Reblogged from HeartFest 2012, February 11 & 12:

HeartFest 2012 was a lot of fun. After six years the event just keeps getting better. High vibes, love, laughter, and music filled the halls of the Briscoe ArtWing. Big thanks to all who participated as artists and all the community folks who came out to show their appreciation and support of local art and craft. This year we tried something new, our first ever Heart-Art Contest. 24 different art pieces were entered in this years show. Photography, multi-media, fine art, jewelry, and dried flower …

The art in this years poster was provided by Carola Marashi, the graphic work was done by Marcus Scott.

It is cold and foggy outside this morning. I am happy to be cozy in my home imagining warmer days and planting in my garden. At this moment I am thinking about hearts, love, the meaning of Valentines Day, and our upcoming event at the Briscoe ArtWing, HeartFest 2012. HeartFest is a celebration of love, art, and music. This years gathering will take place at the old Briscoe elementary school, 265 North Main, Ashland, Oregon, on February 11 and 12, Saturday 10 ’till 6 and Sunday 11 ’till 5.

Thirty local artists and artisans are participating in our 6th annual HeartFest. Music is scheduled for both days (see schedule below), and tongue tingling food will be provided by Sultans Delight, Recession Candy Company,  and Pennington Family Farm. Sultans Delight specializes in delicious gyro sandwiches and is a regular at Farmers Market in Ashland on Tuesdays. Pennington Family Farm has mouth watering cookies, turnovers, and berry jams. Recession Candy Company will have fresh out of the oven English toffee. If you have not tried this toffee, you are missing out. YUM!!!

Juan Garcia Alfaro will be at this years event. So much great jewelry at this years show! Some of the best in the region.

If you are looking for that perfect gift this Valentines Day, I encourage you to come down to the Briscoe ArtWing and check out the new wares, grab a bite to eat, satisfy that sweet tooth, and enjoy the cool sounds of the guitar resonating through the halls. This is sure to be one of the best Valentines parties in Ashland. For more information please click here to go to the official HeartFest website (we still have a couple spaces available for artists).

I am asking all artists who are participating to display their favorite heart-art piece in a contest. Any participating artist can submit as many images, sculptures, carvings, etc. into the contest as they would like. You will get the opportunity to vote for your favorite heart. The winner of the contest will receive a free booth space at next years show, or at one of the Holiday Markets held at the ArtWing.

Hope to see you all out and about for HeartFest 2012. Hearts abound because love resounds, over and over, everywhere you go.

Cole Cullen brings his songwriting skills to HeartFest 2012. Accompanied by Richard Cole, this duo never disappoints.

HeartFest Music Schedule

Saturday February 11

11:00 am – 1:00 pm      Jeff Kloetzel

2:00 pm – 4:00 pm      Cole Cullen w/ Richard Cole

Sunday February 12

11:30 am – 1:30 pm     Martin Vee

2:00 pm – 4:00 pm     Cantrell Maryott w/ Jaese Lecuyer & Jacquelene Ambrose

Friday, November 25

10:00 am – 12:00 pm    Aaron Reed

1:00 pm – 3:00 pm       The New Come Rain or Come Shine

3:30 pm – 5:00 pm       Dave Scoggin

5:00 pm – 7:00 pm       Marcella Ruikis & Jim Quinby

Saturday, November 26

10:00 am – 12:00 pm     Martin Vee

1:00 pm – 3:00 pm         Rod Petrone

4:00 pm – 7:00 pm        Cantrell Maryott, Jaese Lacuyer, and Jacquelene Ambrose

Sunday, November 27

11:00 am – 1:00 pm       Heather Hutton and Martin Ball

2:00 pm – 4:00 pm       Tim Church

Stay tuned for more about the Christmas Faire as the event gets closer.

It was rainy all Spring at the Market. This shot was taken May 29, 2011, a typical day this last May. Mabrie was a trooper bringing her art papers out in the rain, scrambling to keep dry. See her in the warm setting of her gallery opening at Art & Soul, First Friday ArtWalk, downtown Ashland... today. Sometimes the lens sees things we can't see with our own eyes. Cool aura.

Mabrie is a wonderful artist with a close connection to the natural world. She is the featured artist this month at Art & Soul Gallery. Being a dedicated member of the Lithia Artisans Market, I thought it appropriate to give a shout out about this show.

