fair has been constantly growing and becoming more of a dynamic force for art in the area.
Visitors to the event were welcomed to the park by five framed paintings, each done by a student at Grafton Elementary School. Lillesbe said each of the school's 113 students were provided a small canvas by Diane Burton from Burton's Art Services in Alton. Those canvases were soon covered by each student's interpretation of the theme "It Happened at Shafer's Wharf."
Shafer's Wharf was once a part of Grafton's public grounds. Lillesbe said she would like to bring more awareness to it, so one day it could be restored to its former glory.
"I sometimes think of how amazing it must have been to stand out there and watch a gigantic showboat coming down the river," she said.
The students' interpretations of the wharf were given a walk-through gallery in the school's gymnasium. A work from each class was selected by art teachers and presented at the entrance to the Art in the Park event. Those five paintings each had a small coffee can for public donations, which will be tallied to choose the "People's Choice Award."
"We take the money donated and give it back to the students for their art program," Lillesbe said. "Last year, we were able to donate $500 back to the schools."
Lillesbe said many of the admirers do not even hail from Grafton. She said the event is a great way to draw people from other areas from Grafton.
"We started this to support the arts, and because Grafton is always trying to get more people to come and see us," Lillesbe said. "We want them to come out and enjoy Grafton."
While not an artist herself, Lillesbe said she supports the arts, from grade school painters to the 37 professional artists vending at the event.
Jenece Brown and Yvette Booker brought the art of basket weaving Saturday afternoon from 2:30-4 p.m. The mother-daughter duo has been doing the art of basket weaving for generations, and Brown said she and her daughter were teaching her granddaughter the skill as well.
"There are three generations of us out here today," she said.
From noon until 2 p.m. Saturday, Diana Huttes and Kathy Kopelousos turned sheets of paper into beads and made jewelry from them.
Sunday's live events will include a "close look" at the potter's wheel of Susan Elmendorf.
Chris Carson, who uses pottery to make dinnerware and other serving pieces has been doing the craft since the age of four.
"I did it ever since, and went to the Chicago Institute for the Arts when I was 18," Carson said. "I got my BFA in it, and kind of stopped for a while until I could afford a studio. I picked it back up from there and have been going at it ever since."
Besides visual arts, the Art in the Park event also featured auditory works. Saturday's music lineup included the Jersey Community High School Shades of Blue Jazz Combo, Jazz Ensemble and Show Choir. Acoustic folk band, Any Colour played from noon-2:30 p.m. and acoustic roots and blues duo Kevin Bilchik and R. Scott Bryan closed the evening from 3-6 p.m.
Sunday's music lineup includes classic rock and folk artist Matt Livasy from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and Steve and Jackie of "honky tonk country" band Outlaw Opry from 2-5 p.m.
Art in the Park continues Sunday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. at Grove Memorial Park, located on the corner of Main Street and Market, or Route 3, in Grafton.
