Art in the Park opening weekend will see new and returning artists

David Humphey’s corner at Art in the Park has been the meeting place over the years where people return to the unique outdoor art show and sale along the picturesque Avon River.

For over 50 years, Art in the Park (AITP) has enticed art enthusiasts to visit along the banks of the Avon River where artists congregate to exhibit their work for sale. The juried artwork is on display with their creators often working en plein air, offering direct access to immerse yourself into the piece.

Each winter there is a call to artists to submit their work for judging in order to join the membership exhibiting. This year there were 26 submissions of which 19 were successful bringing new and exciting diversity among the artists.

“I think it’s a really great lineup. A lot of the returning artists are the ones that do well at the park and then we’ve got 19 more artists. There’s a really widespread variety within that and just a lot of different voices. It’s interesting because there’s some artists in the park from all over the world that found themselves in Stratford,” said Michelle Jamieson, AITP media and advertising representative.

Categories of artwork include paintings, woodwork, collage, ceramics, digital, glass, photography, jewellery, fibre, sculptures and printmaking. The digital art category is relatively new and intriguing given the exacting parameters and algorithms used to produce vibrant and imaginative pieces.

“We have some really interesting sculptural artists who are coming to the park who have larger sculptures which is something we don’t always do because you have to bring it in and out. There’s a fellow named Ben Annett, his sculptural company is called Ben’s Lemonade and all of his pieces are found objects put together,” Jamieson said.

Another sculptor, Harry Kooy, who after a career as an auto mechanic, now spends his time making wire sculptures and copper machines. He is inspired by the natural world, fantasy and the machines of the 19th century.

“There are two artists coming in this year in digital art. One of them is Erik Flock who is a self-defined geometric algorist. He is inspired by math and the language of light. He creates work using prime squares, radian circles and isosceles triangles. He basically creates an algorithm that he can then use to channel his ideas through,” said Jamieson.

The other digital artist to be on the lookout for is Chris Mercerhill of Stratford who is a generative artist, which he defines as an artist that creates a system of rules and parameters through which a physical artwork is created. He writes code that generates instructions and coordinates for his robot (a retired 3D printer) to manipulate pens, markers, and paintbrushes to produce paintings and drawings.

“The person I’m most excited to see the artwork in person vs just on the screen, is a young artist named Melissa Passmore. She creates realistic portraiture in combination with mixed media and it’s really captivating,” said Jamieson.

There will, of course, be the returning artists that people seek out year after year; sculptor Sandy Cline, painter Mathias Melume and wood turner David Humphrey, among others. With just over 70 artists in the membership, covering the 11 categories, the diversity of the exhibit is assured.

It is as much of an exhibit as it is a sale, with guests encouraged to simply meander through and welcoming artists willing to share their talent, or give a recommendation or two for dinner.

“Listening to Christopher Cape talk to people coming in really taught me this softness of how to talk to people in a way that isn’t like you’re selling something, but more like speaking to them and it’s an exciting thing to be a part of,” shared Jamieson.

Art in the Park opens May 16, weather permitting, and runs until Sept. 30. It is open Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Come July and August, Thursdays are added to the schedule. The exhibit is located along Lakeshore Drive between the Tom Patterson Theatre and the Festival Theatre.