January 16, 2015
Contributed
The Paso Robles Festival of the Arts has become a celebrated and colorful part of the community since it first kicked off in 2009.
This year the fun will return to Paso Robles Saturday, May 28 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Downtown City Park celebrating both the arts and the environment.
The event features a Plein Air Quick-Draw and Auction, a fine art show & sale, interactive art seminars for adults, hands-on youth art classrooms, a community “paint jam,” environmental displays & native plant talks, live music and performances, stilt walkers, and more.
The theme for the 2011 festival is “The Colors of Water,” which will be celebrated in a juried art exhibition at Studios on the Park starting during the festival and continuing through the month of June.
The day of artistic expression is completely free to the public and features a fine art show and sale, quick-draw and auction, live entertainment, environmental exhibits and a youth art zone that takes up the entire west side of the park and features hands-on art projects, performance stage, face painter, stilt walkers and more.
The event this year is expanding with a reception and guest lecture on Friday night to kick off the festival.
“We are excited about adding another component to the festival with a reception and guest lecture. It has been our dream from the beginning for the Festival of the Arts to eventually fill up Memorial Day weekend with art-themed events, and this is a step in that direction,” said director Barbara Partridge. “The committee is continuing its search for a compelling art or river-themed event to eventually incorporate into the Festival as a second day, for now we are making sure that we add new surprises and enhancements to the festival, and we have definitely succeeded with that again this year.”
The free reception takes place at Studios on the Park at 1130 Pine St., beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, May 27 and offers attendees the opportunity to preview The Colors of Water exhibition that provides the theme to this year’s festival.
Immediately following the reception, attendees will walk over to the Library Conference center at 1000 Spring St. to take in a brief and fascinating look at how to find and purchase art that moves you. World-famous art historian, author and longtime director of the Irvine Museum, Jean Stern, is the preeminent authority on California landscape art and will given an illustrated lecture entitled “The Art of Looking at Art.”
His expertise to the 2011 Festival of the Arts was given for free.
“We are unbelievable fortunate to have an art expert of Jean Stern’s stature onboard this year. He has a personal friend who is a member of the Studios on the Park Board of Directors and he is the preeminent expert on California landscape art,” Anne Laddon said.
“I have many of his books in my collection, so it is very exciting to have him take part in the Festival of the Arts.”
Seating for Mr. Stern’s presentation is limited. To reserve a seat, call 238-9800 or email sasha@studiosonthepark.org.
A completely interactive map of the Festival space is available, along with a complete schedule of the day’s events at www.pasoartfestival.com.
About Jean Stern
A recognized authority on California impressionism, art historian Jean Stern has extensive experience in the field as an author, curator, lecturer and teacher.
He has been the executive director of the Irvine Museum since its inception in January, 1993, and has established a national presence for the Irvine Museum in the fields of California Art and History through a noteworthy international series of books, exhibitions, lectures, articles and video documentaries.
Visit www.prcity.com/FOTA for information.
