Marin Voice: Get up close with fine art, crafts and photography at the county fair
As local artists, we were thrilled to be invited to join the team of jurors at the Marin County Fair.
This year, the selection of art was curated by 10 artists and art teachers. Each juror may also submit one art piece so that the public can learn about us. In teams of three, jurors scrutinized paintings in oil, acrylic and watercolor, drawings, prints, digital art, ceramics, photography, wood working, sculpture, jewelry and more. Categories covered a wide range of subjects and styles.
After going virtual during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the fine art, craft exhibition and fine photography have returned this year. It is up close and in person, with an exceptional array of exciting work from around the state.
During the jurying process, we were gratified to see many local artists continue to create and submit provocative, dazzling art. We’re thrilled that the fair’s reputation for high-quality artwork endures after a 3-year absence, and we would encourage every fairgoer to see this fine community show.
Making art is often a solitary act. Most artists work in the seclusion of their studios before bringing creations to exhibition. Once shown, art offers those who appreciate it a unique opportunity to walk into and experience an alternate world, through the soul of another human being, and see through the eyes of an artist.
At best, this showcase can educate, entertain, inform, perplex, uplift and evoke deep emotion, compassion and empathy.
The Marin County Fair Fine Art and Craft Exhibition offers attendees access to such portals. Artists from throughout California enter this competitive exhibit to show what they’ve created. After a long 3-year absence, this year’s show will be particularly poignant.
Artists and viewers alike missed the yearly celebration of the arts while it was on hiatus. A display of an artist’s work completes an important cycle of community service; marking one critical aspect of artists’ role in society.
It’s wonderful to bring fine art, craft and photography back in person because the fair environment is uniquely inclusive. You don’t need to be a fan of museums or galleries to take a break from the noise to enter the realm of creativity.
Art is showcased in museums in every major city throughout the world. Art is valued in all cultures. It helps us tell our history, illustrate stories and embody values.
The vanguard of the arts expands in response to the pulse of our global community and available technologies. As science explores beyond our galaxy and the interior of the atom, art reflects humanity’s far-reaching spectrum of politics, introspection, environmental concerns and the breadth of human emotion.
Social movements and disenfranchised people are given voice through the arts, and art offers insight into different points of view.
The fair’s art on display is a personal and inclusive show, containing work by professionals, amateurs, hobbyists and aspiring emerging artists. Our fair helps create community and establish connections with viewers young and old.
Going forward, we hope the quality of the show will encourage a wider range of artists to participate and build on the foundation of this years’ exhibit. Likewise, we hope to see new faces among the thousands of viewers, from Marin and beyond.
The junior divisions give young artists the opportunity to see their work displayed and to see a wide range of techniques to spark their imaginations. The overall quality and craftsmanship of the adult exhibition offers inspiration to young art students. In all categories – adult, Junior and hobby – participants become part of our vibrant arts community. Ribbons are icing on the cake.
Jurors were honored to view the diverse talent. We looked for originality, creativity, use of media, craftsmanship, presentation and overall quality. We found stunning portraits, still lives real enough to touch, landscapes from near and far, figurative works, abstractions, florals, seascapes and many surprises.
The art has emotion, whimsy, depth, humor and poignancy. Large format and small, bold and subtle, elegant and experimental, the quality is exceptional and maintains the high standard we’ve come to expect from the fair.
We hope you’ll join in this celebration of all things creative. Like this year’s fair slogan says, we believe you’ll find the exhibition “electrifying.”
Husband and wife Steve Emery and Kathleen Lipinski have worked in painting and printmaking for over 40 years.