~ The 6th annual Francisco's Farm Arts Festival at Midway College is June 27 & 28 ~
We just have a few weeks left between now and the Festival to introduce you to another of the
150 artists from 17 states who will be coming to Midway. If you enjoy the newsletter consider using the 'Forward Email' link to share with friends and help us grow!
Check out the E-News Archives to meet the artists you may have missed.
Meet Douglas Sweet - Master Glass Blower
If you've never seen a glass-blowing demonstration you may not be aware of the skill and magic involved in this amazing dance of fire, color, and molten glass.
Douglas Sweet is fascinated by the spontaneity and fire involved in glassblowing.
Doug lives on a farm nestled in a wooded hollow in Southeastern Ohio. The rural setting provides a spiritual base which empowers him to create wonderful blown glass objects.
dimensions - 4"x4"x4"
Doug received his BA from Tulane University in 1971 and did some postgraduate work at Kent State University before moving to Southern Ohio. He established his own studio, Karuna Glass, in 1974.
A master of classic Italian glass making techniques like murrini, millefiori and glass cane, Sweet's work conveys the sensuality of fluid glass.
He portrays these characteristics with graceful flowing forms created with intensely colored glass rods cased in crystal. Using traditional glassblowing methods that are thousands of years old, Sweet creates each piece individually at the end of a blowpipe, working the glass at temperatures in excess of 2000 degrees F.
Sweet favors bright, pure colors achieved by overlaying dense opaque white glass with rich transparent colors to create the cane used in his vessels. These canes are use to create the first bubble of glass on the blow pipe.
Next they are covered with several gathers of clear glass before the blowing process begins. Using wet newspaper Doug flattens and shapes the bubble, bringing the forms to life by balancing form and color.
Remembering the fluidity of glass, he reflects its nature in his sensual forms. He is currently blowing glass vessels and bottles using Italian cane techniques. Doug is assisted in the blowing and design process by his wife Paulette.
Since I'm accustomed to digitally manipulating images, when I look at these pictures of Doug's work I am tempted to imagine them as 'electronically stretched'.
I couldn't resist the temptation - below is the vessel at left after being 'squashed' in Photoshop.
dimensions - 3"x4"x11" tall
Can you imagine manipulating molten glass into forms like these? Come visit Douglas Sweet at the Festival - find him in Booth #42
Thanks for your support! Talk to you next week! We're approaching Count Down range.....
Marcie Christensen
Event Coordinator / Imagineer
(pssst......the music stage schedule has just been posted.....surprises..)
UPCOMING EVENTS ~ MARK YOUR CALENDAR and JOIN US!
This Wednesday, May 27th ~ 6pm ~ Thoroughbred Theater
"Night of Midway Talent: A Fundraiser for Francisco's Farm Arts"
Admission is Free, Donations are welcome (as well as encouraged, promoted, appreciated, and unashamedly suggested!)
Featuring: Midway Baptist Praise Band, Bill and Leslie Penn, The Jones Boys, Billy and Lauren Hill, Margaret Lyle Gravitt, Bark Alley.......And a couple of SURPRISES.....
Sunday, June 7th ~ 5pm ~
"First Look: Francisco's Farm Arts Festival"
at First United Methodist Church ~ 211 Washington Street ~ Frankfort
FUMC sees art as one of its community services and a new facility has designated space for featuring art exhibits and events. They've chosen a selection of our 2009 exhibitors to present at their "First at First: An Evening of the Arts" series, which includes a jazz service.
I will be on hand to talk about the exhibit and the Festival before the service. The exhibit will be installed on May 17th and will remain up until the Closing Reception on June 25th ~ 5pm to 7pm.
PPS - Help This Art Festival THRIVE!
As I'm sure you can imagine, fundraising is a serious challenge this year. In challenging economic times, non-profits take advantage of the potential to raise pennies from every decent source and the pennies add up! You absolutely would not believe how much you can help us just by using a Kroger Gift Card.
Many non-profit organizations and schools earn money through this program, and we've joined them!
Order your Gift Card today. Mail a check for $5 and a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Francisco's Farm at the address below, and I'll send your card (preloaded with $5) and complete instructions. Each time you recharge (add money to) the card, Kroger will donate cash to the Festival.
When you order a Gift Card we'll put your name in the FarmBucks Drawing. One lucky winner, drawn before the Festival, will receive $100 in FarmBucks to spend on art at the Festival. AND every time your recharges total $500, we'll put your name in the drawing again!
Magnify your efforts by encouraging friends and family to order Gift Cards, too! There is no limit to the number of cards we can distribute or the amount of money we can earn.
Questions about how the Gift Cards work? Click here for the All The Answers!
