BEMIDJI — Since 1967, the Watermark Art Festival (formerly known as Art in the Park) has been a summer tradition in Bemidji, located in Library Park and outside the Watermark Art Center.
Executive Director Lori Forshee-Donnay said people can expect a wide range of types of art at the festival including pottery, painting, jewelry, textiles and furniture.
Forshee-Donnay said she believes a big draw for the event is people getting to meet the artists.
“You're buying their work, you're buying their art, and you get to buy it from the artist," she said. " ... To be able to buy directly from an artist, I think that's what makes the festival so fun.”
And it isn't just the people who attend. There’s also camaraderie built within the artist community as well. Artists recognize each other from other festivals because this is what a lot of them do during the summer.
A ton of volunteers lend a hand at the event. A lot of artists show up by themselves, and sometimes they need to step away from their booths. The Helping Hands crew steps in to cover while they’re away and helps them set up and cart in artwork.
Another group of volunteers comes from the Bemidji Boxing Club. They help set up tents, keep the park clean during the event and help take everything down at the end.
“We couldn't do it without them,” Forshee-Donnay said.
Numerous events
There will also be live music going on throughout the day on two stages. One is located on the north side of Library Park and the other is in the food court. Board Member Eric Carlson helped make the musician connections. Some of the performers will be Caige Jambor, Brock Beaulieu and the International Treasures.
Another featured set of events is the Indigenous Artist Demonstrations. There will be demonstrations on beadwork, birch bark earrings and moccasin making.
A new event added to the festival this year is the Weaving Water Workshop. Fiber artist and botanist Sarah Nassif will lead the hands-on fiber and indigo dye community experience. Visitors will make a fiber art sculpture that will be displayed at the Watermark Art Center.
Despite the amount of work that goes into setting up an event like this, Forshee-Donnay said it’s a great experience.
“It's just a beautiful environment and people are very relaxed once we get set up," she said. " ... Everybody kind of takes a sigh, and we're ready to just kind of enjoy ourselves for the weekend.”
The Watermark Art Festival starts at 10 a.m. and ends at 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 20. It continues from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 21. You can find the full list of events and artists at the Watermark Art Center website.
Listen to the full conversation with Lori Forshee-Donnay on the KAXE Morning Show above.
Tell us about upcoming arts events where you live in Northern Minnesota by emailing psa@kaxe.org.
Area Voices is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.
