Saturday, June 30, 2012
The Artisan Market
ARTBYALYSSA magnet
On the first day of the actual festival, I hiked across town to Abbot Hall where artists were selling merchandise at the Artisan Market outside under canopies. There were many different kinds of crafts, from tree bark animal carvings to ceramic soap dishes. Many boutiques sold jewelry, some which was handmade. There were silk pillows with mermaids and dragons on them, large pictures with fish, whale shaped woodwork: the list goes on. Some artists even resorted to recycled arts, one specializing in silverware creations while another used bottle parts to make coasters and wind chimes. Besides these, my favorite crafts were the magnets and coasters at ARTBYALYSSA with colorful pictures, mainly of birds. I also liked the jewelry and the wool fleece bird figures by Jennifer Field Studios.
The Exhibit
A trash barrel at Crocker Park during the festival
After I was done browsing the market, I went inside Abbot Hall. Along the first floor were displays with old maritime artifacts. They weren’t part of the art festival, but it was interesting to see all of these and to explore history for a few minutes. After I had my fill, I climbed up the staircase to the second floor, a large room filled with display walls containing various media of artwork. Ribbons hanging next to some of the frames identified the honorary artwork. Aside from these paintings and drawings, there were small sculptures towards the front and quilts on the stage across the room.
Lunchtime
After I had looked at these exhibits, I thought it was about time to get some lunch. I decided to return to Shubie’s. I had stopped at the store earlier that day to visit some relatives and had found out there was going to be another wine tasting in the afternoon. Thinking it would be nice to get out of the heat, I grabbed some lunch in the beautifully air conditioned Shubies and, after eating, headed to the small table where the white wines were cooling in a bucket of ice, waiting to be tasted. Perhaps it was because I was one of the first people to show up, but there weren’t as many people at this tasting. Not to mention, the wines that were being sampled this time were wines that Shubie’s sold regularly while last time the wines were from a Sonoma Valley boutique winery and were only being sold then. It was, however, still nice to get more wine tasting experience to discover my preferences.
The Performing Arts
Low Key Confusion
After the wine tasting, I headed to Crocker Park where the performing arts events were being held. Low Key Confusion, a folk/jazz/blues band of three, was the first that I saw, playing a mix of originals and covers of a variety of different artists. According to the program, they play at in Boston clubs and open mic nights.
Following in the performance line was the Yesberger Band, another trio that plays jazz. These three Berklee College students brought creativity and originality to the stage with their slow, relaxing tunes. One of their songs, Evergreen, was “a tribute to the trees that are green all year round.”
That evening, alt/folk band Trick Taylor played some groovy tunes. At one point, a unique instrument was introduced: a ukelele. Anyone seeing these two performing together would easily be able to tell they have a close friendship and share a passion for music. And humor. Mark Erelli ended the night with country music, accompanied by Zack Hickman on bass and Charlie Ross playing the other instruments. Overall, a relaxing evening where music lovers could gather together with a beautiful view of the ocean to enjoy live performances.
Yesberger Band
Trick Taylor
Mark Erelli
Creativity at Work 