Rain or shine, ArtFest brightens park

Umbrellas blossomed and shoppers scattered Sunday afternoon as yet another cloudburst baptized the final hours of ArtFest in Spokane.

But artists and patrons alike seemed to take the uncertain weather in stride, figuring it was worth the risk of getting wet to celebrate the three-day art festival’s 21-year tradition. Though the total number of visitors was down about 6,000 from 35,000 last year, sales on Saturday topped $125,000, said Bruce Eldredge, chief executive officer for the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture.

“It was our largest one-day total ever,” said Eldredge, who sported a yellow rain slicker as he cruised through Coeur d’Alene Park in Browne’s Addition.

Crowds were thick on Friday night and all day Saturday for the event co-sponsored by the museum and the Spokane Art School, he said. They thinned out some on Sunday, mostly in deference to heavy rains.

“It seems to be my perspective of this show that we have one day of torrential rain,” said Karl Knudson, a Salem potter who’s been coming to ArtFest for four years.

His sturdy clay platters, cups, masks and vessels were immune to the rain, but a few vendors had to scramble to protect silks, paintings and photographs from the weather.

More than 130 artists offered wares including photographs, jewelry, sculpture, furniture and wearable art. Sales were most brisk on Saturday, said Emma Bennett, of Vida, Ore.

“I sold a lot of earrings,” said Bennett, who crafts delicate dangling jewelry from semiprecious stones.

Dozens of families showed up for children’s art activities that have become an Inland Northwest tradition.

Kids lined up for face-painting and created so many sand candles that organizers ran out of supplies.

But the children also were eager to try new crafts, including sock puppets and “fish prints,” artwork produced by smearing paint on sea creatures and then pressing them on paper.

Hannah Hislop, 6, and her brother, Sam, 3, were among dozens of children who used and reused four tilapia fish and a few baby octopuses to create the unusual artwork.

“Yucky!” is how Hannah described the sensation of painting with fish.

But her mom, Anja Hislop of Liberty Lake, said the crafts are the main reason they’ve come to ArtFest four years running.

“We just came straight to the kids’ activities,” she said.

Lael Hinds, of Spokane, has come to ArtFest since her children, Brett Ford, 7, and Grace Ford, 9, were babies. As Grace dabbled at the clay table, Brett rushed to the woodworking area, eager to paw through the sweet-smelling wood scraps.

For her family, ArtFest signals a changing season, no matter what the weather, Hinds said.

“It’s fun to look at all the crafts,” she said.

“It kind of starts the summer.”