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 Despite the wet weather, Brunswick’s Outdoor Art Festival was a great day for the arts.by Annee Tara
Coastal Journal contributor
BRUNSWICK — It was a dark and gloomy morning...
Saturday’s weather didn’t start out to be conducive to an Outdoor Art Festival. But “in Maine,” as the saying goes, “if you don’t like the weather, wait a minute.” And by 10 a.m., the sun was coming out and Maine Street in Brunswick, from the Mall north to Mason Street, was bustling with people enjoying the work of more than 90 artists who exhibited at the Sixth Annual Brunswick Outdoor Arts Festival.
Eight years ago, a group of artists and artisans who had been working as “11 Pleasant Street Center for the Arts” wanted a new way to show their work. They looked at other communities for ideas and decided to present an open air art fair.
Easier said than done.
“It took two years,” according to Keith Garavoy, one of the organizers. Permits were required; a Town ordinance had to be revised. Garavoy was also a member of the Brunswick Downtown Association (BDA); and the artists’ group turned to the Association for help. Today, the Festival is one of the highlights of the year in town.
Downtown Brunswick is an ideal setting for the Festival. The sheer numbers of participants – Garavoy estimates 7,000 to 10,000 people attend – means that virtually all of Maine Street becomes the venue. The food trucks that are on the Mall are open, as are most of the dozens of restaurants downtown.
“People need to enjoy all the arts,” says Garavoy. So in addition to the visual artists – painters, photographers, jewelry-makers, wood-workers, fiber-artists – there are also theater, music and dancing and artisan demonstrations.
Garavoy is the leader of JimmyJo & the Jumbol’Ayuhs, a Cajun band that lead off at the Bank of America Stage, which featured music from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Roving musicians entertained up and down the street all day, and there was a “Summer Songfest” at the Gazebo. And members of Sage Square- and Round-Dance Club provided a caller and encouraged everyone to join them at the Bank of Maine parking lot.
The Mall was the site for many of the activities for children. There was face-painting, and Five-County Credit Union brought in OptykVibes, an artist who made and presented tied-balloon creations to dozens of kids. There was a hula hoop booth – it’s not as easy as it looks! Further up the street, Five River Arts Association hosted a table where passersby of all ages could contribute to an on-the-spot artistic creation made from small pieces of wood.
“It’s a community event,” said Garavoy. “It’s a great day!”
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