The City of Page held its third annual Fine Arts Festival on April 27 and 28. This year artists from all over set up booths and tables at the John C. Page Memorial Park to showcase their quality fine art to locals and visitors alike.
From left to right:
Page High School winning artists, from left to right: Tyra American-Horse with second place, Oliver Lytell with first place and Sarrayan Begay with third place. Photo Courtesy City of Page.
Gayle Unger, artist at The Gallery in Page, speaks with a member of the public. Photo by Phil Clark.
Elwyn Shorthair stands next to his art in the large tent at the center of the festival. Photo by Phil Clark.
Edwin Whitesinger stands with is Second Place winning painting in his booth. Photo by Phil Clark.
Amiee Liu stands with her painting and the First Place ribbon. Photo Courtesy City of Page.
Adam Shorty stands proud next to his painting and Third Place ribbon. Photo Courtesy City of Page.
While locals and visitors browsed some 70 booths, food vendors kept the crowd fed and children played on a nearby inflatable amusement area. Red Heritage performed Pow Wow dances as part of the entertainment.
On Saturday, many vendors set up inside the Community Center building nearby as a cold front brought wind and light rain. On Sunday the storm had passed and the vendors were again in the park, bathed in the Arizona spring sunshine.
The festival was by application to the City of Page and artists were asked to submit examples of their work. According to the City of Page website, the applications evaluated by a jury of local artists, not affiliated with the show.
According to Sheri Ptacek of the City of Page, 70 artists, each bringing their unique style and perspective, came from various parts of the Southwest including New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Arizona.
On Friday, before the start of the two-day market, the artists were invited to the “Best in Show” Dinner hosted by the Lake Powell National Golf Course.
Artists received awards at the dinner:
First place was awarded to Aimiee Liu, a painter originally from China, who teaches art at Page High School.
Edwin Whitesinger, Chinle, Arizona won second place. He is an artist in several media, including wood carving.
Adam Shorty, Tohatchi, New Mexico, won third with his paintings.
Students at Page High School were also awarded prizes.
First place, Oliver Lytell.
Second place, Tyra American-Horse.
Third place, Sarrayan Begay.
Each year, a Premiere Artist is selected. This year Elwyn Shorthair displayed his paintings in a large tent in the center of the festival.
The City of Page partnered with Adventurous Antelope Canyon Tours, Ken’s Lower Antelope Tours, Page Ford, and the Page Public Library to make the event a success. Many people commented how much fun it was and the high quality of the art.
For more information about this event, and future events, visit events.cityofpage.org.
