EATON — All week long, fairgoers can catch artist demos at the Preble County Fair’s Visual Arts Building. The first demonstrations were held Sunday and Tuesday at noon and Monday at 4 p.m., but there are two more in case you haven’t seen the demonstrations yet.
You can watch artists making pottery on Thursday at noon and Wednesday at 4 p.m.
“Each day this week we will have arts out here doing demonstrations, for the most part it will be pottery, wheel throwing,” Vicky Fanberg, Executive Director of the Preble County Art Association, said. “Monday is the only day it’s not pottery, they’re going to be painting. It’s just an opportunity for artists to come out here and work and be able to show people what they’re doing and how it’s done. That way it answers any mysterious questions on how you get to an end result.”
Some of the demonstrations will be held inside the Visual Arts Building, while some will be outside the building, all depending on the weather and the artist’s preferences.
This is not the first year there have been Artist Demos at the fair. Fanberg said that “in some capacity” there have been Artist Demos since the Art Association started collaborating with the fair, but in an official capacity this is the second or third year.
“This is an opportunity to draw people into the building,” Fanberg said.
“Specifically if we can do it outside. Being on this side, off of the midway, if artists are outside working it is more of an attention grabber to get people inside the building.”
Fanberg added, the Artist Demos are pretty popular, especially pottery, which is why they are focusing on that sort of art this year. The artist, while working, is able to answer questions and interact with people.
The Preble County Art Association staffs and volunteers the Visual Arts Building. While the building used to be called the Flower Building, for awhile the Art Association shared the building with the flowers, but with entries growing the flowers had to opportunity to move and took it.
“The purpose of having an art show at the fair is people will be able to showcase their talent,” Fanberg said. “Anything that gets entered is shown so it’s a great way to celebrate different talents and what people are interested in. It opens it up to a different audience.
“We are so appreciative of the volunteers who help us out this week. Having those volunteers are key and a huge commitment from them to be out here, both the people doing the demos and those working the building.”