The show is called “Congruences” and features drawings from a live nude model on painted papers. The paintings are all on handmade mulberry paper using the same process as the papers she sells at Lithia Artisans Market. The addition of the sketching makes these pieces totally unique from the items Mabrie typically sells at the outdoor marketplace.

“One fine day about 8 months ago I brought one of my tempera paintings to an artist-run drawing session and drew the model on it. It was a ‘Eureka!’ moment. The new drawing expressed something poetic about us and the congruences between our human selves and Nature.”

The opening of her show is today, First Friday Art Walk, from 5:00 pm ’til around 8:00 pm. If you are out and about for Ashland’s First Friday, and I highly recommend that you do so, please stop by to say hello and check out the newest pieces by Mabrie Ormes. The Gallery is located right next to Chase Bank at 1st and Main Streets in Ashland.

– Stay tuned for the music lineup for Lithia Christmas Faire, and other updates about the Holiday Season as we get closer to Thanksgiving.

Kris Daly braved the cold last year with her colorful quilt booth outdoors at Holiday Market.

After looking at the 2011 December calendar and talking the matter over with Jim Young and the crew at Briscoe ArtWing, we have decided to be open four weekends in the month of December for our Eighth Annual Holiday Market. We will be open First Friday of opening weekend from 5:00 pm ’til 8:00 pm. Might as well have the doors open to the public and allow ourselves another opportunity to earn and income. The final weekend will be an odd one, starting Thursday, December 22nd and running through Saturday, December 24th. (Application available by clicking here!!!)

Once again the residents at the Briscoe ArtWing School and Art Studios will work in conjunction with the Lithia Artisans Market to bring locally created arts and crafts, handmade music, and joyous reverie to the Old Briscoe Elementary School.

For me personally, this is one of the funnest shows of the year. It is the last chance to see my artisan family and the community of Ashland before we settle into our January hibernation. Live music will fill the halls and we will have a final opportunity to market our creations to the folks of the Rogue Valley. This little show feels like home to me.

Please go to the page above titled Holiday Market Application to download a pdf or word doc version of the application, and read the cover letter for the event, or just click anywhere on this highlighted area.

The market is in the reflection on the sunglasses of this crystal magician in artistic pose during Fall at Lithia Artisans Market.

“Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish.” –Steve Jobs (1955-2011)

I think these words are appropriate for the place and time we find ourselves today. Massive protests are taking place all over the world, and they have taken root in the United States. 30,000 peaceful people marched through the streets of New York City today — students, labor unions, unemployed, sympathetic citizens. I have heard folks refer to this new movement as The American Autumn. Somewhat in response to the Arab Spring, the theme of the movement seems to be against the inequality of our system. Folks feel left out of the loop, the environment is taking a pounding, our politicians don’t seem to be able to agree on anything to better our situation. We all want to live happy, healthy, creative lives.

Just did a fun interview with Catherine McElroy. Link to the whole interview by clicking the photograph.

One of the common themes I hear when I interview artists is that they create because they have to. It was never a choice, they were called by the universe to be an artist, a creator, an innovator. They don’t dance to the beat of another’s drum, they are banging their own drum.

The Lithia Artisans Market of Ashland is open for the rest of the month of October. It is as close as you will come to true freedom of commerce, freedom of artistic expression. There is no middle man, no corporation associated with the artisan. The artisan epitomizes what it means to be self made, hard working, innovative, and self reliant. However, so often the monetary reward is barely enough to exist on. To change this model will take a paradigm shift in how we view success, fairness, community, responsibility, creativity, etc.. So many of the models that affect our worldview are a bit skewed.

Protests in New York today reached numbers in excess of 30,000. It is an exciting time in our history.

I believe that we are on the cusp of something great, but it will take lots of work, sacrifice, and willingness to participate to really create a better world. We are all part of the solution. On the point of blatant systematic inequality, I find myself in 100% agreement with the protesters at the Occupy Wall Street gathering (let it be noted that this is the opinion of Marcus Scott and not an official opinion of the Lithia Artisans Market of Ashland (LAMA), its board of directors, management, or anyone associated with LAMA).

Local artisan Stephanie Gould making things to sell with her own two hands at Lithia Artisans Market of Ashland, Oregon.

