Fall Festival
Like many towns across the country, this coming weekend our quaint little college community of Corvallis, Oregon hosts a beloved annual arts event called Fall Festival. Artists from around the region show up with their tents, talents, and wares to share with a community of dedicated festival fans who will save up all year to splurge on a piece of art.
I moved to Corvallis after participating as an artist myself in this show and falling in love with the community. I then continued showing at the event for another 13 of the last 15 years (only skipping one year because I missed the submission deadline - oops! - and another year due to COVID). I was also honored to serve as a board member for a few years and to create poster art for the event in 2011. “The Ride Home” (featured above) lovingly showcased treasured moments I found in my newly adopted community. It included a tree of iconic places, a meandering Willamette river, distant farmlands with an oak savannah sitting at the foothills, and a bicycle poised to continue its journey into the heart of this beautiful valley. After years of sharing my artwork at this event, this year, however, I’ve decided to participate in a new way - as a show volunteer. It feels a bit like life is coming full circle (which honestly, is a bit scary but also exciting in the anticipation of new chapters).
This Fall is my second as a parent of two adults - where I am no longer participating in the festivities and traditions of the start of a school year. I’m not shuttling kids anywhere. I’m not volunteering at school. It would seem like the perfect time to throw myself back into a Fall Show after a couple of lean show years due to COVID. And yet, I’m not trying to prepare for an art festival this year. And while it may appear that a retirement plan is afoot (as I was recently asked by a friend), I am happy to report that I have no plans to retire just yet. At 53 I have many art-making years still ahead of me with many twists and turns still yet to endure and enjoy. And even though it seems like the time is right to be jumping back into festival life, my artwork is experiencing a period of flux and I’m finding it difficult to finish any work or prepare for shows the way I had before. (Although I am working on a small collection of originals for an Affordable Art Show I’ll be sharing online in Ocober.1)
Instead, I’m practicing patience while working to figure out what’s next for my art.
In the meantime, I’m excited to see my fellow booth artist friends and be a part of this beloved community event by checking in artists during set-up and giving them breaks throughout the show. I’ll also be running in the festival 5K this year, albeit very slowly!
It’s been a year (and then some) of embracing changes for us all. But this week, as I learn to celebrate a beloved event in a fun new way, I find myself looking forward to what else may be down the road. I realize I may find myself facing the unknown and feeling challenged. And I will probably get lost now and then. But I believe learning and growing and changing keep me connected not only to the art-making process but to the greater community around me.
For my local subscribers, I hope you enjoy this year’s Fall Festival! I know I will.
Cheers,
Jennifer
The 49th Corvallis Fall Festival takes place SEPTEMBER 24 & 25, 2022
in Central Park in Corvallis, Oregon. Free & fun for all ages!
SAT 10AM-6PM & SUN 10AM-5PM
Find the 2022 Participating Artists (provided by CorvallisFallFestival.org)
For more information about my Affordable Art Show, visit the Events page of my website or sign up for my monthly Newsletter.