Creekside Arts Festival Starts Tonight

The is celebrating its 16th birthday this weekend and is doing so with the 8th annual Creekside Arts Festival.

The thee-day festival showcases art from professional and amateur artists, including student pieces from local preschool, elementary, middle and high schools. Along with the art, the festival raises awareness about the environment and hopes to inspire people of all ages to make the future better than the present.

"(The festival) kind of shows you how everything is related between the arts and sciences," said Arlene Nielsen, the event director for the festival.

Starting Saturday, vendors will be selling a variety of art at the library, from paintings to origami to beaded jewelry.

Experts on the local environment and culture will also be featured. Michelle Luebke from the Department of Conservation will lead a creekside exploration at 10 a.m. Saturday. Jim Hale, an ethnobotanist, will talk local Chupcan culture starting at 2 p.m. Saturday.

The festival raises money for programs at the library and is expected to bring in about $1,200, but Nielsen said the event is not about the money.

"What makes this event different than others, I think, is it's not about the sale," Nielsen said. "It's about inspiration and support for the arts and highlighting those in the community that are talented and trying to educate."

------------------

Creekside Arts 2011 Schedule

Friday (6 to 8:30 p.m.)

• 6:30 p.m. — Adaptations presents, a "Live" King Snake and other reptiles by Leslie Jordan. Join Julie Van Wyk, Creekside Artist Guild artist and paint or sketch these local reptiles.
• 7 p.m. — Musical entertainment.
• 7:30 p.m. — Presentation of Awards — professional jury by The Hearst Gallery, Art Concepts, Inc. and The Arts and Culture Commission of Contra Costa County on artwork submissions depicting the theme.

Saturday (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.)

• Art sales all day — On going "Live" demo's in Bio Art, painting, beaded jewelry, origami, plus storytelling, crafts, rock & face painting for kids.
• 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. — "Plein Air" painting — Paint with Leslie Wilson, member of the California Watercolor Association.
• 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. — Creekside Exploration — By Michelle Luebke, Department of Conservation.
• 11 a.m. — Cultural Storytelling, Crafts & Face Painting – By ClaytonArts and CSI students.
• 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. — Rock Painting — By Cheryl Morgan, all ages join in and paint rocks!
• 2 p.m. — Local Chupcan Culture — Jim Hale, ethnobotanist, wildlife biologist, author, presents artifacts, pictographs, books on local sites. Interpretive Tour follows w/ photo ops.
• 3 p.m. — ClaytonArts Academy — Join in the improv workshop and other activities with students.

Sunday (1 p.m. to 5 p.m.)

• Art sales and live demos all day.
• 1 p.m. — Performance Poetry — Led by Tazuo Yamaguchi, national haiku poetry winner and filmaker. Open reading to follow.
• 2 p.m. — Diablo Talko — Japanese drumming, led by Jiro and Zenidaiko, led by Aki Rasmussen.
• 3:30 p.m. — Open jam session.
• 4 p.m. — People's Choice Awards — Voting open all weekend.