| August 13, 2009
Art fills courthouse lawn for festival
By Berl Tiskus
Valley Journal
POLSON — Tables and tents full of photographs, paintings, quilts, prints, mirrors and furniture, jewelry, handbags and even a flock of wooden flamingoes clustered on the Polson Courthouse lawn for the 38th Annual Sandpiper Outdoor Art Festival. Held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8, the festival drew many visitors.
Margie Hendricks, chair for the Sandpiper Outdoor Art Festival, said the festival made a little more money this year than last. About 50 percent of the artists were returning participants, Hendricks added. The Sandpiper was worried about whether their festival would be as successful as usual because of the recession and because many festivals around western Montana have made less money this year.
Hendricks noted that rainy weather on Friday worried the Sandpiper volunteers, too. In fact, Hendricks said 12 vendors didn’t come to the festival because the weather forecast predicted rain.
“It was just a perfect day, though,” Hendricks said.
Sandpiper member Carole Carberry agreed. Carberry is a watercolor and stained glass artist. She said, ”I was relatively satisfied with how I did.”
Carberry said she talked to other exhibitors, some of whom sold a lot and some of whom sold very little.
“Just like any show,” Carberry said.
Jenny Tiskus, a Sandpiper Student Member, said the festival outshone her expectations because she sold some of her prints. A printmaker, Tiskus focuses mainly on woodcuts and monotypes.
“Everybody I ever knew showed up. The festival was a great place to visit and catch up,” Tiskus added.
While visiting, browsing and buying art, festival-goers could also enjoy the entertainment. Local entertainers included: Dick Bratton, piper with the “Great Scotts,” a quartet composed of Gay Cochrane, keyboard, Kim Sheesley, cello, Ruth Sheesley, violin and vocals, Kathy Quist, flute, John Davis, guitar, and Marjorie Christensen, vocals and flute, Dan Dubuque, guitar and the charango, a small Bolivian stringed instrument, Ladies of the Lake Oriental Dancers, Karla Martinson, vocals and guitar, Polson Paddlewheelers, a square dance group with callers Wayne Thompson and Adam Christman, Nick Palmieri, guitarist, and the Sweet Adelines.
Food, from fry bread to ice cream cones, was also available at the festival. The Episcopal and Presbyterian Churches and the Lions Club sold refreshments and part of their profits went to the Polson food bank
The festival is the main fundraising event for the Sandpiper Fine Arts Non-Profit Corporation, which provides scholarships for Lake County students pursuing formal art studies at the university level.
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