ShenArtsFest

04/03/2025

Vote ShenArtsFest as your favorite annual festival. ✅

Vote in any or all categories once per day April 2nd through April 8th EDT!

09/18/2024

✨ We want your feedback! ✨

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who came out to ShenArtsFest this year! 🙌 Your support made it an incredible event, and we’d love to hear what you thought. Whether you were there for the art, music, dance, or just soaking up the creative vibes, we want your input!

Your feedback helps us make ShenArtsFest even better next time. It only takes a few minutes—click the link below to share your thoughts!

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Thanks for being a part of this creative community! We can’t wait to hear from you.

09/08/2024

Day two begins at 11am! Come enjoy performances throughout the day, a kids craft booth, and so many talented artists. Hope to see you there!

09/07/2024

ShenArtsFest 2024 is happening now! Come enjoy the gorgeous weather, live performers, and visual artists on the Loudoun Street Walking Mall.

09/05/2024

🎨🎉 It is finally ShenArtsFest week!! We are so excited that ShenArtsFest starts TOMORROW!! There are so many talented and unique artists that will be attending, there is something for everyone to enjoy! ShenArtFest will take place rain or shine on the downtown walking mall in Wi******er. 🎨🎉

Today we will be showcasing 6 talented artists in order with the pictures shown!

Every artist has a story about why they create what they do, below is more about both amazing artists with their own personal statements about their art!

Ivan Pesic:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100007995120876

Ivan Pesic was born in Blace, Serbia in 1975, where he spent most of his life. In 2000, Ivan moved to Belgrade, Serbia to study graphic design in college.

The primary media he uses is acrylic and oil paints. However, Ivan likes to experiment with different mediums and techniques. Besides painting, Ivan used to do pencil drawings, wall murals, mixed media art, photography, graphic design, and more.

Evgeny Zidarov: Over The Mountain Studio Tour

Evgeny Zidarov has always been passionate and intrigued by natural stones. He spent weekends with his dad rockhounding and collecting crystals, minerals, and specimens. Several years ago, he took lapidary and faceting classes and got hooked. In his twenties, he experimented with silver smithing and now decided to put both of his passions together. He has taken multiple classes in William Holland Lapidary School of the Arts, New Approach School for Jewelers, and John Campbell Folk School. The focus of his jewelry is always showcasing the natural beauty of the stones. Recently, he has taken an interest in the ancient art of scrimshaw and is planning on incorporating it in his new work.

Robert Friedenberg: Not-Wolf-Productions

Bob's work is a collection of very detailed black & white pen & ink drawings all made using a .25mm Rapidograph. Everything is inked entirely by hand, utilizing a wide variety of themes ranging from nature, animals, and scenery to machinery, musical instruments, and vehicles to space, science fiction, and fantasy.
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Often, he incorporate pictures, words, symbols, equations, and anything else he can think of into his drawings to add depth, and texture, and to engage the viewer on a long-term basis. The idea is to keep you looking and always finding something new.

Joe Cunningham:

Joe is a photographer, printmaker, and papermaker. He also mixes them all together and calls it mixed media. He makes large and small sculptures. Joe likes to control the process of creation, and that's why he makes his own paper and recycled frames to create stunning visuals that have a retro and homey feeling to them.

Kat Turner: Kat Turner Fine Art

Every piece she has done has been commissioned: some by customers, others by animals, or the muse, which nag at her until she finishes their portraits. Creation has something to say, and she feels privileged to give it a voice.

Meredith Stenberg:

Meredith is a Virginia-based mixed media artist whose work ranges between realism and playful abstraction. Born and raised in central Texas, Meredith's artwork is influenced by the flora and fauna of the hill country in combination with the bright colors and symbols that define the southwest region. Meredith depicts her subjects in realistic form, while also rendering them in a stylistic display with a nod to the Tex-Mex flavor of color and exuberance. She is currently working on a series inspired by the Mexican alebrijes and animals native to Texas.

09/03/2024

🎨🎉 It is finally ShenArtsFest week!! We are so excited it's just a few days away, for the rest of this week we will be showcasing the rest of the artists that will be at ShenArtsFest. There are so many talented and unique artists that will be attending, there is something for everyone to enjoy! 🎉🎨

Today we will be showcasing 5 talented artists!

Every artist has a story about why they create what they do, below is more about these amazing artists with their own personal statements about their art!

Carolyn Seibert-Drager: The Farmer's Daughter's Flowers

I have been taking photos for most of my life, primarily for work as part of a career in communications. A more creative side to my photography began germinating (pun intended!) during the pandemic and evolved into my new business, The Farmer’s Daughter’s Flowers Photography.

Carol Weidman: Iceopals Jewelry

My business is predominantly focused on creating one-of-a-kind pieces for people that either love something I have created, or they want to be involved in the creation of their piece. Working closely with a client is something I enjoy. It is hard to find a jeweler who will do custom work because it is much more demanding. I thoroughly enjoy that process.
I think I love technique as much as I do art. Just figuring out the process required to actually put that idea into metal and stone. What an exciting challenge!
I have many pieces that I have made, some just because the idea kept me up at night and I just had to see it to fruition. Other pieces have been made in speculation.

Craig Snodgrass: Craig Snodgrass Art

Craig grew up in various towns and mountaintops throughout Appalachia. Craig has been creating artwork ever since his mother sat him down with watercolors, paper, and a warm glass of "don't bother me for 15 minutes". Craig has been staying out of people’s hair ever since.
Over the past several years Craig has created an amount of artwork nothing short of prolific, wrote and illustrated a children's book, won a contest to design a city bus, developed designer toys, and produced collectible art and designed for numerous brands. Now he has added resin art toy subscription boxes to his offerings. Craig is currently based in Virginia with his wife, daughter, pet pug, and a crested gecko.

