Thousands enjoy Arts Festival Oklahoma
Rachel Morrison/Pioneer
Annie Simonich, leopard clad, sips on her favorite flavored snow cone from the Tropical Shaved Kona Ice stand.
Rachel Morrison/Pioneer
On Saturday, patrons enjoy their fair food in the shade under the dining tent.
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Cortney Abbe and her mom, Susan Green, visit with artist Roy Morgan while admiring his breathtaking art exhibit.
Rachel Morrison/Pioneer
On Saturday, fairgoers enjoyed the beautiful weather on the OCCC campus during the 2010 Arts Festival Oklahoma.
Rachel Morrison/Pioneer
Evangeline Morrison, two years, smiles with delight after having her face painted for the first time.
Rachel Morrison/Pioneer
Lauren Axton of Norman gets a butterfly design to match her little sister, Sheridan Morrison. Axton promised Sheridan she would be a butterfly too.
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Artist, Janice Freeman, transforms Sheridan Morrison, six years old, into the butterfly she wants to be.
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Briana Harris, a freshman computer programming major at OCCC, takes in the vastness of astophotogher John Chumack’s galactic photography.
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Kaylynn Magers, is happy with her facepaint design. Artist, Janice Freeman, made lines of kids smile with her wonderfuly creative, facepaint application.
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Astrophotographer, John Chumack, describes one of his greatest works which is a photograph of the planets aligning. Chumack’s work has been features on the cover of Time Magazine. Find more of his work at www.galacticimages.com.
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Jim Elliott, of Oklahoma City, orders BBQ sandwiches from JR’s Concessions on Sat.
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After sampling kettle corn from vendor Tiffany Barnhill, patrons Mike and Helen Dill are ready with cash in hand to buy a big bag.
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Patrons sample kettle corn at the Arts Festival Oklahoma early Saturday.
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Pirate, George Heartman, age 7 and spiderman, Jackson Kalla, age three and a half play in the the gigantic sand box created for the Arts Festival Oklahoma Childrens Creative Center.
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Lanny Fiegenshuh. on harmonica, helps to creates those down home folk sounds of the Simoleons band.
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Batman fan, Westin Parker Morrison, holds steady for face painting artist, (name of artist). Children anxiously waited in long lines to transform their appearance.
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Ray Wyssmann, guitarist, entertains the Arts Festival Oklahoma crowd. The down home sounds of the american folk band, the Simoleons, welcomed the early fairgoers on Saturday.
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Artist, Jim Clements, greets Emil Coffey, a local admirer. Coffey loves art that tells a story.
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Cortney Abbe of Oklahoma City, enjoys painting the vase that she chose under the pottery making tent. After completing her design the vase was fired in a kiln for aproximately forty five minutes.
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Pirate George Heartman, age 7, digs in the sand box under the Children’s Creative Center tent.
Rachel Morrison/Pioneer
Robert Marvin paruses matted art created by artist
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Patrons choose their favorite flavors to top snow cones from Kona Shaved Ice.
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The vendor,Tropical Shaved Kona Ice, serves up shaved ice. Patrons then get to choose their favorite flavor and add it self serve style.
Rachel Morrison/Pioneer
Sisters Emma(left) and Annie(right) Simonich sip on snow cones from the Tropical Shaved Kona Ice stand.
Great weather and good attendance marked the 32nd annual Arts Festival Oklahoma, said Cordell Jordan, Media Relations coordinator.
The festival was held on the north side of campus on a newly-landscaped and upgraded area built specifically to accommodate the festival, said Facilities Management Director J.B. Messer.
Some people, like 20-year-festival-veteran Dale Hartman, rarely miss the event.
“I come every year,” Hartman said. “It’s a part of my annual calendar. The weather is so great this year.”
Other festival goers also touted the weather and the eclectic blend of art.
OCCC student Lindsey Magers said the good weather and art are what captivated her.
“This is my first year and I love the interesting paintings.”
The children’s tent also was very popular.
“We’ve been very busy this year at the children’s tent,” said children’s tent co-chair Jessica Hasseltine. She said certain activities always draw children.
Festival goer and mother Carolyn Darnell, said her two children, ages 4 and 6, loved the sand box.
“The face painting and sandbox were our favorite parts of the children’s tent,” Darnell said.
Artists at the festival reported the crowd was in a buying mood.
“This is my third year at AFO and my sales have been good,” said South Dakota artist Gary Rowley. “This is my only Oklahoma show.”
Rowley sells jewelry inspired by his native South Dakota.
Newcomer John Cox, an artist from Tulsa, said Saturday he was encouraged by his sales.
“This is my first year as a vendor,” Cox said.
“I’ve come once before as a shopper. Sales have been pretty good so far.”
Monica Fallini, an artist from Naples, Texas, said she was having great sales.
She said she is inspired by nature. “Nature is my muse, I love flowers,” she said.
The concession stands also expected to see strong sales.
“Lunch time will rock ‘n’ roll with this weather,” said Shelby McDonald of S&L Concessions. The stand sold southwest specialties like fajitas and quesadillas.
Jordan said in a press release that officials estimate this year’s festival to be one of the largest in terms of attendance.
For additional pictures and festival updates, visit the Pioneer Online at www.occc.edu/pioneer.