makes a splash in Orchard Lake By David Wallace ORCHARD LAKE — This month marks the sixth year for the Orchard Lake Fine Art Show, which touts its uniqueness and designation as one of the top 100 art shows in the nation. The shows takes place July 25-27 at the corner of Indian Trail and Commerce Road on the campus of Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Preparatory. The show begins July 25 with an artist preview party 6-9 p.m., with tickets priced at $25. Ticket sales benefit the school. Admission is free 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. July 26 and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 27. A parking fee of $6 also benefits Orchard Lake Schools. Show Director Patty Narozny explained that the top 100 ranking comes from Sunshine Artist magazine, which covers shows and festivals. “It’s a nationwide voting by artists,” said Narozny. A lot of preparation goes into the show. “I work all year around to make this event one of the best in the community,” said Narozny. She and others from the show’s crew travel around the country to recruit artists. They specifically look for people who might not have exhibited their works in Michigan. One of those artists is Daniela Ovtcharov, whose artwork comprises the poster for this year’s show. It is an eye-catching painting of a woman in a forest that looks both old and new. Ovtcharov explained that the painting represents spring coming after winter. It has themes of warmth and growth. “She’s holding this tree and everything is blossoming,” said Ovtcharov. “It’s phenomenal and it stands out,” said Narozny, who figures a poster has one or two seconds to grab a person’s attention. Ovtcharov uses old techniques from 15th century Italy — she appreciates old techniques and the old masters — but her works have modern touches, too. All of her paintings are oil on canvas. Ovtcharov also fits into the show’s impressive geographic breadth. She lives in New Mexico, and artists from many states and Ontario, Canada, are scheduled to participate. The show includes a Youth Art Competition that gives kids in kindergarten through the eighth-grade a chance to publicly display their artwork at the show. Professional artists judge the works and award $250 in cash prizes. Last year was the first time the show included a Youth Art Competition, and it looks like the competition is growing. “It’s going well. We have double the amount of entries this year,” said Narozny. While the competition does not include teaching art, it gets the kids thinking about art in earnest. “It gives them a good feeling to know that their art is being displayed publicly for the whole weekend,” said Narozny. The show has live entertainment, artist demonstrations, activities for kids and an informational space for Orchard Lake and West Bloomfield, which are both celebrating milestone anniversaries this year. For more information, visit www.hotworks.org or call the event hotline at (248) 685-3748. For tickets to the artist preview party, visit www.ticketweb.com. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s is at 3535 Indian Trail. You can reach Staff Writer David Wallace at dwallace@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1053. |
