Columbia Festival of the Arts showcases Columbia's most creative

Visual and performing arts all had a place at the Columbia Festival of the Arts.

By Angela Case

Published Sept. 29, 2008

At the Columbia Festival of the Arts last weekend, 48 artists showed that art can be anything, including dance, jewelry and even egg cartons.

Held at Courthouse Square, the festival, in its 16th year, featured a wide variety of art-related activities and products.

On the grassy plaza surrounding the courthouse, the artists showcased their creations. While many exhibitors have showcased their goods at the festival for years, many were participating for the first time.

One first-timer, Bradley Bauer, said he appreciated the staff and people who support the arts at the festival. Bauer is a self-taught photographer whose specialty is multiple exposure photography, a technique that fuses multiple pictures, from underexposed to overexposed, to get a full range of contrasts.

"They're like my children," Bauer said of his photos. "I don't have a favorite. I don't want to make one of them jealous."

The photos are almost like a diary to Bauer, documenting "the progress I have made through this journey."

Bauer, from St. Charles, said that the festival was a great venue to showcase his art.

"I love Columbia," Bauer said. "Actually, I was hoping to meet Chase Daniel while I was here."

The festival included more than just pretty things to look at and buy. Three stages hosted more than 40 live performers, including storytellers, dancers and poets. A group called Dancing Wheels delivered one of the most compelling performances. It consisted of dancers both standing up and sitting in wheelchairs performing routines choreographed by artists from all over the country. In addition to performing graceful dances to songs such as Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You," the show also included a demonstration in break dancing and a short tutorial about the different varieties of hip-hop dance.

For younger visitors, another stage was set up in the festival's children's area. This performance area hosted artists such as storyteller Bobby Norfolk and comedian Dale Jones. The children's area also included a large metal panel covered in word magnets that guests could rearrange to create their own poetry. For younger guests who leaned more toward visual arts, the Columbia Department of Public Works sponsored a booth where children could create masterpieces from old vinyl records, CDs and egg cartons.

Self-taught painter Jerry Brown said he keeps coming back because the festival is close to home, well-organized and he enjoys the volunteer staff.

"It's just a pleasant show," Brown said.

Much of the art was meant to be displayed in places other than indoor walls. Many booths were filled with jewelry, such as that of Nichole Collins - with pieces made from natural flower petals covered in resin and inlaid in sterling silver.

Unlike the festival's many self-taught artists, Collins received a bachelor's in fine arts in metalsmithing and jewelry design from the University of Kansas. She then continued her studies at Lahti Polytechnic in Finland. Collins has been making jewelry for five years, and this is her second year attending the festival.

"I had good sales last year, and it's an organized festival," Collins said.

Some of the most unique pieces at the festival were created by Melissa Mudd, a mixed media artist who specializes in acrylic on canvas. Travel and places inspire Mudd's work, which she describes as postcards on canvas. Instead of just a posed image, though, her works portray "lots of things overlapping, like you remember places," she said.

Her paintings overlap diverse words and images to show a complete visual image of the work's subject area. Mudd, who was exhibiting at the festival for the first time, said that she always feels supported as an artist in Columbia.  "Columbia is an artsy town," she said.

Collins said her favorite things about the festival are its kid-friendly atmosphere and the connections she was able to make with other artists.

"It's a great place for art lovers to see a variety of art from the area, both visual and performing," Collins said.