SOCORRO - Everyone is an artist when they attend the 14th Annual Community Arts party next Saturday, Feb. 6, at Finley Gym. Arts and crafts, ranging from corn husk dolls to wire art, from painted rocks to corn starch mush, will be demonstrated and created throughout the day.
All the arts projects are run by local volunteers, either professional artists or people who love doing arts and crafts projects that can be created by all members of the family.
The Arts Party was founded in 1996 by Ronna Kalish, Director of the New Mexico Tech Performing Arts Series, and former Socorro artist Becky Titus-Taylor.
“The idea is that hands-on arts and crafts workshops are not just for kids, but all ages,” Kalish said in an interview. “It became so well attended we added it to the PAS schedule. We wanted to provide meaningful arts activities that families can learn and do at home together; and to spend quality time together as a community engaged in the arts.”
Titus-Taylor, who has since moved to Jemez Springs, is the artist responsible for the Festival of the Crayons installation each year during Festival of the Cranes.
She and her husband Mark Taylor, participate each year with a center-piece project, always something big and fun.
“I do something different every year. Last year we did big silly faces on a stick,” Titus-Taylor said. “In the beginning we wanted to have the kids make one large thing together, like a show piece. But that became a problem with what to do with the thing afterward – who was going to he the one to take it home.
“Ronna and I started this because we thought that there should be an arts event in town that everybody could take part in; a place where artists could participate and bring in fun things to do,” Titus-Taylor said. “The City of Socorro supported the idea by letting us use Finley Gym. It’s the perfect venue.”
She said the first party was an immediate hit.
“It was well attended right off the bat, and pretty quickly it mushroomed,” Titus-Taylor said.
The first Community Arts Party drew about 600 people, and last year the event was attended by “well over one thousand,” filling the floor of Finley Gym, Kalish said.
This year the projects will be as varied as the artists conducting them:
Paint-A-Tile - Liz Alvarez
Tye Die Bandanas – Nicole Beaudoin/Dancing Rainbows
Whimsical Wire Danglies - David Burleigh
Pottery - Vince Cardaga
Chinese Names –Chinese Assoc. of New Mexico Tech/Chinese Clubs of Socorro High and Sarracino Middle
Candle Dipping - Beth Schmidt Crowder
Flower Fairies – Karyn DeBont
Design-A-Quilt – Fiber Arts Guild of Socorro
Buttons – Mike Fort
Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest - Friends of the Bosque/Lisa Jackson
Sculpture – Sharon Fullingim
Heart Mounds –Interact Club of Socorro High
Woven Heart Pouches –Interact Club of Socorro High
Ojos - Stasia Kerkmans
Circular Weaving - Gerry Klinglesmith
Ribbon Roses - Linda Martinic
Candle Holders - Georgia Raymond
Silly Hats/Mr. Squiggly – Becky Titus-Taylor
Photo by Pat Kolbenschlag. Courtesy of Performing Arts Series
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something diffผลบอลerent every year. Last year we did big silly faces on a stick,” Titus-Taylor said. “In the beginning we wแทงบอลanted to have the kids make one large thing together, like a show piece. But that became a problem with what to do with the
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