ArtFest visitors find the right shade

Tempting aromas and live music filled the air Friday at the 22nd annual ArtFest.

Neighboring streets were packed with the cars of festival-goers.

And that was just the first day. David Brum, special programs coordinator for the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture, said today’s turnout is always bigger.

With the weather at almost 90 degrees, festival participants and patrons took shade under tarps and trees.

Colleen Clark-Loomer, a ceramic and stoneware artist who has participated in the festival since its first year, said the weather tends to be either rainy or too hot. Either way, she enjoys the community event.

Loomer’s glazing and brushwork-on-pottery demonstration Friday afternoon was done in the shade of a tarp.

One of the roving musicians, Greg Youmans, performed in the shade of a tree. A one-man band, the Loon Lake musician who calls himself “The Not Quite Fullharmonic Orchestra,” had most of his equipment strapped to his back: real duck wings, coconuts, tambourines and cowbells, among other instruments.

“I do two kinds of music – old-time fiddle and oldies rock and roll,” said Youmans, who plays bass for the Spokane Symphony.

For one woman, attending the festival proved therapeutic.

“Just to be out here around people that look like they feel good is nice,” said Evelyn Omans, a retiree who is undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer.

Prepped with folding chairs and a large area of shade, Omans sat enjoying what she described as one of her few good days, while her husband went to grab them a bite to eat.

The family-friendly event was perfect for Sandy Mooney and her daughter-in-law, as they sold their handcrafted jewelry.

Mooney said it was her second year as a vendor, but she’s participated as a volunteer in previous festivals. Mooney and her daughter-in-law Rhoda King make jewelry mostly of natural gemstones and precious metal clay.

Kaaren Bloom has made ArtFest a family tradition. The hands-on area where children make their own art is usually their first stop.

Her daughter Ava, in elementary school, said she likes face painting best, and Kaaren Bloom said her daughter also enjoys making sand candles and paper collages.

“This is just one of those neat Spokane events to do,” Bloom said. “It’s in a great setting and there’s a variety of things to do for all ages.”

Brum said this year’s festival offers more artists and a better variety of music than previous festivals.

“It’s the first time we’ve ever had beer and wine sales on Sunday,” Brum said. “We think it’s more visitor-friendly with some of the things we’ve done.”