Grey skies clouded the atmosphere at this year’s Hamburg Arts and Crafts Festival and Rolling Art Exhibition on Saturday, May 20, but the day still provided art, food and entertainment for locals.
Cooler, rainy temperatures did impact attendance this year, especially during the first hour of the festival. Organized by the Hamburg Area Art Alliance and Our Town Foundation, Deena Kerschner, executive director of Our Town Foundation, admitted she was disappointed in the attendance. Some vendors opted not to come due to showers in the morning, and the wet weather also kept car show participants away.
“It was supposed to be a much nicer day,” Kerschner said as she checked the status of vendors on State Street. “But I like the new format. And it looks like the kids activities did well.”
The festival had a new location this year, a long stretch of State Street. In previous years, it was split between State and Fourth streets. Colorful displays highlighted artwork and food stands sent out tempting smells while magicians performed for families and musicians played at both ends of the street.
Midway down State Street, artist Todd Gladfelter of New Ringold gave live demos of his chain saw wood carving work. Covered in wood chips, he paused for a break to discuss his art.
“I started out doing woodworking and blacksmithing,” he said of his career path, before taking a course on log building. He added chain saw carving a decade ago and admitted he is still learning to fine tune his craft.
“It’s learning the anatomy of the different animals, to make them realistic,” he said, turning to accept a compliment from a young fan. “I’m always doing something to improve it. That’s what it’s all about.”
Businesses and organizations sponsored children’s activities including face painting, crafts, balloon art, paper printing and a coloring contest. Many youngsters created “blocks of art” on the pavement, using colorful chalk to create unique designs up and down State Street.
Petra Martin manned the “Paint a Toad Abode” stand. Martin, a member of Hamburg Area Art Alliance, came up with the idea, which was new to the festival this year.
“I made one, and then I Googled the information on toads so I would know what I was talking about,” she said, laughing. “I actually had a toad move into mine.”
She spray painted 50 clay pots in preparation for the event and said the stand had seen lots of young visitors, who paid a small fee to add decorative paint to their pots. Among these young artists were sisters Chloe and Kaia Katner. The girls live in Sinking Spring and were at the festival with their grandmother.
“I like being creative and making my own things,” said 9-year-old Chloe as she added glittery paint to her project, which she planned to use as a more traditional flower pot.
“It’s just fun seeing things,” added Kaia, age 11. “I like being able to express myself in everything I do.”
At the west end of State Street, a car and motorcycle show was set up alongside a beer garden. Greeting visitors to his vehicle entry was Travis Bernstein of Bernville. He entered his 2004 Harley 883 Sportster, which he has been adapting over the years.
“I put the flip heads on,” Bernstein explained, “trying to go a little bit old school with it.”
Bernstein said this was his second opportunity to show the bike, and it was his first time at the Hamburg arts festival.
In addition to shopping at vendor tables, attendees browsed inside the Art and Craft Gallery. This location included a silent art auction and art raffle, with original pieces donated by Hamburg Area Art Alliance members. The gallery also displayed entries in this year’s art contest, which centered on the theme “Chairs.”
In the children’s category, the first place winner was Haley Hendel, a fourth-grade student at Tilden Elementary. Gracie Long, a sixth-grade student at Hamburg Area Middle School, placed second. Third place was a tie between Gianna Rodriguez Miccicke, a kindergartener from Tilden, and the “Real Chair” collaborative project submitted by Tilden Elementary School students.
In the adult category, winners were Jay Ressler (first place), Martha Ressler (second) and Wade Phillips (third). Each received a cash prize. All contest entries will be on display in the Gallery on Main for several weeks. Winning entries are marked with ribbons.
The Hamburg Area Art Alliance and Our Town Foundation are also raffling off a birdbath created by children at the 2016 Hamburg Arts Fest.
The birdbath was created by artist Pirjo L’Esperance using the clay ornaments that Clay on Main in Oley helped the children create at last year’s Hamburg Arts Fest when the theme was “the chicken or the egg.”
“We were unable to raffle it last year because it blew up in the kiln when the artist was firing it. She hated to just discard it, so she spent many hours matching up broken pieces and adding mosaic tile and grout to create a new birdbath,” said Our Town Foundation Art Director Dina Madara. “I think it looks great! And I love the chicken feet at the base!”
The birdbath was on display at the 2017 Hamburg Arts Fest on May 20.
The raffle will continue throughout the summer. Raffle proceeds will benefit the Hamburg Area Art Alliance. Purchase raffle tickets at The Art Gallery of Hamburg, 335 State Street, Hamburg, during regular hours: Mondays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Details about the Gallery of Hamburg, the Hamburg Area Arts Alliance and the Our Town Foundation are also available by calling 610-562-3106 or visit hamburgpa.org/Our-Town-Foundation.