I have said this before, but it deserves repetition. Making things with your own two hands and selling it at your local artisans or farmers market is a revolutionary act. It is not what you are expected to do by the corporate powers that be. You are supposed to be part of the production of goods or services by working for someone else, and then the consumer of said good or service. This, in turn, puts more capital into the hands of those who control the means and methods of production and service. When you make and sell your own creations — be that art, food, craft, music, or a new idea — you effectively break that cycle of servitude to the machine, and instead focus that energy on self,  self-reliance, and community. With that comes power, the embracing of your own being, the betterment of your reality, our shared reality. You are beautiful, you are awesome, you are loved.  Be who the universe needs you to be. We all have important roles to play.

Forest Elster is one of our "market kids". We owe it to these youngsters to hand them a better, more just world.

Like the visionary Steve Jobs said, “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish.” Push your own boundaries, challenge your own comfort zones. It is out there where you can learn new things you didn’t know about yourself. In this time of economic challenges and  upheaval, it is important that the artist stay true to her path while paying close attention to the world around him. Do what you can do, listen to your heart, make a difference in the world. Most importantly, keep bringing your version of beauty into this world. The vision of the artist is as important right now as it ever has been. Visualize then actualize the world in which you want to live. Now is the time.

Support Local, It Matters!!!

For this weekends Music Schedule, please go to this post… October 2011 Music Schedule at Lithia Artisans Market.

Aaron Reed brings his unique talent to the Lithia Artisans Market of Ashland, Oregon.

Saturday, Oct. 1

11:30-1:30 Aaron Reed

3:00-5:00 Tye Hoseclaw

Sunday, Oct. 2

11:30-1:30 Martin Vee

3:00-5:00 Charles Guy

Saturday, Oct. 8

Guitano del Norte playing flamenco style guitar at Lithia Artisans Market of Ashland, Oregon.

11:30-1:30 Rod Petrone

3:00-5:00 T.B.A.

Sunday, Oct. 9

11:30-1:30 Paul Girardi

3:00-5:00 Guitano del Norte

Saturday, Oct. 15

11:30-1:30 Tim Church

3:00-5:00 Shybo

Tim Church playing classical guitar at Lithia Artisans Market of Ashland, Oregon.

Sunday, Oct. 16

11:30-1:30 Jon Galfano

3:00-5:00 Gene Burnett

Saturday, Oct. 22

11:30-1:30 Random Sound

3:00-5:00 Denise and Lucy

Sunday, Oct. 23

11:30-1:30 Duo Ohio

3:00-5:00 Rail Birds

Saturday, Oct. 29

11:30-1:30 Tye Hoseclaw

3:00-5:00 tba

Sunday, Oct. 30

11:30-1:30 Kalmiopsis Players

3:00-5:00 tba

In Africa and much of the developing world, bikes might be the only alternative to walking.

This week I learned that Thursday, yesterday, September 22, 2011 was World Car-Free Day. By shear accident I had decided that I was going to do all possible commuting by bike this week. I guess the idea was in the collective consciousness and I just happened upon it. I was not able to maintain a parked vehicle for the entire week, but I reduced my use dramatically, and thus forced exercise into my routine through bike commuting. Two weeks in a row we have had days devoted to rethinking our use of appropriate transportation. PARK(ing) Day (see last weeks post), and Car-Free Day. Rethinking cars. Is there a message coming through? Hmm..?

Here is a fun example of getting to market by bike.

I recently had the opportunity to spend a week in Portland, Oregon. Portland is easy to bike around once you get the idea of the grid. Portland also has a thriving weekend artisans market. The Portland Saturday Market (Sunday too!) is centrally located under the Burnside bridge but stretching out in various directions to create a beautiful waterway panorama. It dawned on me while staying with a friend, about 8 miles out from the city center, that getting to the middle of Portland was actually easier than getting from Talent to Ashland. Many streets are designated for bikes. You can bring your bike on to the Metro line or on to the front of buses that run almost all the time. I was out in the early morning hours and saw bus activity until 2 a.m.. The RVTD (our local bus) doesn’t even run on Saturday and Sunday.

You could build your market booth right on to this bike. Way, way cool.

