6 little questions at the New Art Festival
Nestled in the leafy green valley of Ottawa’s beautiful Central Park in the Glebe early each June is a sea of tented mini-galleries, known as the well-loved New Art Festival. With over 250 Artists and entertainers, this 2-day annual celebration of Art, and those fabulous Artists who make it, has become a family favourite at our home. So I jumped at the chance to explore the Festival, chat with the Artists, and share my findings with you along the way.
Attracting Artists of all media, from all stages in their Artistic careers, from all over Canada (and the US!), the New Art Festival is a reunion for some, a first testing-of-the artistic waters for others, and for everyone, a fabulous weekend to explore local talent and meet emerging and established artists. So I thought it would be fun to ask 6 friends for a question they’d each love to have answered by an Artist. Here are a few highlights!
question #1: What makes the New Art Festival so unique?
Dubbed by the organizers as the Festival “where you can see original art and meet the artists” and “Ottawa’s largest non-profit, non-commercial outdoor art exhibition” I think these two attributes make the festival unique from the outset. But I really wanted to see was how the Artists felt!
It was warming, as an Ottawa artist myself, to hear the exhibitors talk enthusiastically of the New Art Festival’s unique ability to showcase diverse talent, and how the Festival successfully reinvented itself from the already popular 
Art in the Park into the juried & distinguished New Art Festival almost overnight. I especially loved how emerging Ottawa sculptor Leah Hamilton mentioned that for her, the Festival served not only as a great place to sell art, but perhaps even more importantly, as a venue to chat with, discover, build friendships with, and trade with other Artists. Leah’s booth was filled with emotive squeals of delight, surprise & shock as visitors came across her brilliantly realistic *nose-in-a-teacup* sculptures, and it’s easy to see from the outset why folks just love this Festival: being there meeting Artists, experiencing the Art is such an interactive joy! Bravo to that!
The calibre of attendees the Festival attracts, both as Artists and patrons, stands out as an unique element to popular Peterborough Artist, Lucky Jackson. Her charming tent-gallery was brimming over with delighted folks cheered by her whimsical & delightful textural art. As other Artists I knew came to visit, meet and admire Lucky’s work during our chat, it’s evident that building a sense of community among it’s members is at the heart of this Festival. Lucky noted how refreshing it is, as an Artist, to have the folks of Ottawa “understand and appreciate” her art and she attributed this to the unique crowd the Festival attracts.
I’d whole-heartedly agree. I know it’s a show that many of my peers and I (all with differing Artistic likes and tastes) especially look forward to every year. I love how it’s a mix of styles, with great roving entertainers, yummy organic foods, it’s FREE! and always goes ahead, rain or shine (and there sure was a lot of RAIN again this year! But fear not!) Many would agree that the Festival’s well-organized organizing committee, led by Ottawa Champion-of-the-Arts Bhat Boy , is the strong foundation the unique Festival is built on. So kudos to you, organizers!
question #2: What do you think Ottawa folks are looking for, art-wise?
Beloved and established Greely Artist Beth Levin, whose beautiful abaca paper sculptures have been thrilling Festival audiences for 8 years now, had great perspective on this question. As she and her daughter casually (yet forcefully!) held down the tent poles of her most-beautiful on-site gallery while the afternoon wind gusted wildly, Beth talked of how she had seen a welcome change in the Ottawa Art scene over the past few years. How she felt many Ottawans were feeling more and more comfortable venturing beyond the traditional, conservative artforms, say basic landscapes, and welcoming more experimental media with open arms. Beth sees this a positive change, and I would certainly agree. I think it’s a fine accomplishment indeed where there’s a little something for everyone’s artistic tastes (that‘s hard to do!) at Festivals throughout the Capital, and it’s always nice to hear that Artistic palettes are growing and expanding in our own city. Cheers to that!
