Neepawa will be buzzing on Saturday. From food and fun, to art and entertainment, there won't be a quiet corner of town. Art Fest rolls back into the community, for the fifth year.
Yvonne Sisley, Executive Director of Arts Forward in Neepawa, detailed a few of the day's events.
"Neepawa Gladstone Co-op is actually doing a free community BBQ here just outside of Arts Forward, we've got some live music going, we'll have other music going...we'll have artists painting, we have a Plein Air workshop, we've flown Perry Haddock out from B.C, he's a Canadian fine artist and he does Plein Air paintings, so he's doing a workshop," said Sisley.
Sisley said Haddock's Plein Air style will bring a lot to the workshop. She said there are both comparisons and unique differences between his work and the work of Weiming Zhao, one of Manitoba's most well-known Plein Air artists. The differences will bring a lot of new ideas to Parkland artists. Pictured below is "Elgin Park Trail", one of Haddock's Plein Air works.
Though the event is named Art Fest, it means a lot more than just art to the community. There are several events throughout the day, including Amazing Race Neepawa, which is organized by Arts Forward, and Neepawa's rescheduled Canada Day fireworks display.
"It's a great event. People get to see the art, listen to live music, have something to eat, and then we also have Amazing Race which is part of it, so right now we've got just under a hundred people registered Amazing Race," said Sisley.
In addition, parts of Art Fest are Neepawa staples year-round. Neepawa's painted benches will be done over the weekend, though some of the more detailed ones have been done already so people can see them during Art Fest.
"This will be our fifth one, and Art Fest is received very well. We have painted benches that we do throughout Neepawa, and they're all done during Art Fest. We've got a couple that have been done ahead of time, just because they were quite intricate...those benches then become part of the Neepawa Art Trail, and it's just great, it's just the collaboration between the businesses and the local artists that volunteer their time to paint the bench and what they bring to life is just absolutely amazing," said Sisley.
Sisley is already looking forward to this year's edition of Neepawa Art Fest, set for this Saturday.
