Art show proves successful despite reduced foot traffic

The seventh annual Historic Ritzville Days Western Art Show went on without a hitch last weekend as over 60 artists proudly displayed their artwork in downtown Ritzville. The annual show provided visitors with a variety of activities, a wide selection of artwork and foot-tapping music to keep the weekend lively and entertaining.

Event chairman Jennifer Saunders explained this year’s show displayed the widest variety of artwork and also had one of the best musical lineups the show has ever had. The free musical performances throughout the show continuously drew a crowd as visitors gathered to listen to the traditional western music.

The art show suffered from reduced foot traffic in the early hours of the show on Saturday, but more visitors packed the streets on Sunday to participate in the venue. Saunders estimated the show typically sees around 1,200 visitors a day, but the number reduced to around 500 on Saturday.

The events kicked off on Friday night in the American Legion Hall with the annual Artists’ Reception, where the Lind-Ritzville FFA Alumni served up a traditional barbecue dinner for the 100 attendees. Artists display one piece of artwork, which attendees have a chance to vote for, and the artist receiving the most votes earned the People’s Choice award.

This year’s winner, John Geis, is a returning bronze sculpture artist from Grangeville, Idaho. Geis’ winning piece titled “Sgt. Reckless” displayed the strength of a horse packing materials up a hillside.

Saturday’s activities kicked off with the Ritzville Small Town Cache Cow, a new addition to the Memorial Day weekend festivities. The geocaching event drew an estimated 100 geocachers to the Ritzville Public Library where they participated in discovering new caches around the Ritzville area, as well as participated in a scavenger hunt.

Saunders said the feedback from geocachers was positive, and coordinators of the geocache, Thomas Pulliam and Kevin Swartz, are hoping to continue to host the event in conjunction with the art show. Many of the geocachers who participated in the scavenger hunt came back downtown to visit the art show, Saunders said.

Another new event to the local show was a rope making demonstration, led by Harry Schafer. The rope making demonstration also gained the attention of a visiting Chuck Wagon group who expressed interest in participating in a future art show. Saunders explained she is currently working with the Chuck Wagon group to have them display at next year’s show. The group focuses on accurately displaying the lifestyle of individuals living in chuck wagons by demonstrating everyday activities, including cooking meals in cast iron.

Saunders said that other demonstrations, such as a saddle maker and a variety of woodcarvers, helped to draw crowds and keep visitors engaged with the artists.

“This was the first year I had a wood worker,” Saunders said. “Paul Crabtree was a huge pull with his work and being able to demonstrate what he does. His work was absolutely phenomenal.”

Crabtree was one of five artists who received awards recognizing their talent and expertise in their category. Crabtree received the Best of Show Award in Other Media for his woodworking display, and this year served as his first year at the local show.

Receiving the award in the oil category is returning artist Robert Walton, who also received the Best of Show award during last year’s show. In the watercolor category, new artist Becky Gromlich received the award.

A mother and daughter duo swept the final two awards with Gabe Gabel receiving her second consecutive award in the sculpture category and her daughter T. Kurtz earning the dry media award.

The artists received the Best of Show awards at an artists’ breakfast on Sunday and the Ritzville Downtown Development Association sponsors the awards.

Saunders plans to expand the awards next year to include a photography category, as it is one of the most popular mediums at the show.

Sunday’s activities revolved around family events, with the largest crowd of the day gathering for Cowboy Church first thing in the morning.

The family activities continued throughout the afternoon with entertainment provided by the Ritzville Theatre troupe, pony rides, stick horse races and the Youth Art Experience.

Saunders is already working with local artists and vendors to return to next year’s show.

One of her main focuses is to expand Toni Plastino’s Youth Art Experience Booth by providing local children with more opportunities to create their own unique artwork.

The Ritzville show is unique as the RDDA sponsors the event, allowing artists to display their craft without having to pay a fee to feature their artwork.

Many of the artists at this year’s show expressed interest in returning due to the welcoming atmosphere of the community and helpfulness of the event coordinators.

For more information on the show, visit http://ritzvillewesternart.com.