Artists young and old participate in 32nd annual Summerfest Arts Faire

The official opening of the 2015 Summerfest Arts Faire will come Thursday at 11 a.m. when the Utah State University Bagpipe Band, the Scotsmen, march through the grounds of the Logan Tabernacle and end up on the faire’s main stage. New Summerfest director Elaine Thatcher says it’s going to be an exciting three-day event which includes 17 different categories of art, all of high quality, along with great food and talented performers.

Thatcher says approximately 150 artists will be there, some are local and many others come from other places. She says the age of the artists goes from very young on up to two artists in their 90s.

“Both of these men are more in the range of what I would call folk art,” she explains. “Guy Jensen makes lamps and chandeliers out of antlers. James Shirley, who has been here before, makes sculptures out of old horse tack and things like that.”

Thatcher says it has been exciting getting ready for the popular three-day event which will once again showcase visual, wearable, functional, edible, recycled and personalized art. Although Summerfest opens to the public on Thursday, Thatcher says it really kicks off on Monday.

“Monday we have artists coming in who are going to participate in our plein air painting and photography contest. On Monday, we will be checking artists in who then will go out and paint and photograph in Cache Valley for two days and then they bring their work back.

“We hang it up in the plein air tent. Plein air is a French term that means ‘painting outdoors.'”

Thatcher says the Summerfest Arts Faire is a juried art festival that features the work of approximately 150 artists from across the country. She says there is also an entertainment line-up along with great fod and the always-busy Children’s Art Yard.

She says there are some new features this year including a special trailer where new mothers can go to rest and nurse their babies. Summerfest is free to attend and the hours are Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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