The 3rd annual Eureka Springs Fall Art Fair will take place Saturday November 24th, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday the 25th, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Inn of the Ozarks Convention Center, Eureka Springs, AR.

Local and regional artists will display works that include paintings, sculpture, pottery, drawings, jewelry, stained glass, and more. All work will be for sale and art lovers will find it the ideal time to purchase one-of-a-kind Holiday gifts or to add pieces to their own collections.

Show producer Steve Schmidt has lined up more than 75 participants. Interest has been growing for this show and more artists from outside the immediate area will be displaying work. The exhibit is juried so expect to see high quality work. It is truly a «fine art» show.

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Mix together one batch of good art with several bottles of tasty wine andyou have a recipe to please the discerning palates of both art aficionados and wine connoisseurs. Edwige Denyszyn and Doug Hausler have successfully mixed the two ingredients in their Keels Creek Winery and Art gallery, 3185 East Van Buren, Eureka Springs, AR.

The couple moved to Eureka Springs from Bartlesville, OK, to pursue their dream of making fine Arkansas wine. In 2004 and 2005 they planted ten varieties of grape on ten acres three miles outside the city limits. Since it takes years to harvest a crop, the couple used grapes from other Arkansas vineyards to begin their wine production. Almost immediately they started winning awards for their efforts.

Located in a lovely wooded setting in town, their spacious 3000 square foot retail space showcases both wine and art in a comfortable and well-appointed setting. Inside the Spanish style mini mansion, walls and cases are adorned with the works of 27 local and regional artists.

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In light of recent hateful rhetoric directed toward the gay community of Eureka Springs, forgive me if my writing this week is somewhat influenced by recent and disturbing events.Locals are well aware of the discrimination against Diversity event promoters who were refused ad placement in a right leaning (waaay right) newspaper. Also during Diversity weekend everyone who ventured into Basin Park was subjected to screaming, so called preaching aimed at rallying «Christian soldiers» against the homosexual community and Diversity participants. It was a shameless display of hate.

My question is whether these bigots realize the contributions gays/lesbians have made to society throughout history, particularly in the arts in fields ranging from literature to paintings?

Bigots please pay attention.

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American style Magazine has available online the official ballot to select favorite art destination cities. In its class, Eureka Springs has been in the top twenty-five spots for the past two years. Please keep us on the list and help move up in ranking by voting at www.americanstyle.com.

American Style Magazine describes itself as « the nation's premier arts lifestyle magazine for art lovers, collectors and travelers». Therefore it is important for our town to stay prominent in the rankings as a desirable arts destination. Vote!

Eureka Springs will be featured in the February issue of the magazine that will hit the stands in January. The editor has been in contact with many Eurekans involved in the arts including gallery owners, artists, and festival organizers.

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After moving from their home at 16 White Street in 1991, photographer Richard Quick and his wife Pam were able to repurchase the building and return to the neighborhood in early 2006.

The Quicks this time chose to use the building not as a residence but as a studio gallery showcasing their works. They rejoined six other working artists on the street who maintain residences and studios, making the area one of the most heavily concentrated creative districts in Eureka Springs.

A former zoologist and curator of mammals for the Houston Zoological Gardens, Richard moved to Eureka Springs in 1980. He has been documenting with a camera this zoo of a town and its' human mammals since that time.

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The 5th annual Mad Hatter's Ball will take place October 26, in the Crystal Ballroom of the Crescent Hotel. Check-in is from 6:30 to 7:30. The silent auction will get underway at the same time. There will be Hors d'oeuvres served and a cash bar will be open.

As expected most of the items in the silent auction are works of art donated by locals. Last year's selection was top-notch. I was lucky enough to walk away with a wonderful Jack Miller print and look forward to adding to my collection during this fun filled event.

The main festivities will begin at 7:30 and last until midnight with live music and dancing provided by the Big 'Uns (The Ed Nicholson Band). The silent auction will continue throughout the evening and there will be a «hat» contest.

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The third installation of art panels was unveiled this past Saturday in the parking lot on North Main known as the Artery. The four by eight foot painted and sculpted pieces are works rendered by Arkansas artists. The panels, 27 in number, cover an unsightly concrete wall turning the parking lot into an impressive outdoor gallery. The works will hang for one year, are available for purchase, and can be hung indoors or outside.

The theme for the third annual collaboration is «Icons from soup to saints.» Artists from as far away as Monticello, nearby Washington and Benton counties, and homeys from Eureka Springs interpreted the theme with vastly different views.

The images depict actual saints, pretend saints, favorite artists, pop icons, and the «I'll have to think about that one?» pieces.

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»What separates artists from ex-artists is that those who challenge their fears continue; those who don't, quit,» David Bayles.

I am reading the book «Art and Fear» by David Bayles and Ted Orland. It has opened up examination of my self-doubt as an artist that can at times enter the realm of fear.

We all have fear of course and in some cases that fear can protect us from danger. It is best to fear dark alleyways or murky waters. As children we had fears that many times were not reality based (true for adults as well).

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With a sense of color that rivals any painter's palette, Mark Hughes creates haute couture from his shop Regalia located at 128 Spring Street.

Hughes formerly was a costume designer for Little Rock theater. His current clothing line may be toned down from those days but he still maintains an element of subdued drama in his approach to fashion.

Selecting carefully dyed fabrics, Mark is able to combine eye pleasing tonal combinations that range from earthy creations, to clothing with hints of the 1940s, or flashbacks to '60s color trends, all the while looking ever so modern.

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Okay, I didn't see fire but I certainly saw rain at this past weekend's Pinnacle Hills Promenade Art Festival in Rogers, AR. Approximately 100 artists set up displays on the streets of the walking mall with high hopes of encountering waves of art lovers with purchasing on their minds. A large percentage of the artists were from Eureka Springs brought on board by co-producer Steve Schmidt of eurekaspringsartists.com.

Instead of waves of art lovers, we were visited by wave after wave of rainstorms. The first one hit about one hour after the show opened and it lasted for one hour. We all scrambled to close sidewalls on our canopies, throw tarps over fragile merchandise, and literally hang onto our tent shelters as the wind howled. Lucky that I had my friend John Rankine by my side. He volunteered to help me with the show and was a real trooper offering valuable assistance.

Most displays survived but not all. Some participants immediately called it quits after suffering water damage to their wares or destruction of their canopies. The rest of us endured the wet day until 9 p.m. while suffering through approximately 10 more bands of storms that moved through every 30 to 60 minutes. The day was not a total bust as visitors would emerge from the protection of nearby stores to make purchases.

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