As a boost to our own Capital City egos, Uxbridge steel Artist Jean Pierre Schoss articulated that for him, one of the unique attractions of this show is the “highly educated and… well-versed Art crowd” it attracts. He mentioned that he knew Ottawans to love Eco-forward art (such as his own fabulous recycled steel sculptures!) How refreshing that is! Wonderful stuff, fellow Ottawans! Nice to hear we’re on the right track!
question #3: What kind of Art do you collect?
I’m always fascinated to hear what kind of music Musicians listen to or what kind of sports Athletes play in their spare time. So I was eager to see what kind of Art these fabulous artists collect. I asked Ottawa favourite Sarah Hallman, whose inspiring works in glass, printmaking & textiles make her a perennial favourite at the Festival, what kind of art she likes to collect herself. Sarah explained that she’s drawn to Art that incorporates elements she employs in her own works: strong but subtle tones & intricate designs. This was a sentiment expressed again and again by Artists that day: they collect the kind of art they make and love. Makes great sense, doesn’t it?! And with Sarah’s beautiful work it’s no wonder I’ve seen her Art in so many friends’ homes over the years: they love to collect intriguing Art, too!
question #4: Tell us a bit about your life as a professional artist.
The Festival does a wonderful job of mixing the new and the established. So I was keen to capture a little glimpse into how professional artists at the show would describe their lives.
I love the way collaborators Jean Pierre Schoss & Brenda Tucker likened themselves, as part of a community of artists doing Art shows in Ontario, to roving nomads: making, creating and building on their own paths, then congregating at festivals, like the New Art Festival, throughout the year. They talked warmly of what a wonderful reunion of friends/other artists each festival is, and the warm support the artistic community lends one another.
That sentiment was evident as I walked through the beautiful meandering paths of tents. I think of well-known artist and Arts organizer Christina Ballhorn, of Loot by Stina B. and Ottawa’s brilliant Workshop Studio & Boutique) whose booth was a popular stop at the Festival again this year, but who I saw also visiting and encouraging numerous other new artists throughout my visit. Or Cynthia O’Brien, inspiring ceramics artist, who was seen mingling & cheering on her fellow Artists with her wonderful smile and encouraging words, as a visitor and supporter of the Arts in Ottawa. It’s indeed a warm community of folks that congregate here: for Artists from all stages of their careers!
question #5: How do you prepare for an art show like the New Art Festival?
Denial Art’s Daniel Bombardier had a wonderful story to share: he creates his Art in Windsor, ON, throughout part of the year, and then tours the country selling it in between. He’s calling Ottawa home for a few days, as part of a whirlwind-paced art show tour across Canada. With 13 stops in just a few months, Daniel’s vivid spray paint art was a busy stop on the afternoon I visited. It was wonderful to see patrons oohing and aahing over his unique style of iconic image Pop Art, a perfect precursor to our Region’s Pop Life show at the National Gallery , on now!
question #6: What new art are you making these days?
For this question, I headed straight to the “making-corner” of the festival beside beautiful Patterson Creek, where folks from the Glebe Neighbourhood Activities Group had visiting young artists excited to make real live art, there in the mini-tent-studio amid the pouring rain, and gusting winds. It was wonderful to see the enthusiasm of the young crowd working on co-operative painting panels that will be showcased at the nearby Glebe Community Centre. My own little one has enjoyed numerous Arts programs hosted by this Group over the years and I would certainly recommend their fabulous programming! I say bravo to folks making art at the Festival. It’s wonderful to see Artists in action!
Well there you have it. A few questions with a few Artists at what was, for me, another fabulous New Art Festival. If you’re interested in submitting your work for this popular juried event, look for the 2011 applications here (Ior contact organizer Bhat Boy for more info.
Yay to great Art, and those who celebrate it!
Tags: Beth Levin, Bhat Boy, Christina Ballhorn, Cynthia O'Brien, Daniel Bombardier, Denial Art, Glebe artists, GNAG, Jean Pierre Schoss, Leah Hamilton, Loot by Stina B, Lucky Jackson, National Gallery, Ottawa sculptors, Ottawa visual artists, papermaking, Pop Life, Sarah Hallman, steel artwork, the New Art Festival, Workshop Studio & Bouttique
