The Little Art Festival That Could

The Paso Robles Festival of the Arts has grown beyond organizers expectations

by the 2012 Paso Robles Festival of the Arts Committee

A Series of Fortunate Events

Momentum is a thing of beauty. When we started this adventure four years ago, we had no idea if the public would embrace it.

So you can imagine our surprise when the very first Paso Robles Festival of the Arts attracted 5,000 people to the downtown city park. Imagine our further surprise when, in 2010, the number of participating artists nearly doubled. Then, in 2011, when the eminent art historian Jean Stern of the Irvine Museum agreed to be our guest speaker, we got an inkling that this little art festival of ours might turn into something big. And boy, has it ever. 

Between sheer courage, lucky connections and lots of hard work, the 2012 Festival of the Arts has grown to THREE DAYS! ­Our art palette runneth over.

 Art in the Wild

2012 is a turning point for the festival in terms of artist participation. We have over 100 artists participating throughout the weekend and 30 of the best plein air artists in California in our Quick-Draw.

Plein air artists are a rare breed of individuals. They insist on being outdoors as much as possible; they take in the details of life and set them down for posterity; they sometimes go to tremendous lengths to produce their art.

Thirty of the bravest and most talented plein air artists in the state will converge on the Paso Robles downtown city park on Saturday, May 26th at 9am for the Quick-Draw, with two hours to complete a painting. Many of them will also be showing off the best of their existing work in a special exhibition at Studios on the Park called “Plein Air Masters” and will be the subject of the keynote address on Friday that promises to delight and entertain.

We could not have imagined the success of this event to this degree when we started this dream. And it gets better.

The Collaboration of the Titans

Our committee of 14 hails from all walks of life and business industries. As a result, there is a unique mix of connections that have led to an AMAZING lineup of surprises at this year’s festival.

Friday’s guest lecture series leads with a talk on African American quilting called “Quilting a Culture and All That Jazz” by Dr. Denise Sheridan of Cal Poly. That’s followed by an avant-garde panel of local artists moderated by New Times’ editor Ashley Schwellenbach entitled “Don’t Feed the Artists.” The keynote address, “Plein Air Painters. Crazy About Nature, or Just Plain Crazy?” given by Stephen Doherty, editor of Plein Air Magazine, will round out the all-star mix of guest speakers.

For Saturday’s Main Event the Travel Channel’s Sand Masters will be building gigantic sandcastles on Pine Street and teaching our children how to do the same – all sponsored by PG&E. The Paso Robles REC Foundation has commissioned a giant sculpture to be placed on the river walk trail and the artist who is building it will bring it here for the public to see the work in progress; the Dragon Knight Stiltwalkers are back; there will be aerial ribbon acrobats performing; the fun local band the Mother Corn Shuckers will perform in a newly upgraded River Lounge on Pine Street; in addition to 70+ talented artists displaying and selling their work, 9 environmental partners, 10 youth activities and over a dozen live performances throughout the day!

Sunday now kicks off with the Art & Soul Awards Brunch. Guests will munch on delicious treats, both savory and sweet, and enjoy the inspirational gospel music of the Karen Tyler Trio. Immediately following is the self-guided Exclusive Westside Art Tour that is being put on by the Paso Robles Art Association. The first tour if its kind in Paso Robles, it will pass through the private collections of two local home owners and promises to delight and inspire the art lover as well as the curious.

 

This feels like having a tiger by the tail. In a good way.

A Community Thanks You

This Festival of the Arts is a symbol of the spirit of Paso Robles on so many levels: It’s not afraid to think outside the box and take chances; it stepped up to fill the Memorial Day Weekend event gap to help keep the local economy healthy; it continues to thrive in the face of a recession; it is bringing something new and amazing to the community because it’s the right thing to do. None of us take for granted that 200 volunteers help us pull this off, that dozens of sponsors support this event and most of all, that locals and visitors come out to the event and continue to support the arts in Paso Robles.

For all of you that are planning to attend the 2012 Festival of the Arts, this community – both Paso Robles and its art community – thanks and welcomes you. We will be right there with you, having the time of our lives at The Little Art Festival That Could.

Zac Brown Band To Perform This Summer at The California Mid-State Fair

Paso Robles, CA - The California Mid-State Fair, as part of the Budweiser Concert Series, is pleased to announce that the Zac Brown Band is set to perform on Thursday, July 19th, 2012, at 7:30p in the Main Grandstand Arena.

Ticket prices for the show are $55, $70, $80, and $105 and will go on sale Thursday, May 17th at 10:00a. Tickets will be available at the California Mid-State Fair box office (2198 Riverside Avenue in Paso Robles), any ValliTix location, on-line at www.midstatefair.com or by calling 1-800-909-FAIR.

Paper Surgeon: Collage Art by Hope Kroll

"Vale Fine Art exhibiting works by Paso Robles' resident and internationally acclaimed collage artist Hope Kroll from over the past decade."

Exhibition Dates: May 26 – June 23, 2012 / Opening night May 26, 6-9pm
Where: Vale Fine Art, 619 12th Street, Paso Robles, CA 93446

Paso Robles, May 2012. When contemplating the work of Hope Kroll a saying comes to mind by the early 20th Century Indian classical musician and Sufi mystic Hazrat Inayat Khan; The mind is the surface of the heart, and the heart is the depth of the mind. Kroll’s work explores the nature of the heart and mind in a way that is playful and yet insightful calling up tenderness as well as terror and equal parts of rapture and repulsion.  Opening Saturday, May 26 with an opening reception from 6-9pm and continuing through June 23.

