A Look at Fort Worth Main St. Arts Festival 2011

4.15.11

The smell of turkey legs and pizza was carried up and down Main Street in Fort Worth Friday afternoon by 50 m.p.h. wind gusts that almost collapsed a kaleidoscopic of art booths.

Despite the wind, it is was a bright, brisk and lively afternoon in downtown Fort Worth. The booths and artists were as colorful as the paint on the pieces that hung everywhere. Artists came from all over the U.S. to showcase their unique view of the world.

The pictures below are some of my favorite bits of art. Click on the artists' names to be directed to their websites.

(Below) Artist Jim C. Brown said he takes pictures of trees every time he travels. Each tree is from a different picture, which he turns into imagined forests. He prints these trees on plaster and then chips away at the plaster to reveal the sky beneath. These imaginary forests are beautiful to see in person. Check him out (booth #150).

(Below) I fell in love with the whimsical art of S.D. Meadows, and couldn't stop smiling the whole time I was in his booth. I can't imagine where he finds all of this stuff, but he knows how to turn junk into charming little characters. They each had a distinctive personality. The artist was exactly what you'd expect as the father of these creations — quirky and friendly. Meet Meadows' people.

S.D. Meadows

Artist S.D. Meadows

(Below) Gary Stretar's art brought me peace ... literally. I imagined standing wherever the landscapes in his paintings were, deep in quiet thought. I could hear myself think in his paintings. If I had money I would like to see this every time I walked into a room.

Gary Stretar

These artists come in a marital pair. Meet Signe and Genna Grushovenko. I want their art all over my house. There was something powerful in the simple scenes of faceless people. They also capture the brilliant color and light in the photographs they paint. Check them out in booth #521.

grushovenko.com

Signe & Genna Grushovenko

(Below) James W. Parker's photograph of a cow standing next to a for sale sign with his eyes fixed on Parker's camera caught my attention. Parker said the cow seemed to be asking what the sign meant. Parker said he spends a lot of time in Nebraska, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, South Dakota, etc. taking photos. My favorites are his black and white photos of places far from the city.

James W. Parker

Even Fort Worth's restaurant, Embargo, had an artsy mojito stand that looked delicious.

Embargo's Mojito Stand

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