By: Jane Dewey, Art Festival Committee Member
May 3, 2019
The question of how different art forms connect to one another has long fascinated me! I see the Great American Brass Band Festival and the Danville Art Festival as having many more connections than simply being on the same campus. I recently came across the quote about brass music by Johann Johannsson, “Brass has a very distinctive sound. It’s delicate but powerful, but it’s also melancholic and plaintive.” Mr. Johannsson was a composer known for blending traditional orchestration with contemporary electronic elements. While his quote was about brass band music, in viewing artwork from our featured artists in the Danville Art Festival, there’s clearly an artistic blending of traditional with more contemporary elements creating distinctive artistic pieces.
Kelli Pope’s jewelry could easily be described as both delicate and powerful! She blends together many traditional elements of jewelry making including firing her own clay beads, metalsmithing, and wire work together with her new and imaginative designs creating “one-of-a kind, unique, wearable art”. I’m looking forward to exploring her “distinctive” artwork as I listen to bands bringing us many traditions of brass band music. Until then join me in discovering more about “Jewelry by Kelli” on her website.
Dacelle and Deborah Peckler are both statewide members of Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen. The various layers of meaning reflected in the earlier quote can also apply to this mother, daughter duo who will be sharing a booth at the Danville Art Festival.
Powerful, natural images of horses and other wildlife are crafted into 3 dimensional subjects that bring to mind both imaginings both realistic and abstract. Dacelle crafts recycled bailing and copper wire and she creating the details needed to portray specific breeds of horses. Retired educator Deborah sculpts and shapes organic wool. She retains a connection to education participating by mentoring new artists as part of the Arts Commission of Danville Boyle County’s Artist Apprentice Program.
So, whether you’re hoping to find that distinctive piece of artwork or just taking a break to stretch your legs as you’re listening the complex and layered sounds of brass music, the Community Arts Center invites you to journey into the ideas of the artists joining us for the Danville Art Festival. Looking forward to seeing you there.
