We had a great time in our booth Saturday July 22 at the 2006 Alaska Garden and Art Festival at the Palmer Fairgrounds. Friday night, with the help of our house guests, we set up our 20’ x 10’ booth walls and hung artwork. Instead of the usual double and triple hung walls, I chose to hang the framed art museum style, in a single row. Since we were including original paintings as well and framed prints, the evenly spaced single row of art allowed each individual piece to stand alone and could be viewed in depth without distraction. It looked fabulous!
During the show, Saturday, we met many tourists who were in awe of the variety of flowers blooming in Alaska. Many nurseries were present with lovely displays of exotic and favorite potted plants, flowers were woven into themes by crafters, ironworks, mosaics, stained glass, and art. Gardening utensils, hats, and fertilizer were available for purchase and advice was freely offered. Multiple seminars were held all day long. Fairgoers were relaxed and happy dining on excellent food while pulling red wagons filled with purchases.
I met people who were vacationing, and renewed many past acquaintances from my years of painting in the Wrangell-St. Elias mountains and the Copper River basin of interior Alaska. Collectors of Niebrugge art found new pieces to acquire. All in all it was a wonderful, rewarding event.
And, over and over I was reminded of the value of talking to people about my work, explaining technique, or telling the story behind the creation of a painting. Visiting art fairs is a wonderful way to connect with the artist, and a excellent way to learn about the motivation and the drive behind creativity. Thanks to all who visited my booth and for the joy you bring to my heart.
Gail Niebrugge, Alaska Artist
