Half way around the Freight House, Part 1

There was so much to see and do at the Lucas County Arts Council's C.B.&Q. Freight House yesterday that I'm only going to make it half way around this morning --- and even then, I missed several of the exhibitors.

The occasion was the council's annual Arts Festival, an event that features regional artists and craftspeople as well as the venue itself, an ideal backdrop.

Albia's Annette Jennings Scieszinski, a first-time participant in the Chariton event, was first on the left inside the exhibition hall. I had to ask, why "Aski?" --- her signature as an artist --- thereby overlooking the obvious. It's her first initial plus the final three letters of "Scieszinski." 

That, she told me, is one of the ways members of this big Melrose-rooted family refer to each other, "A-sky," "J-sky," "S-sky," etc.

Here's a view down the full length of the main room of the Freight House late Saturday morning as the crowd thinned a little over the noon hour.

A little farther down the hall I found fabric artist Meg Prange (left), visiting here with Kris Patrick. She had been working on a wall hanging depicting the Chariton Free Public Library, commissioned by Ray Meyer as a memorial to his late mother, Charlene (Trumbo) Meyer. When complete, it will hang in the library.

Here's another view of the hanging, unfolded.

Carolyn Shuff and her daughter, Espi, were up from Corydon with highly detailed pieces created with wood-burning tools.

Chery Woolsey (left) and her daughter, Tracy Cavin, of Chariton, brought painted gourd works to the show.

And veteran Chariton artist Steve Scott (with Lee to the left) displayed several of his highly detailed landscapes.

Steve enjoys talking about his art.

Here are closer views of one or two.

And Jeanette McGee brought photographic works to the show.

Out in the old freight office, the folks from Knoxville's Nearwood Winery greeted guests with wine samples and sales.

And the Chariton Free Public Library, using resources provided by a Dekko Foundation SPLASH grant, offered youngsters opportunitues to express themselves in color.

I'll be back tomorrow with more photos of artists and their art.