One of Boise’s most beloved local art events of the year came around during Sept. 9-11 and once again, did not disappoint. This year’s Art in the Park featured 240 arts and crafts vendors, 49 new artists and 106 local Idaho artists.
The Boise Art Museum’s Art in the Park provided a splendid weekend of food vendors, live music, entertainment and artists across every medium.
Jann Harris Smith of Salt City Smithery fell in love with the event as a regular customer and had her first experience as a vendor at Art in the Park this year.
“I truly enjoyed being there. I had always wanted to be in the show because I used to live in Boise and that was the big event of the year, being able to go to Art in the Park,” Smith said.
Smith is a metalsmith based out of Salt Lake City, Utah, with roots in Idaho. Her studio, Salt City Smithery, is best known for their classes like silversmithing and beading. In her preparation for Art in the Park, Smith worked tirelessly.
“I did a lot of prep, like 12 hours a day, working my way up to it into the studio,” Smith said, “but it was a labor of love, and it went really well … I had good sales and it was so worth it.”
Smith, along with many other artists, mentioned that this year’s Art in the Park couldn’t have gone better.
“I had good sales, and it was so worth it. I was blown away,” Smith said. “I did very well, far more than I expected, and it’s such a pleasant setting. The weather was perfect. You couldn’t have asked for better than that.”
Lindsey Chanell, an artist based in Teton, Idaho, who creates detailed nature-inspired mugs, had just as noteworthy of a first-time experience.
She noted that it was an incredible market in which to sell her mugs and one of the best-suited events she had the pleasure of selling at.
“I’ve been to a lot of events that I wasn’t suited for, but this one was just a good match, and I sold more than I expected,” Chanell said.
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Just like Smith, the preparation was time intensive. Chanell mentioned that the prep for the event was not quite what she expected, and she had to hone in on her woodworking skills to build all the shelves needed to display her work.
Still, she expressed her anticipation toward participating in next year’s Art in the Park.
“It was all worth it in the end,” Chanell said.
This year, the Gene Harris Bandshell stage hosted entertainment for all three days of the event including The Star Belly Dancers, local indie folk rock band The Trees of The Trees, folk singers Blaze and Kelly and the Ballet Idaho Academy Youth Company.
Among all the amenities of food and entertainment, a large white tent across the Rose Garden made space for children’s hands-on art sessions. Kids had the opportunity to create collages and paint in a setting inspired by art.
Artist Chris Efstratis, a more seasoned Art in the Park veteran, declared that this year was the best.
“It was the best year yet — [the] most people, [the] most sales and the best weather,” Efstratis said.
Efstratis is a ceramist, painter and multimedia artist with an emphasis on sculpture. He is based out of his Sacramento ceramics studio and is constantly on the road. He has commuted down to Art In the Park for the past three years.
The environment of this year’s Art in the Park was one of good energy with families, artists and event-goers alike dancing and enjoying the communal spirit of the event.
