A Festival of Booths

DeLand Fall Festival of the Arts.

At art festivals there are many ways to look at the art. And an equal number of ways not to. I actually did the circuit for several years as an "artist" (read - person who dabs paint of canvas and thinks it is some sort of communicative statement.) Rich Avenue was only a location for a booth and not the description of your daily take.

People watching mostly. I am a known quantity and the usual suspect at sidewalk arts festivals. Having judged many, lots of artists know me. Sometimes they give hugs. Sometimes they search for the revolver. There are booths that as I am about to pass by I raise my hood and skulk. Hoodies are the perfect former-judge attire.

This was a cool (65F), windy and overcast day. Cool is good. The light was perfect for looking. Full-on sun makes glare, eye adjustment and color perception difficult. Windy not such a good thing for potentially airborne tents. There are those outdoor shows that have gone horribly bad due to wind. I was judging on one such occasion. We were half way through judging at poor-to-mediocre show when a merciful gale blew through. As my snarky (the best kind to have as a judging partner) colleague put it while surveying the destruction of numerous booths and their contents "It is an ill-wind that blows no judge good. The sight of 'fine art' becoming ever more rare."