Wine glasses and paintings decorate youthful Art and Wine
Festival
Betsy Avelar Staff Writer
Gilroy – Call it a success.
The second annual Art and Wine Festival attracted more visitors who strolled the green grass of Christmas Hill Park, and enjoyed wine, crafts and food.
The bright, sunny day brought more than 500 locals to the festival, said Jane Howard, executive director of the Gilroy Visitors Bureau, who said there was a significant increase in the sales of wine glasses.
“We sold almost double the amount of wine glasses this year,” said Howard. Last year 825 to 850 glasses were sold, not including the wine tasters who brought their own glass.
“There’s more people (here),” said Barbi Theroux, 39, of Gilroy. “Last year when I got here, there was really no one here, and this year it was bustling by 10am,” she said.
Last year the Art and Wine festival attracted 300 to 500 visitors, said Cathy Mirelez, Cultural and Arts Director for the city and part of the nine-member committee of various city staff members who helped plan the festival.
A kids craft area offered five crafts for $5, 10 food booths lured hungry people with their garlic aromas and BBQ ribs, 18 other craft vendors displayed their best work, 10 wineries made an appearance, and four bands livened up the mood.
“It’s a wonderful way to showcase our local talent,” said Mirelez, exhibition organizer. “Now the art and cultural exhibit will remain a part of the festival for years to come. We incorporated it into the Art and Wine Festival, and lots more people have been able to view the art.” Local artists from Hollister to Morgan Hill showcased their work, and priced their pieces some up to $300. Arthur Marsh of Gilroy was one of the artists that sold some of his art last year.
“It gives me a lot of satisfaction. It’s the fact that they really appreciate it,” said the 56-year-old artist of his customers.
There were a total of 45 artists participating, and more than 100 pieces in the exhibit with eight categories from drawing to photography. The pieces were then judged and ranked within their respective categories. Although Marsh did not win any awards for his art this year, he was hopeful that someone would buy another piece from him.
“I think I get a little more satisfaction when a person puts money down for it,” he said while admiring his old rustic style painting titled “Gardens flowers and fruit.”
Mirelez, the organizer of the art exhibition helped with the planning of the event last year and said one of the hopes festival organizers is to bring more money in as the years progress.
“We’re looking to break even, and we would like to bring money in,” she said.
Though one cannot compare this youthful festival to the Garlic Festival, Carol Peters, committee member of the Art and Cultural committee for the city, believes it is the start of something big.
“It’s relaxed, its more community oriented. This is just like when the Garlic Festival started,” said Peters, 50, of Gilroy. And just like the Garlic Festival needs plenty of volunteers, the art exhibit used the help of two Gilroy High students Erin Chan, and Kyle Alexander Fanthorpe.
“I was interested in seeing the growth of the community, and Erin and I worked together to create a collaboration between the high school and the commission,” said Fanthorpe referring to the Cultural and Arts commission of the city.
Unlike these students who did not taste the wine at the festival, Sandra Schlenkhoff of Hollister enjoyed it.
“The wine tastes great,” said the 43-year-old after sipping on clear white Riesling. As she stood before the Guglielmo winery booth of Morgan Hill, she took another sip. “Its sweet, light and crisp.”
Betsy Avelar is an intern for South Valley Newspapers and attends Gavilan College. Reach her at 847-7216 or ba*****@sv**********.com.
