A (sea) star-studded event
Sea star sculpture in spotlight at Lincoln City’s Family Fun Art Fest
By Gretchen Ammerman
Oregon Coast TODAY
The Lincoln City Cultural Center is throwing a big Art Party this Saturday, Oct. 22. This free, family-friendly fest will include a visit from the vibrant Oregon Coast Art Bus, an art kit table, food vendors, games, a bounce house and a public art dedication. The event will be held outside, weather permitting, or inside if it’s stormy.
“It’s going to be a really fun day and we hope lots of kiddos show up,” said Krista Eddy, Chessman Gallery director and kids’ art program organizer. “There will be a lot to do and we’re excited that some of our favorite local artists, Ben Soeby, Danelle Jones and Carrena Lukas of Scrappy Joy will have booths.” The Taft Parent Group will be selling Mo’s Chowder as a fund-raiser and we will have BBQ hotdogs for sale. And we are really looking forward to having the art bus here.”
The art bus was retrofitted as a mobile art classroom designed to bring free, high-quality art lessons to young people all over Lincoln County. Since its launch, it has served hundreds of area youth.
“We take the art to the kids instead of having the kids come to us,” Newport Visual Arts Center Arts Education Manager Sara Siggelkow said.
At this special fest you will also find a few tables of hands-on activities and free, take-home art kits. The Art Kit program was born during the COVID lockdown in 2020 and has been going full steam ahead ever since. There is a little art kit “shop” inside the center where kids and families can come in and pick out their own kits, assembled every week by a dedicated team of volunteers. There are usually five to eight options for different age groups and preferences. Some old favorites stick around, and some brand-new kits arrive each week.
Since the beginning of the program, nearly 15,000 kits have been distributed.
At noon, Representative David Gomberg will lead a special public dedication ceremony for a Sea Star Sculpture created from waste plastic. Students and community members came together to create the piece inspired by the Washed Ashore sculpture exhibit that was displayed at the center last winter. More than 1,000 local students contributed to the large sculpture, using beach debris and non-recyclable plastics mounted on a strong stainless-steel frame made by Henry Hoovestal. It will remain on the grounds of the center for all to enjoy.
The party is from 11 am to 4 pm, with the public art dedication at noon. The Lincoln City Cultural Center is located at 540 NE Hwy. 101. For more information, go to lincolncity-culturalcenter.org, or call 541-994-9994.