Salado’s 42nd Art Fair to Host Texas State Artists & Texas Originals August 2nd & 3rd
Organizers of the hottest art show of the year just kicked it up a notch with participation by Texas Commission on the Arts’ Texas Originals artisans and the Texas State Artists. This includes some of the greatest painters, sculptors, musicians, and poet laureates from around the state. Art fans that have been traveling to the banks of Salado Creek for the past 42 years are in for a real treat this year. The quality and variety of artistic expression has never been greater.
The Salado Chamber of Commerce will host over 100 Texas artists and artisans at the 42nd Annual Art Fair August 2nd and 3rd at Pace Park and the new ‘Best of the Best’ Texas Fine Art Sale & Reception at Celebration Center on August 2nd.
“This is a very exciting year for both Art Fair fans and serious art collectors,” stated Larry Prellop, President of the Salado Chamber of Commerce. “Never before has there been such an extraordinary level of artistic talent… from top Texas artists that have rarely, if ever, exhibited together,” added Prellop.
Texas Original artisans working in a wide variety of media including clay, glass, fiber, wood, metal, stone, and more will be exhibiting along with Art Fair favorites at Pace Park on Saturday, August 2nd from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and again on Sunday, August 3rd from 8:00 a.m. to 4: p.m.
Texas State Artists will be honored at the inaugural “Best of the Best” Texas Fine Art Sale & Reception on Saturday evening from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Celebration Center. This one-evening event offers art enthusiasts a unique opportunity to meet and mingle with some of their favorite Texas artists and poet laureates. Participating artists include: Dalhart Windberg, Roy Lee Ward, George Boutwell, Lee Herring, Ed Hayes, Kathy Vargas, Ralph White, David Keens, Jack Terry, B. Herd, Raul Gutierrez, Alan Birkelbach, and the 2008 Texas State Musician of the Year, Shelley King.
“The Texas Originals and Texas State Artists are two programs that we are very proud of, “stated Gaye Greever McElwain, Director of Marketing and Development for the Texas Commission on the Arts. “These artists represent the depth of the state’s artistic talent and its rich cultural diversity,” added McElwain. “Many of these artists began their careers at the Salado Art Fair,” noted McElwain. “I can’t imagine a better venue to showcase these two state programs,” concluded McElwain.
For ticket information, contact the Salado Chamber of Commerce at 254-947-5040 or visit them online at www.salado.com.
About Salado Art Fair:
Salado Art Fair, held the first weekend in August, is one of the oldest open-air art exhibits in the state of Texas. For the past forty-two years, thousands of artists and artisans have traveled to the banks of Salado Creek to showcase their work. Over the years, many nationally recognized Texas artists have participated in the event, including George Boutwell, B. Herd, and Ron Wells. The Salado Art Fair is a Salado Chamber of Commerce event that brings over 5,000 arts enthusiasts and visitors to the community each year. For more information about the Salado Art Fair and other Chamber events call 254-947-5040 or visit them online at www.salado.com.
About the Texas Commission on the Arts
TCA was organized in 1965 by the Texas Legislature to develop a receptive climate for the arts in Texas. TCA supports a diverse and innovative arts community in Texas, throughout the nation and internationally by providing resources to enhance economic development, arts education, cultural tourism and quality of life.
For more information on TCA and its programs, please visit www.arts.state.tx.us.
About Texas State Artists
Every two years, the Texas Legislature honors talented Texans for their years of excellence and dedicated commitment to the arts by designating them as Texas State Artists. Texas State Artists are native Texans or five-year residents of the state that have received recognition for high levels of excellence and success in their respective disciplines and are named as Texas State Poet Laureate, Musician or Visual Artist. Texas State Artists serve one-year appointments and demonstrate the essence of what art in Texas is all about. Previous winners include James Dick, Lee Herring, Ray Benson, Damian Priour, Red Steagall, Sharon Kopriva, and George Boutwell, just to name a few.
The Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) oversees the Texas State Artist program. The next call for Texas State Artist nominations will take place in the fall of 2008. More information, including a complete list of past Texas State Artists, is available online at www.arts.state.tx.us.
About Texas Original
Texas Original (TxO) was created by the Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) to help preserve Texas’ unique arts and crafts heritage and was designed to achieve three primary goals:
promote original work by Texas’ craft artists;
provide a method for buying/selling original Texas artwork and crafts;
preserve traditional methods for creating hand-crafted work to ensure those methods are passed on to future generations.
Texas is home to an extraordinary number of talented craft artisans working in a wide variety of media including clay, glass, fiber, wood, metal, stone, and more. Artists included in the Texas Original program have been through a review process overseen by the Texas Commission on the Arts. Only artisans and crafts people who meet the highest business, quality and artistic standards are granted the title of Texas Original. When you see the TxO brand, you know you are looking at a high-quality, authentic, original work by a Texas artist.
For more information on the Texas Original program, please visit www.txoriginal.com.
I’ve just attended the ribbon cutting for a brand new restaurant at 302 N. Main Street here in Salado. Their website is Adelea’s on Main. It is owned by two sisters and the place is BEAUTIFUL! Now there is another great place to have a glass of wine in Salado and I’m looking forward to doing some wine dinners with them.
