A mother lode of talent - California art festivals

Sunset, May, 1996 by Lora J. Finnegan

Festivals show off the arts in three Gold Country towns

Digging up exquisite artworks and crafts in the Gold Country is never easier than in spring, when towns throughout the region offer a bonanza of arts festivals. Four of the finest events are in Grass Valley, Lincoln, and Mariposa, which pull hundreds of artists out of the hills to join in their biggest wingdings of the year. Each of these festivals gained early support from the California Arts Council, a testament to their artistic quality and enthusiastic local involvement.

Grass Valley. The mass of works on display at the Springtime in the Pines Quilt Show, May 4 and 5, is impressive - 125-plus artisans have crafted more than 100 quilts and 50 pieces of wearable art. Even if you aren't a dyed-in-the-wool fan of the form, you'll be impressed by the range of contemporary quilting styles. Frequent demonstrations give you a sense of the intricacies and communal aspects of this art. The show is held at the Nevada County Fairgrounds, 11228 McCourtney Road, Grass Valley, from 10 to 5 Saturday, 10 to 4 Sunday. Admission costs $4 for ages 13 and over.

The Sierra Festival of the Arts tints Grass Valley's Mill Street sidewalks on May 26 (10 to 5), when a two-block-long stretch becomes a canvas for Pastels on Pavement: fairgoers can buy a section on which to create a masterpiece in chalk. Elsewhere, some 60 booths sell a juried selection of handmade arts and crafts. Besides painting and photography, you'll find handmade birdhouses, carved wooden toys, and ethnic weavings. Junior Picassos can create their own three-eyed women in the Kids Zone. For details on either the quilt show or the arts festival, or for directions, call (916) 273-4667.

Lincoln. This tiny town near Rocklin holds a two-pronged celebration of the artistry of ceramicists and their medium, the town's main industry. First, on May 18, the place swells with crowds for Clayfest, a street fair centered on Beermann Plaza at Fifth and F streets. Ceramics dominate among the artwork shown at the nearly 40 booths, but you'll also find photographs and crafts. The fair is enlivened by occasional demonstrations - you might learn how to raku-fire a pot, say, or how to use a potter's wheel.

You can tour Lincoln's claim to fame, the 121-year-old Gladding McBean terra-cotta factory. Its place in history was secured following San Francisco's 1906 earthquake and fire, when whole sections of the city were rebuilt with pipes and tiles fired in Gladding McBean's ovens. On a factory tour, you'll pass the 35-foot-tall beehive kilns that have been in use since the turn of the century. Get close and you'll feel the heat - these ovens fire the clay pipes at a hellish 2,100 [degrees].

The factory also hosts the Feats of Clay exhibit (part two of Lincoln's celebration) from May 22 through June 15. About 70 pieces selected from the entries in this prestigious nationwide competition are shown. You have to enter a defunct kiln to see some of the artworks; others are in the factory's architectural design studio, set among dusty models of gargoyles and molds- of Corinthian columns. During Clayfest, docent-led tours of the factory cost $3 and are given on a first-come, first-served basis; during the Feats of Clay exhibit, tours cost $1 and are offered from 9 to noon Wednesdays through Sundays (reservations recommended). For details, call (916) 645-9713.

Mariposa. This town's annual Goldrush Days (May 18 and 19) show off today's artists as well as the next generation of virtuosos. The walls of the local Old Masonic Hall are bedecked with photography by members of Yosemite Western Artists, whose subject is often the national park at Mariposa's back door. You can also see the best artistic efforts of the county's children in more than 150 samples: watercolors, pen-and-ink drawings, collages, and ceramic works. The hall is at the junction of State Highway 140 and Sixth Street.

The highway ambles right through town, and that's where the festival's 50 crafts and food booths are set up. Each day from 10 to 4, you can stroll among the booths, watch Native American basket-weaving demonstrations, or listen to live music. For more information, call (209) 966-3151.