White tents stocked with unique works of art lined the sidewalks of Piedmont Park the weekend of Aug. 17th and 18th. The smell of rain and funnel cakes filled the air as people cruised the park on the late summer weekend. The annual Piedmont Park Arts Festival brought an assortment of people from all around the country to shop, eat, listen to music and enjoy the blooming, green atmosphere of Piedmont Park. The artists are the greatest lure to those who attend the festival. With so many types of art, and the uniqueness of each individual artist, the festival attracts thousands of people every year to Midtown. This year, however, there was a new spin.
Due to steady rainfall for most of the weekend, fewer people attended the festival than in previous years. In the past, the streets have stayed flooded with eager shoppers and people browsing the various art booths set up in the park. Last year, sidewalks throughout the festival were packed as people wandered through the large circle of tents viewing the many intricate designs created by the various artists.
“Last year the crowds were much, much larger, said artist Wilson Lee Jr. who travelled to the festival from Nashville, Tenn.
Artists were quick to blame the rain for the lack of shoppers stopping by their tents to check out their art. This year, the artists were unimpressed with the results. As rain trickled down the tent roofs, people staggered through with their raincoats and umbrellas in hand, slick and wet from the rain. The artists who attended the year before notably favored the previous years, because the rain did not wash away all their customers.
Despite the lack of sun and customers, the artists reported helpful assistance from the many volunteers who were present to help set up and distribute supplies. The festival is staffed entirely by volunteers.
“The hospitality has been great, the volunteers have been coming around bringing us water and snacks.” jewelry vendor Barbara Simard said.
Another change was the location of the festival inside the park. The previous year the tents surrounded the main field of the park on the East side. This year, the festival was hidden at Oak Hill in Piedmont Park veering off to Lake Meer. It is possible that this contributed slightly to the smaller amount of people in attendance, because the festival was not as visible from the street or other parts of the park.
Those who attended enjoyed the numerous skills the artists presented, from jewelry vendors to sculptors. For example, Donna DiGiorgio creates her art completely out of recycled materials, focusing solely on the use of bottle caps. Her art is not only earth-friendly, but makes a statement. Another artist Rob Simmons lives in the area and creates his art throughout the night while most of the city is asleep. Simmons uses a “starburst” effect, which he claims separates his type of photography from others.