Amy Primmer: Stained by Amy

In 2010, what started as a weekend glass art project evolved into a passion for Amy Primmer. Following this transformative experience, she enthusiastically enrolled in a stained-glass art class. Subsequently, she delved into crafting custom commissions for friends and family, tailoring each piece to reflect their interests and hobbies.
In 2022, Amy made the bold decision to dedicate herself fully to her artistic pursuit, specializing in the creation of mixed-media glass art pieces and personalized gifts. Her stained-glass designs span a diverse array of subjects, including animals, florals, landscapes, and more. Amy finds joy in witnessing individuals approach her market display, connecting with a piece that resonates with them.

Bruce Leslie:

Bruce creates beautiful paintings of landscapes and the wonderful outdoors in vibrant colors that transport the viewer to a place of comfort and peace!

08/30/2024

08/20/2024

🎉🎨ShenArtsFest is approaching fast, and we can’t wait to see you all there! Mark your calendars for September 7th and 8th to see Wi******ers' largest art festival with over 30 talented artists, and many live art demonstrations and special performances! 🎨🎉

Until then, we will post weekly artist spotlights to showcase the attending artists' work.

Today we will showcase Pawinee McEntire with her breathtaking paintings. Julia Vessey, who creates incredible and unique pieces of jewelry. And Wendell Shank, who is a master at working with wood to create both functional and beautiful pieces.

Every artist has a story about why they create what they do, below is more about both amazing artists with their own personal statements about their art!

Pawinee McEntire:

I have been "artistic' since I was a child but didn't seriously take up a brush until I moved from my native Thailand to the United States in 1974. Since then, I have discovered and mastered several art forms, primarily through self-study. My primary medium is oil painting, and upon moving to Virginia in 1986, I was inspired by the primitive paintings of Grandma Moses. I developed my primitive style and have used it for several successful paintings, two featured in the National Mall's Capitol Fourth celebrations and published nationwide. Another popular work features all the First Ladies enjoying a tea party at the White House. My works are also displayed in the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, in Historic Glen Burnie, the Willard Hotel, Presidential Libraries, and in private collections worldwide. For several years, I displayed my work in my gallery on West Boscawen Street, in Historic Wi******er, Virginia, and have recently moved to my “dream” log home in Frederick County, VA, where I am continuing my painting and displaying at art shows in the region.

Julia Vessey:

I work with brass, copper, and sterling silver. In addition to metalwork, I use a variety of stones ranging from Virginia fossils to beach stones, from traditional cabochons to faceted gemstones. My work is improvisational, focusing on design and playful acceptance of imperfection that reflects life. My background is in dance, performance, and choreography. This has influenced my exploration of movement and design in the medium of metal.
As I spend more time in this field, I try to push the expectations of what jewelry can or should be. Found stones and the juxtaposition of that raw aesthetic with polished metal. Asymmetry, imperfection, and drama in work to create a statement piece for the wearer.

Wendell Shank:

I create beautiful and functional woodturning representing everything from ballpoint pens and candlesticks to salad bowls and campaign chairs. Round wooden objects are all around us and we use them every day, they may as well be beautiful.

08/09/2024

We can't wait to see these two at ShenArtsFest!!😁

08/02/2024

🎉🎨ShenArtsFest is only 5 weeks away! Mark your calendars for September 7th and 8th to see Wi******ers' largest art festival with over 30 talented artists, and many live art demonstrations and special performances! 🎨🎉

Until then, we will post weekly artist spotlights to showcase the attending artists' work.

Today we will showcase two versatile and talented artists of multiple mediums, Cathay Buckley, who creates unique handmade pieces of jewelry presenting multiple different types of metals and stones. And Isabella Theodora, who paints beautiful watercolor portraits of Virginia wildlife and Virginia landscapes.

Every artist has a story about why they create what they do, below is more about both amazing artists.

Cathy Buckley:
In 2003, Cathy started her new career as a stay-at-home mom and jewelry designer. Cathy had purchased some stones to study geography with her daughter and soon discovered that she enjoyed learning about the rocks and where they came from. She purchased some settings and some stones and took them to a local jeweler to have them set. When She got the finished product, she realized the process was not that difficult. So, she did some research, got her husband’s Dremel tool, and began the process of learning how to set stones in premade castings.

Cathy wanted to do more than just set stones. So, she purchased a torch and taught herself how to work the metal and to design and make her own settings.

While she loves the shapes and structure of metal, she gets the inspiration for her pieces from the stones themselves. She selects stones to which she feels a connection. Then the creative process begins. She saws, bends, anneals, twists, hammers, solders, and fabricates using multiple techniques until it's complete.

She can be found at: https://www.cathyscustomjewelry.com/gallery

Isabella Theodora:
Isabella is a published watercolor artist, book author, illustrator, public speaker, musical artist, and licensed minister. Her watercolor artwork, generally formed in vibrant colors with great detail, depicts mostly birds, Virginia wildlife, and Virginia landscapes and tends to be religious in nature. Isabella also does work in dry pastels, graphite pencils, and charcoal pencils. She has been working in watercolors for several years and greatly enjoys what she does, illustrating her books in this medium.

Isabella is also a published Christian musical artist, having written over 100 songs, publicly presented them, and published them on all digital streaming platforms. Because of this, she generally also sells CDs of her work.

Don't miss out on visiting these talented artists in person at ShenArtsFest!