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D

espite the heat and the sudden spike in gas prices, the 2nd Annual Celebration of Fine Arts drew a steady crowd of visitors to the harbor area of Oriental Saturday. Marlene Miller, who with Judy Wayland organized the event, says the several dozen artists who were showing their work on the grounds of the Oriental Marina and one block of Hodges Street near the waterfront, were happy with the turnout and sales.

One of the youngest artists on hand. Meherrin Stansell prepares to paint the rainbarrel that will go to the Heartworks Center for kids in Bayboro.

In addition to the displays by artists, the show gave children a chance to make some art of their own, while several musicians played on the marina’s deck through the day.

There was no official estimate of how many had attended, but Miller says that in addition to attracting many people from town and from Pamlico County, she also heard comments from a number of people who said they had never before visited Oriental. She said she thought that as events and festivals go, the art show was “not invasive or overwhelming” to the town. A Third Annual Celebration of Fine Arts festival should be in the offing next year, Miller says.

Morays, alligators and fish visited, too. TraSea Art up close.

While it was hot, the weather cooperated in one very significant way for an event in mid-September. “I’m very happy,” Miller said, “that for two years in a row, we’ve had no hurricanes.”

A recurring them for a lot of the art in the show was Water — its surface, the boats on it, the creatures in it, even the barrels that contain it. You can see for yourself in the five pages of photos that follow. Enjoy!

Traci Carr of Pine Knoll Shores says she has been making these sea creatures for years but the art show in Oriental was the first time that she brought them out for all to see. Visitors seemed to like what they saw. You could see them being carried away to new homes. (By the way, Traci’s creations had not gobbled her left foot. It’s just hiding behind her right leg.)

There was one painting at the show that tempted you to touch it to verify that yes, indeed, it is painted on flocked wallpaper. The artist, Alyce Santoro lives in West Texas. Her mother, Jeannette Santoro of Whortonsville noted that the design on the wallpaper resembles the jellyfish shape.

The whole jellyfish on flocked wallpaper.

Missy Lupton of Bayboro’s “Pigments of Imagination” pins up some of the artwork created on the spot Saturday.

Fish fry, small fry. The “Pigments of Imagination” booth had dozens of children stopping by to press fish on to paper.

Marlene Miller, who organized the Celebration of the Art show, tapped a familiar subject for one of her own paintings. Bob Miller strikes the pose again at the show.

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Posted Monday September 15, 2008 by Melinda Penkava