E.B. gets set for ‘fine’ day of arts and crafts

EAST BRUNSWICK — Painters, potters and other talented artists from across the state and beyond will show off their work Saturday at the township’s ninth annual Fine Arts Festival.

More than 60 artists specializing in media including watercolor, acrylic painting, photography and jewelry will participate in this year’s festival, according to East Brunswick Recreation Supervisor Karen Kecskes. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. alongside the pond at the East Brunswick municipal complex, JeanWalling Civic Center.

Kecskes said artists will be on hand throughout the festival to discuss and sell their work. The festival will feature demonstrations from Beryl Levitt, an expert woodcarver from Monroe.

“It is always a beautiful day,” Kecskes said. “It just blows your mind to see all the talented people that are out there.”

To participate in the Fine Arts Festival, artists must gain the approval of a jury committee. The artists come from all walks of life and from as near as East Brunswick itself and as far away as Pennsylvania and New York, Kecskes said.

“For some people this will be the very first show that they are doing, and for some, they have been here since the first one,” she said.

Gloria Singer, a potter who has lived in East Brunswick for 27 years, has participated in the Fine Arts Festival nearly every year since its inception.

As a professional, Singer said the event is a great way for her to let people know about her work and to attract new students to her pottery studio. But for the many amateur artists who participate, the event is a potential steppingstone to a more professional art career, she noted.

“I think it is a nice way to show off their work and see what kind of feedback they get,” Singer said.

Artists will be critiqued throughout the day by two judges — one for arts and one for crafts — who will select the best works for final judging at the winner’s circle. There, four artists will be awarded excellence honors and a $150 prize; four will receive merit honors and a $75 prize; and two will receive honorable mentions with a $50 prize, Kecskes said. The prizes will be presented at an awards ceremony at 3 p.m.

In addition to the art exhibition, there will be arts and crafts projects for kids and door prizes from local restaurants.

The festival is free and open to the public. If needed, a rain date is scheduled for Sunday.