Weekend Brings Art Blast on the Mon

Washington PA Observer Reporter
3 September 2010
By Tara Kinsell, Staff writer
tkinsell@observer-reporter.com

GREENSBORO - It has been five years since the Art Blast on the Mon became a Labor Day weekend tradition in Greensboro. This year, the organizers have chosen to move the popular event from its Front Street location to the grounds of the Old Greensboro Schoolhouse, located on Second Street in Greensboro.

The schoolhouse, also known as Monon Center, was re-acquired by the borough last year. Although the building itself will not be open during the Art Blast festival, the grounds are the perfect setting for the event.

"It is a little easier to do it there than it is on Front Street," said borough Councilwoman Mary Shine. "There is a lot of room there for all of the festivities."

Shine and Elm Street manager Darlene Urban-Garrett said that in the past, the traffic along the main thoroughfare was a problem for local businesses. The street also is a state-maintained road, and that presented its own set of problems, Shine and Urban-Garrett noted.

Art Blast will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and will continue with a Community Day beginning at 9:30 a.m. Sunday with a community worship service at the Greensboro Gazebo. Those attending the worship service are asked to bring a chair.

New for the 2010 Art Blast will be a showcase of the work of fashion designer and independent filmmaker Gwendolyn Kiste of Zombie Apparel of Ohio.

Kiste and her models will present a fashion show on the all-new Old Greensboro Schoolhouse Stage at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

A quick look at Kiste's fashions reveals that they are as diverse as the inspirations for them. Kiste has credited some of her favorite comic book heroes and villains as inspiration.

Jewelry designers showing at Art Blast include Beth's Beads, Linda Metzler, Mary Richards, Becky Drew and Judith Berry. Attendees also will have the opportunity to watch some of these designers create their pieces during the weekend event.

Metzler, a certified gemologist from Pittsburgh, works in sterling silver and gemstones.

"She has offered for anyone who has stones that they need identified to bring them with them and she will be able to tell them what they are," Shine said.

Berry, of Washington, creates copper jewelry. The remaining designers work primarily in beads, according to Shine.

"We will have a really nice mix with everyone that is coming," she said.

Other artists participating include Melanie Miller of Kattaztrophe, Roberta Ellis of From Many Threads, Kathy's Naturals, batik fiber artist Saihou Njie, felt fiber artist Karen Page and Kathy Saesan.

Saesan will be selling handmade furniture crafted from 100-year-old barn wood.

Additional vendors include Tastefully Simple and Pampered Chef, among others. A Chinese auction with donated items from participating vendors will be held during the festival.

As has been tradition at Art Blast, musical performers will be heard throughout the day. The jazz stylings of the Daniel Baker Trio will take the stage from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, followed by blues music by the Dick Van Scooter Combo from 1 until 3 p.m. Local acoustic artist Mike Rudolph will finish the performances from 3 to 5 p.m.

Other Saturday activities include:


"We will have meatball sandwiches, pasta salad, Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream, Uncle Jim's Donuts and Funnel Cakes and grilled Dudas' Sweet Corn. They donated two big bushel bags of it to us," said Urban-Garrett. "There will be jewelry demonstrations and pottery demonstrations. Dave Reed will be displaying his collection of Greensboro Pottery. People really need to come out and see everything that we have going on."

The weekend concludes Sunday with Community Day lawn mower races at noon, sack races and egg toss at 1 p.m., along with dunk tank, raffles, foods, additional art vendors and a display of Lippencott Alpacas.

"The cost to enter the lawn mower races is $10, and the winner gets half of the take from the entries," said Urban-Garrett.

Festival parking is available at Greensboro Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6303. Handicapped parking is available on Stone Street between Front and Second Street. For information, visit natgreene.org or call 724-943-4462.