NORTHAMPTON, MA (WGGB/WSHM) – Take me down to the Paradise City…Arts Festival. Northampton’s Three County Fairground is being transformed into an artist’s oasis for the annual spring event.
At the show, visitors and shoppers can find everything from the painted to the welded to the abstract. All this pottery was made by Ashfield’s Maya Machin, who has been participating in the show for 17 years.
“It’s a long process including the firing itself. It’s 18 hours of putting wood in the kiln,” Machin said.
However, preparing and setting up for the show takes longer. Machin told Western Mass News that, to make her annual appearance happen, it takes two whole days.
“To arrive at the show, everything needs to be sanded and priced and packed and in such a way it doesn’t break, which is always a tricky thing,” Machin noted.
Meantime, when we spoke with Sue Fontaine, she was busy hanging up her delicate pieces for hundreds of eyes to see.
“I feel like it’s my workout,” Fontaine explained. “It’s exciting too because it’s how is my setup going to work. It’s just part of the creative process.”
The Memorial Day weekend event also features music, food, and a silent auction, but the real highlight for many is connecting with the art and artists.
“For me, as an artist, I spend a lot of time toiling around in my studio by myself and this is a great opportunity to be around other people who love artwork and to talk about it,” Fontaine noted.
You can CLICK HERE for more information on the event.
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