I guess the point of this little article as that we need to evolve beyond our dependence on the automobile. It is one of the worst forms of commuting in terms of energy efficiency; while the humble bicycle is numero uno when it comes to energy efficient transportation. It is actually possible to be an artisan and bike your wears to market. For over 3 months I did that very thing using an xtra cycle (long cargo bike) and pedal power from Talent to Ashland — about 5 miles.

Ultimately we have to create the world in which we want to live. Both advances forward and appropriate steps back (ie. back to the bike) are part of the solution to the global problems we face today. The Lithia Artisans Market of Ashland is in the unique position to help the City of Ashland move in the direction it naturally wants to go — the way of conservation, cooperation, and community place making. All of our efforts to make our open air art market more and more viable are worthy in our endeavor to green our planet. The artisan lifestyle is naturally inclined to global solutions by creating products locally. Local manufacturing uses less energy, local purchasing encourages growth of those businesses, capital flows and local economies thrive. Jump on your bike, even if its just to get the blood flowing. From that place of movement, ideas germinate.

Bike or walk down to your local market and support the artists, musicians, farmers, and self employed who are helping to create our new economy as the old one languishes.

Support local, it matters!

Jon Galfano play this weekend. See the schedule to the left.

Here’s your music schedule this weekend.

Saturday, Sept. 24

11:30 – 1:30     Gene Burnett

3:00 – 5:00     Rail Birds

Sunday, Sept. 25

11:30 – 1:30     Jon Galfano

3:00 – 5:00     Band du Pay

These words were gleaned from a website blog I subscribe to called Policy for Public Spaces (PPS). They have been helping to transform cities into more people friendly spaces since roughly the early 1970′s.

Are these nine cars parked along Main Street in Ashland the best use of this particular space? Notice the pedestrian with her dog already claiming the space for people not cars. This space is large enough for 20-25 outdoor artisan spaces.

Today, Friday, September 16th is official PARK(ing) Day. This is a cool, cool concept. People on bikes or on foot take over parking spaces and turn the space into a park like setting, or simply a space more fit for a healthy world. A day of utopian thoughts turned into action. To me, this is such a beautiful thing. This is our reality… this is such an integral part of the paradigm change we have been trying to wrap our heads around for so long. Taking our public spaces back for the use of people rather than storage space for our steel dinosaurs. Here is a great article in the Smithsonian about this movement (http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/Parking-Days-Roadside-Attraction.html)

A creative example of random "PARK(ing) Day" event in Minneapolis. (Image from Smithsonian Magazine online. Click photo for acticle)

We live in an exciting time. Change is happening. We simply must understand that voting is not all you are required to do as a participant in democracy. I wish I would have seen this day coming a few weeks ago. Oh well, celebrate the concept in your collective mental vessel and ready yourselves to action next year. Little by little we collect the ideas and act on those ideas to change the world. Little by little we shift the paradigm. When enough minds make the abstract into real vision through action then you reach a tipping point and the old seems so far away in the distant past. We look back after the struggle and proclaim,”no duhhh….”.

Transforming an abandoned alley into a vibrant open air artisans market. Imagine the possibilities...

Here is the Weekend Music Schedule

Saturday, Sept. 17

11:30 – 1:30     Rod Petrone

3:00 – 5:00     Shybo

Sunday, Sept. 18

11:30 – 1:30     Tim Church

3:00 – 5:00     Guitano del Norte

New business card sized coupons for 10% off one purchase at Lithia Artisans Market.

Back of our new business card coupons. Kinda cool stuff ... right?

If you are an artisan at Lithia Artisans Market and you get one of these coupons, you simply discount the price on the sale (10% off), then don’t pay the normal 10% on that particular sale when you check out at the end of the day with the manager, Maria.

Please be honest about these amounts as this is an experiment and we want to see real data to determine if the program works or not. Thanks.

Charles Guy brings his talents as a singer and great guitarist to Lithia Artisans Market, Saturday, Sept. 3 from 3:00-5:00pm.

Here is the Weekend Music Schedule…

Saturday, Sept. 3

11:30 – 1:30     Aaron Reed

3:oo – 5:00     Charles Guy

Sunday, Sept. 4

11:30 – 1:30     Beth & Craig Martin

3:00 – 5:00     Cantrell Maryott