Menlo Park Sidewalk Arts and Crafts Fall Fest

Downtown Menlo Park plays host to the Menlo Park Sidewalk Fine Arts and Crafts Fall Fest Friday and Saturday, October 2 and 3 from 10 am to 6 pm and Sunday, October 4 from 10 am to 5 pm. This 19th annual art-filled family event will give visitors the opportunity to browse and shop among the many one-of-a-kind creations displayed in charming downtown Menlo Park by a variety of talented artists.

Taking place along Santa Cruz Avenue off El Camino Real, the Sidewalk Arts and Crafts Fall Fest is free to the public and features an exciting array of original works by more than 50 artists and craft makers including paintings, jewelry, photography, unique wood items, clothing, accessories, toys and much more. All of the artists will be on hand to visit with patrons while some will be demonstrating their craft during the show. This year’s featured artists include:

Bernadine Belaski-McGee

Studio: San Juan Bautista

Medium: Photography

Art: Fine art photography

Creative Process: “My creative process is being inspired and moved by things and places I see.As a child, I remember my Dad being a camera and home movie buff. We also had National Geographic magazines in the house as long as I can remember. I spent a lot of time looking at the images in this magazine. Those images definitely left a long lasting impression on my career decisions. Starting with a toy camera as a child, and moving my way up to a real film camera; from a 126 and 110 cartridge, to 35mm film. Continually progressing in camera’s and equipment, I now photograph with a Canon EOS 1D Mark II.My training as a lab technician in commercial photographic labs has only helped increase my love and passion for the art. The enjoyment I had using film, exposing the image through an enlarger lamp head onto the blank photo paper was exciting to me. Seeing a non-existent image come to life as it sat in the chemical baths was always so fascinating to me. The love and thrill of the process never got old.For me photography is more than a job or a career. It is a form of communication. Expressing a thought, or an emotion in a visual way.”

Francine Fiesel

Studio: Sabastopol

Medium: Pearls

Art: Jewelry

Creative Process: “From the start, I knew I wanted to work with pearls. I am drawn to their natural iridescence and stunning palette of colors. For me, they are a symbol of the treasure within,” says Francine. “As I spread out a variety of stones and pearls on my workbench, the creative process begins. Only by playing with the various pearls and watching the interplay of color, shape and texture, does the piece start to take form. I love to design in color stories, layering shades of color. My designs are clean and elegant, celebrating the distinctive qualities of each pearl and semi-precious stone I use. The creative process does not end with the finished piece of jewelry. For me, the process continues as I work with each woman to find just the right piece to complement her special coloring and style—the piece that reflects her own inner beauty.”

Chris Efstratis

Studio: Sacramento

Medium: Clay

Art: Small sculptures to larger than life heads that stand upwards to eight feet tall

Creative Process: Sculptor Chris Efstratis creates clay vessels of all sizes, some of which stand eight feet tall. Most of his sculptures incorporate bright, bold colors accompanied by shadows of cool colors. “Some of my pieces have underlying meanings due to their action or character, but sometimes I just like building something simply because it is fun,” says Chris. “I sometimes have no idea what I am going to make, but just start out by getting my hands into the clay until something dawns on me, perhaps accidentally.”

For more information about the Menlo Park Sidewalk Arts and Crafts Fall Fest, contact the Menlo Park Chamber of Commerce at (650) 325-2818 or Pacific Fine Arts Festivals at (209) 267-4394 or www.pacificfinearts.com. You can also see more information on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/PacificFineArts and on Twitter @PacificFineArts.