Oglebayfest Artist Market 2011

Kyle Hallam and Robert Villamagna

This is the fourth year in a row that I have exhibited at the Oglebayfest Artist Market at Oglebay Park. For my wife, Chris, and I, the best part of this festival is that it is located right here in Wheeling, WV and only a mile and half from our house. Our friend Kyle Hallam, ceramic artist supreme, from Greene County, PA , did not do the Artist Market this year. However, Kyle did come up Saturday to spend the day with us at the fair. Another good friend, fiber artist Susan Levi-Goerlich of Columbia, MD, was unable to make it as well. We missed having Kyle and Susan as house guests this year.

From left: Artist Patricia Croft, Chris Villamagna, Susan Hogan, and the clay ninja, Lambros Tsuhlares.

The weather for Oglebayfest was the best I have ever seen……74 and sunny on Friday, 76 and sunny on Saturday, 80 and sunny on Sunday! Wow! It just does not get any better than that! And all that wonderful weather really brought out the people.

Bright, blue skies all weekend!

My booth at the Artist's Market.

Chris and I have a difficult time leaving an art fair without making a few purchases from fellow artists. We picked up a couple tankards from Lambros and a great pot from Arron

Clay artist Aaron Anslow with our new addition.

Our Anslow pot just before we decided to take it home.

Exhibitors Tim and Suz Pisano from Pittsburgh.

Booth of Pittsburgh watercolorist Jan Portnoy.

Lambros and I toast the weekend while trying out the new tankards he made.

It was a wonderful weekend with artist friends, visiting friends, seeing former and current students, good sales, fried potatoes, and beautiful weather sandwiched between two rain-filled weekends (Whew!) Just wish we could bottle this weekend and open it up every October!

2011 West Virginia Juried Exhibition

For 30 years the West Virginia Juried Exhibition has been held at the State Capitol complex in Charleston. Four years ago the biennial exhibition began to “travel”, first to Morgarntown, then to Huntington. This year it is in my own backyard, the Stifel Fine Arts Center in Wheeling. The number of works entered in this years exhibition was 450, an all time high, with 72 pieces being accepted by the jurors. I am always excited and honored to have my work included this exhibition, and this year two of my works were included. Several of my artist friends from the Wheeling area….Cheryl Harshman, Nancy Tirone, and Herb Weaver…..also had works in the exhibition. In this post I am giving you just a taste of the 72 works in the exhibition. I hope by seeing the some of the works in my blog that you will be encouraged to visit the Stifel Fine Arts Center and see the exhibition in person. The exhibition runs through January 2, 2012.

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