More than 180 artists and nearly 80,000 visitors will rendezvous in Brookside for the 24th Brookside Art Annual, May 1-3, presented by Saint Lukes Hospital of Kansas City.
The Art Annual, centered under and around several tents set up at 63rd Street and Brookside Boulevard, attracts a diverse group of local, national and international artists displaying art of all types and price ranges.
The event also attracts a diverse crowd from families and groups of friends out enjoying the spring weather and the chance to browse and purchase eclectic art, to serious collectors who rely on the reputation of the Brookside Art Annual to attract and assemble a large and varied group of works. A wide variety of media including acrylic, oil and watercolor painting, photography, sculpture, ceramics, glass, fiber and jewelry will be represented.
Artists’ booths are set up under tents, which allows the show to go on, rain or shine. The event hours are 5 – 9 p.m. on Friday, May 1; 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. on Saturday, May 2; and 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 3.
A childrens art activity area will be available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Several Brookside restaurants will be serving food from booths during the fair, and light music will enhance the festive atmosphere each evening.
For the 2009 event, the jewelry award is The Frances Gordon Award Best of Jewelry to honor the late Frances Gordon. Gordon was affectionately known as the Queen of Brookside and owned Latin American Imports in Brookside for nearly 20 years. It is because of her talent and love of jewelry that the award was re-named to celebrate and honor Gordons legacy in Brookside and the art community.
Besides welcoming many out-of-state and international artists, the Art Annual’s four-paneled jury chose many local artists for this prestigious show. Exhibiting this year are local artists Shellie Bender, Chris Dahlquist, Tara Dawley, Suze Ford, Susan Hill, Frances Kite, Rusty Leffel, Steve Lohr, Robyn Nichols, Laura Nugent, Anthony Pack, Andrea Ring and Heinrich Toh.
Award winners from the 2008 event that will be returning this year are: Sally Bright, Jeffrey Condon, C.L. Cunningham, Cali Hobgood-Lemme, Brian Keller, James Petran, Steven Potts, Rone` Prinz, Richard Ryan, Gregory Strachov, Chandra Stubbs, Thomas Wargin and James Wilbat.