The 13th annual Art in the Yard community arts festival was, once again, a success, the board of directors said.
Held over the weekend of July 4 and 5 in the garden of the Elora Centre for the Arts (ECFTA) at 75 Melville St. in Elora, artists and visitors alike were thrilled with the relaxed summer feel of the event and the quality of the creative artwork on display.
With attendees from across southern Ontario, the yard was a busy place. Visitors had plenty to do on site – of course, browsing and enjoying the beautiful fine art, photography, jewelry, functional ceramics and décor items was the main focus.
Live music spilled out from the music tent, sponsored by The Grand 92.9 FM, and featuring artists from the Elora Acoustic Café lineup.
Many children and families participated in making their own art in the popular Children’s Creative Area, coordinated by Elora resident Libby Carlaw.
Children and the young at heart could paint, make clay sculptures and a variety of other projects using everything from beads and sticks to ribbons and glue.
The Community Art Project, initiated by ECFTA summer student Laura Wadsworth, encouraged people to collaborate on a large fibre and nail art installation. Many chose to “colour outside the lines” by threading coloured yarn throughout the piece’s bold primary coloured ART letters.
The Juror’s Choice award, a cash prize of $250, sponsored by The Rhoda Fund, was awarded to Elora artist Grayce Perry on Saturday afternoon. Perry had pieces from her latest series of work, Women I Have Known and Women of the Zodiac on display.
The Volunteer’s Choice award was awarded based on votes by the many volunteers who worked on site over the weekend. This year’s recipient was Waterloo artist Dawn Little, creator of popular glass and mixed media mosaics (One Piece at a Time Mosaic Design by Dawn).
The board of directors and staff of the Elora Centre for the Arts say they want to thank all the volunteers who helped in preparation and execution of this event.
“It’s a big undertaking, and couldn’t be accomplished without their help,” officials say.
For a complete list of exhibiting artists and live music performers, sponsors and supporters, visit the Elora Centre for the Arts webpage at www.ecfta.ca.