Tickets for Brad Paisley to Go On Sale Friday, May 4th

The Band Perry & Easton Corbin confirmed as show openers

PASO ROBLES (CA) – The California Mid-State Fair, as part of the Budweiser Concert Series, is pleased to announce that tickets for this summer’s Brad Paisley concert will go on sale on Friday, May 4th at 10:00a. Furthermore, The Band Perry and Easton Corbin have been confirmed as the show’s opening acts.

Phantom Project is Going to Hit Paso!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Paso Robles, California – May 5 to June 2, 2012 -  Second Phantom Project Show to be hosted in Paso Robles.

This is a different kind of show…really.

What is a Phantom Show?

Phantom Shows are pop-up art shows in ephemeral galleries. The locations are chosen based on available vacant urban retail space. Phantom Show locations will vary based on available vacancies and the good will of the property owners. The inaugural event was held in downtown San Luis Obispo in February.

The first Phantom was so successful that a second Phantom Project is being held in the A&R Furniture building in downtown Paso Robles from May 5^th through June 2, 2012.  The show will run concurrently with the Wine Festival and the Festival of the Arts and is expected to have a huge draw of both local residents as well as out of area folks.

The difference with this show is that the public will be able to view ALL entries into the show, whether they were juried in by the two prestigious jurors or not.  What else can we do with over 10,000 square feet of space? We intend to show you just how an art show is put together.  In all juried exhibits, there is wonderful art that does not get chosen to hang in the final exhibit.

Each juror will chose from 60 to 80 pieces of work to include in their version of show.  Three winners will be chosen by each juror as well.  Both of the jurors versions will be hung for exhibit.  There will also be a version with all the work that was not accepted.  During the course of the exhibit, the public will have the opportunity to choose three winners as well and these winners will be announced at the closing reception.

This will be an excellent opportunity for the public to view how a juried art exhibit is put together as well as to see if the public choice of three winners is the same as the jurors.  The net effect will be an exhibition not only of the art, but also of the jury process, illustrating the variability, complexity, and subjectivity of that process. It will be three concurrent versions of the same show: two juried versions and the overall show, all displayed together.

An opening reception will take place on Saturday, May 5 from 6-9pm.  Please join us for what looks to be one of the most spectacular shows around!

A closing reception, and announcement of the “Peoples Choice” will be held on Saturday, June 2 from 6-9pm.

The Phantom Project will be held in downtown Paso Robles at the A&R Furniture building on the corner of 12^th and Pine Street, facing the City Park. Viewing hours are Friday, Saturday – 12-9pm and Sunday - 12-6pm.  For more information:  http://www.sloma.org/exhibits/the-phantom-project.php


Contact:
Michael Reddell
PO Box 160
Cambria, California, 93428
805.924.1767
michael@reddell.net

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Chef Chris Kobayashi and Artisan Announce Second Season of "Snack Bar" on Wednesdays

Spring Harvest, House-Made and Foraged Foods are Focus of Small Plate Showcase at the Bar and Dining Room

PASO ROBLES, California; March 28, 2012 – Artisan, the acclaimed American Bistro by brothers Chris and Mike Kobayashi in the heart of Paso Robles, announces the return of Snack Bar,  their small plate menu concept available on Wednesday evenings at the bar and throughout the dining room for the spring season.

Pat Benatar and Loverboy to Open for Journey

PASO ROBLES (CA) – The California Mid-State Fair, as part of the Budweiser Concert Series, is pleased to announce that Pat Benatar and Loverboy have been confirmed as the opening acts for the Journey concert on July 24, 2012.

Fort Building FUN at the Firehouse!

Expanding your child's Imagination through PLAY!

The Paso Robles Children's Museum - Saturday, April 7th through Saturday, April 14th, 2012 - Noon through 3pm. This exhibit will be offered at no additional fee, regular admission fees apply.

Your child will be encouraged to expand their creativity and imagination while building their own fort! We will provide the building supplies and you will provide the hands on experience through the memories of your childhood. We invite you to come Play and Learn - Fort Building FUN at the Firehouse!  

PierceModern Adds New Artsts To Its Collection

PierceModern Gallery introduces two new artists to its contemporary art gallery.

Acclaimed jewelry artisan, Julio Benez, is now a permanent addition to PierceModern Gallery. Julio, originally a native of Brazil, has been most inspired by the diverse nature of his home country with an abstract interpretation for curves and lines derived from architectural details. Julio's Wrought Iron collection is based on medieval blacksmith work from Portugal, Spain and Italy; giving each one of his pieces an innovative and elegant look. Julio does custom work for the entertainment industry and weddings on a large scale. Please come in and see this unique work.

Downtown Paso Robles - Meet the Easter Bunny

Downtown Paso Robles Main Street Association presents..
Hop To It – Meet the Easter Bunny

The Easter Bunny will be the guest of the Downtown Paso Robles Main Street Association on Saturday, March 31, 2012 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Just come downtown to the City Park Holiday House (Park & 12th Streets). He’ll be giving out Easter Eggs. Bring your camera and take your picture with the Easter Bunny.

For more information, call the Downtown Paso Robles Main Street Association office at 805-238-4103.