Here’s their description:
Whether you are enjoying a relaxing lunch with friends, treating the special people in your life with an afternoon English tea, sipping our famous sangria on our outdoor patio, or cooling off with a cold beer in our Hemingway’s Bar, you will find whatever it is you are looking for at Adelea’s On Main. Our 1925 home features soothing tones meant to evoke the feeling of an elegant beach house complete with a front porch and a patio so you can enjoy the meanderings of Main Street while getting to know the locals or catching up with old friends.
My son, Josh Brown, will be in concert with his wife Alison and their band, Shy Tree, on Sunday, August 17th at 7:00 at The Salado Silver Spur.
If you would like to listen to his music, please click on this link and go to
Audio and press Listen.
(Please note, this is much harder than it sounds and the utmost respect goes to those that spend the countless sticky, sweaty hours in the vines perfecting their ability to nurture and direct nature.)
So grape harvest season is fast approaching and grape growers/wine makers are busy little bees keeping the bugs, birds and deer (who also enjoy fruits of the vine) out of the crops.This is number three for the Salado Winery and a very exciting time.June produced her first wine last year and although tasty, she has learned much and has a better idea of what she wants in her grapes and wine this time around! We can’t wait to see what’s in store (no pun intended)! I thought we should take a moment and look at what science is behind a successful harvest…
Grapes must be mature before they can be harvested. This is important because grapes will not mature any further after being removed from the vine. Grapes generally mature around here from late July to late October, depending on the variety of the grapes. To check for maturity:
1.Watch for color changes such as green to yellow or green to red.
2.Seed color changes from green to brown.
3.Grapes will reach full size.
4.Grapes will become sweet. The only way to test this is to taste them.
5. The peduncle turns brown. We’re talking about the big stem that connects the grapes to the plant. Once it is brown and hard, then the grapes will start to raisin and the hopes of getting better grapes are over.
After determining that the grapes are mature and ready, then it is time to harvest them (if the weather is cooperating). There are two types of harvesting, by hand or with machinery. Hand harvesting is generally the method used when harvesting a small amount of vines, but is also done when harvesting larger crops.
To harvest by hand: (Salado Winery proudly hand-harvests and I could not be more excited to be a part of this year’s picking!)
1.Use picking shears that have been sharpened and oiled.
2.Locate mature cluster.
3.Hold the cluster away from the vine and cut it with part of the stem still attached.
4.Place cut cluster on harvest tray or in basket.
Harvesting with a machine is done on larger–usually commercial–operations. Harvesting machines are either self-propelled or pull-type. Self-propelled come in different sizes, such as 110 hp, 133 hp and 166 hp with 6 cylinder or 6 cylinder turbo engines that are either air cooled or liquid cooled. The benefits of using a machine instead of hand picking are:
1.Harvesting can be done at night when temperatures are lowest or stormy weather sets in to threaten the crop.
2.Harvesting is quicker and can be done when grapes are at the optimum ripeness.
3.Harvesting is cleaner because of the suction fans, which remove any leaves from the grapes.
After harvesting, grapes are ready to for use, either for making jellies, jams, juices and wines, or just for eating. No matter how well grapevines are cared for, it all comes down to the harvest.The difference between a profitable year and a disastrous year rides on the harvest occurring when all conditions are right, from the condition of the grapes to the weather.
Many grape growers then pass their crop along to wine makers with specifics of how they want it to taste.At this point it is chemistry, both science and passion. A little of this, a little of that…
Once the wines are produced, we (the consumers) anxiously await their aging and eventual arrival on our table.There are plenty of releases each month, so find your favorite Texas wine, and track when they are ready to sell.It’s fun to do a vintage comparison, so grab your favorite year and wait for the new one!
I’ve been working on this for a couple years. First I served on a committee that explored forming a new website. Then I served on the committee that overhauled our Chamber of Commerce brochure. Then a year ago, I formed the new website committee, found volunteers to help me, brainstormed, issued a Request For Proposal, reviewed, and helped choose a designer. Then we worked with the designer, Steve Kleypas at the Woodward Creative Group. He designed 3 mock-ups and then we debated, and debated, then finally we decided. Then the work began! We tweaked, twisted and tortured the data into the new website. So check it out, and only let me know if you like it!
I have visited the museum and it is in an interesting old building and chock full of history related to the various Scottish clans who settled in Texas. The museum also sponsors an annual “Gathering of the Clans” which is a fun weekend of traditional Scottish contests. I am excited because this year, November 8-9, 2008, the events will take place in downtown Salado and will be much closer to us.
But don’t wait for the big weekend to visit because the “Wee Scots Shop” will be full of hot, sweaty, kilt-clad guys fighting for haegus! Come to Salado now and visit the museum then walk or drive exactly one mile north on Main St. and cool off with a glass of Texas wine and tell us what you think.
We know where she is, and if you’re nice to us and spend lots of money, we just might tell you….
And stay tuned for more details for the Chocolate and Art Festival here in Salado on October 10-12! On Friday night, October 10, we will have a chocolate and wine pairing event at Salado Wine Seller~
