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More than 200 artists are set to descend upon downtown Livermore on Saturday to display and sell their work for an annual one-day art festival.
Hosted by Livermore Valley Arts, attendees of the free event can expect to see a full range of art types including pottery, mixed media, handmade bags, ceramic garden art and jewelry, according to the LVA website. Stylistically, the pieces will be just as varied, ranging from contemporary to classic.Â
Artist booths will be set up along First Street, between South Livermore Avenue and Maple Street, and in surrounding plazas, parks and the Bankhead Theater.
In addition to art sales, attendees of the 24th annual ArtWalk can expect to see live music, face painting, family-oriented art activities as well as a “portrait paint-off” conducted by local artists all day on the east side of First Street.
“Our goal is to bring to the community a showcase of the area’s talented artists, to bring opportunity to the artists to sell their art and to engage with the community and to inspire and enrich our community,” said Anne Giancola, event organizer as well as LVA visual arts and education manager.
Among the hundreds of scheduled attendees is local artist and arts educator Thomasin Dewhurst, whose work is visible throughout the city.
Her recent work in the city has included the “1910 Livermore Western Pacific Railroad” as well as contributions to other public art like the “L Street Mural” of astronauts and the “South Oak Street Cultural Mural”.
She has also taken part in creating a transportation and clean fuel innovation mural, set for display on a hangar wall at the Livermore Municipal Airport.
As a returning attendee of ArtWalk, Dewhurst said the event is a chance for her to see the work of artists from near and far.
“It is also a wonderful chance to talk to these artists, as well as to the public and to art-interested organizations, and to glean ideas, pool resources and discuss my own ideas for community art projects and events, and to get feedback on these ideas,” Dewhurst said.
In addition to mingling with the art community, ArtWalk offers Dewhurst the chance to display and sell her work.
Previously knee-deep in creating public art, Dewhurst said her booths at ArtWalk consisted mainly of information on public art projects and the arts education activities that she leads.
But since August, Dewhurst said she has started focusing more on her personal artwork. She has given particular attention to watercolor, drawing and ceramics.
This year, she plans to display at ArtWalk five ceramic pieces and a couple of small oil paintings.
“I choose pieces that I think might be sellable,” Dewhurst said of the creations she plans to show off. “One of the guidelines I use to gauge whether pieces are sellable is to question whether I do want to sell them. If I want to keep them, rather than sell them, then I have found they’re very likely to be appealing to others.”
Similar to year’s prior, Dewhurst will also be sharing information at her booth about her art classes through the Bothwell Arts Center and Las Positas College as well as information on grants for artists that are offered by the Livermore Commission for the Arts.
Additionally, art students from Las Positas College and the California College of the Arts are expected to join ArtWalk. The work of local high school students will also be on display in the Bankhead lobby.
ArtWalk Livermore is scheduled to run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. this Saturday (Oct. 11) along First Street, between Maple Street and South Livermore Avenue, as well as McLeod Street, between First and Second streets. Booths will also be set up in the Bankhead Plaza, Livermorium Plaza, the Bankhead Theater lobby and UNCLE Credit Union Art Gallery.
Ahead of ArtWalk Livermore, LVA is hosting a one or two-mile Art Walk & Roll Fun Walk through downtown. Beginning at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, attendees complete the walk at the opening of the art festival. Registration is required to participate in the Art Walk & Roll Fun Walk.
The ArtWalk serves as a fundraiser for LVA’s visual arts. For more information, visit the LVA website at livermorearts.org.
