Art Abounds at Annual Show

This past weekend, the Newport Yachting Center was once again transformed into a world within itself - this time as an arts festival. The Newport Arts Festival returned for its fourth year under the tent, and was again overflowing with talent. Artists from all over gathered to attend the yearly fundraiser for Looking Upwards, a Middletown-based nonprofit whose mission is to help children and adults with disabilities lead fulfilling lives. The organization currently serves about 500 adults and children with developmental disabilities and children with special health care needs.

As part of the nonprofit's Day Enrichment program, some of the members doubled as artists, like Alison Worthen, who sold her handmade cards at the Looking Upwards table on Saturday. She said the inspiration for her Prisma marker designs came from her head as well as the Internet. Surrounding the cards was a collection of jewelry and a tree adorned with dozens of cloth birds hung with fishing line, also created by program members.

Visitors were welcomed to the festival with a trombone-led number by jazz-funk group "knuf said." The teen act, made up of youth from RI and MA, had the atmosphere buzzing from the start on Saturday morning. The bar was soon opened, the oysters were shucked and the art was everywhere. Only in New England would a food vendor celebrate that they offer "Lobster Bisque in Bread Bowls," as did CC's Spiral Potatoes, or $2 Wellfleet Oysters, like R. Shucks (traveling) Raw Bar.

"It's one more fun thing to do, rather than walking into another mall," said Anne Fried, an attendee who was in town from Natick, MA, with her daughter, Lindsey. The two said they were surprised to find the festival going on in downtown Saturday. The festivities continued on Sunday.

Art on display included something for everyone, including Ann McMahon's handmade hats (as well as Victorian "half" hats or "dolly" hats), David Barclay's paintings of instruments, Ken Lech's aquarium photographs (shot with a film camera underwater) and Michael Patterson's unique female form-dominated beach scenes. For many of the 60+ artists in attendance, it was their first time at the Newport Arts Festival, for others it was the fourth. Regardless of their freshman or veteran status, the eclectic group made for a fabulous array of handmade goods.

Uncle Thirsty's Cups, a duo from Providence, featured wheel-thrown porcelain cups and vases. They're fired at a high temperature to make the cups usable and dishwasher safe. Almost anything with color found on the mugs and vases is a vintage decal they order from the Midwest and transfer them on top of the ironed-on images on the mugs. The process can best be described to non-artistic folk as "applying a press-on tattoo." Their work is for sale at the RISD Gallery, as well as Queen of Hearts, soon to be expanding with Modern Love, both in Providence.

Jane Edmonds, the mind and hands behind Coastal Driftwood Designs, made a wreath from driftwood for her friend at Christmas five years ago. Now she makes mermaids, turtles, starfish, seahorses and wreaths, all from driftwood and other assorted items she finds washed up on shore. She uses every piece of wood as she finds it, not altering them at all. Her turtle piece is especially astounding, since the face of the turtle is also just as it was found, from the wrinkles around the eyes to the wise, amusing grin.

For the kids, there were the "Take Two Tandem Tellers," made up of Cindy Killavey and Anne-Marie Forer. The duo could be found Saturday telling a tale called "Jack and the Island of Diamonds" to a crowd of entranced youngsters. Christoper KaviCarbone , Tony Fonseca, and Keith Munslow rounded out the list of children's entertainers. Next door, kids could create their own paper flowers, have their faces painted and create an assortment of other summertime crafts.

Many of the artists who were at the Newport Arts Festival will be attending the Scituate Arts Festival from October 9 to 11. For a complete list of those in attendance this year, go to www.newportartsfestival.com.