WILKES-BARRE — The 69th Fine Arts Fiesta kicked off Thursday morning on Public Square, bringing the local community together for one of the area’s most revered social events.
The first Fine Arts Fiesta was founded in 1956 by Annette Evans, who wished to bring the fine arts gatherings she experienced during her travels around the world to Wilkes-Barre. Since its founding, it has grown to become the oldest full-scale arts festival in Pennsylvania.
Mayor George Brown offered brief remarks at the opening ceremony, and was joined onstage by Ann Saxton, president of the fiesta’s board; Gina Malsky, the second vice president of the board; and students from Building Blocks Learning Center, who recited the pledge of allegiance and sang “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Brown highlighted a pair of free music performances — Flaxy Morgan on Friday and the Badlees on Saturday — in sharing his excitement for the four-day festival.
The artists themselves were ready for the fiesta crowd to roll in on Thursday.
Dave and Sue Guzik, of the Fly Me Home shop in Pittston, have appeared at the past 15 or so editions of the Fine Arts Fiesta. Dave is responsible for the works made from silverware, while Sue has her mosaics and mixed-media projects on display under their tent. Sometimes, the couple works on pieces together.
Of all the shows the pair has worked on over the years, the Fine Arts Fiesta stands out.
“We do a lot of shows, and this one’s the best organized, the nicest people,” said Dave. “They treat you so nice.”
Sue is looking forward to the crowds that come to Public Square for the free music performances, but added that there are familiar faces that carry over each day of the festival.
“[The free concert] always draws a big crowd,” said Sue. “Everybody comes out, between the people working — they come out for lunch — we see the same people every day. They come every day, and then people come out for dinner. There’s tons of good food and music all day long.”
Another returning vendor, Misho Vance, of the Back Mountain area, brought artwork that incorporated sand from across the world with her to the Fine Arts Fiesta.
“It’s all resin, so it’s a two-part epoxy. Once you mix it together, you only have about 20 minutes to work with it,” Vance said of her water-themed treasures. “Each wave is a different layer. I get sand from all the different beaches that I go to.”
Her pieces include sand from Vieques, Cape May, and Marathon in the Florida Keys.
In addition, some of her rockier works use stones that are reminiscent of local creeks, around which she grew up playing.
Visho also brought along some upcycled vinyl records, which she used as the base for even more unique creations in her style.
“My in-laws were ballroom dancers, so when they passed away, we inherited all their ballroom dancing records, and that’s what we’re doing with them,” Vance explained.
Under the Sordoni Art Gallery tent, Melissa Carestia was ready to help children create art of their own. Each day of the fiesta, the Sordoni crew will help kids make pinch pots, banners, wind socks, and flower pots, in that order, from Thursday to Sunday.
Because the art gallery will be undergoing maintenance this summer, Carestia was also at the festival on Thursday to bring light to the exciting promotions the Sordoni will be bringing to the community over the next few months. They’ll be hosting an outdoor film series on the Wilkes University campus, as well as a Family Day on August 9. They will also have a presence at NEPA PrideFest, the Multicultural Parade and Festival and the Wilkes-Barre Farmers Market.
Carestia, the assistant director of the Sordoni Art Gallery, noted that the festival will be celebrating its 70th anniversary next year.
“It’s great that they’ve been able to keep this event going for that long, that it is consistently well-attended, that people are excited for it, that they’re able to bring to together, not only individual artisans and artists in the community, but organizations, like us and the Wyoming Valley Art League.”
Carestia believes that the art gallery’s visibility in the community, through the Fine Arts Fiesta and their other summer events, will help knock down any barriers that might be impeding the general public’s engagement with art.
“Some people think the arts are scary or galleries might not be for them, but that’s not true,” Carestia explained. “The art gallery’s for everyone. Art is for everyone. It’s what makes us human. Being able to create art lovers from a young age is something that we’re trying to do.”