Fifth annual arts fest set for Saturday in E.B.
BY VINCENT TODARO
Staff Writer

EAST BRUNSWICK - Artists from New Jersey and beyond will display their work at Saturday's Fine Arts Festival alongside the lake in the municipal complex.

Now in its fifth year, the festival runs from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and includes works from professional and amateur artists, according to Karen Kecske, of the township's Recreation Department. Some works will be for sale, others just for conversation and admiration.

The works on display will be extremely varied, with oil and water paintings, mixed media, mosaics, photography, pencil drawings, paintings on glass, crafters working with various types of jewelry, and sculpture. There will be wood turners, weavers, pottery and fine quilting as well, with many demonstrations planned.

The event is sponsored by the Visual Arts Celebration Committee, a subcommittee of the township Arts Commission.

In order to be appear at the festival an artist must gain the approval of a three-person professional jury, Kecskes said. The artists come from East Brunswick and surrounding towns, and from as far as Pennsylvania, Connecticut and New York. The township posts notices in art magazines, newsletters and the Internet to draw the talent.

This year's festival has 95 artists signed on, as well as seven East Brunswick school students. While students appear each year, this time the committee asked the students to have their work juried, and the top seven were chosen, Kecskes said.

In part, the festival is designed to offer an opportunity for untapped talent in the area.

"The mayor [Bill Neary] wanted to give local artists an outlet and let people enjoy the work they'd done," she said.

Visitors never know what they may come across, she said, noting that one artist was selling a $4,000 mosaic one year. While he realized he probably wasn't going to sell it during the festival, he did want people to enjoy and talk about it.

Kecskes said the talent level is high.

"You wonder, 'How do these people do this,' " she said.

The artists' work will be judged throughout the day by professional judges, with prize ribbons awarded on stage at 3 p.m.

The event will include food vendors, as well as activities for children.

The township is still in need of volunteers to help on the day of the event with setup, greeting festival-goers and interacting with the artists.

Rain date is Sunday.