Artists sell works on courthouse square

Close to 10,000 art enthusiasts walked the streets of downtown Bloomington on Saturday during the 28th annual Arts Fair on the Square.\nThe fair, which took place outside the Monroe County Courthouse from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., offered space for 62 different artists to display and sell art.\n“(The courthouse) is a beautiful place,” said Ed Vande Sande, development and marketing director for the Bloomington Area Arts Council. “We’ve resisted the temptation to move away from the courthouse to include more artists and groups.”\nArtists from all over the country, 127 in total, applied to participate in the event. Among those chosen were artists from Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Illinois and as far away as New Mexico. Though the BAAC organized the event, Vande Sande said they did not choose the artists directly. Instead, a community jury made the decisions, which Vande Sande said he approved.\n“I honestly believe we had the best of the best this year,” he said. “This year was by far the most successful artist booths we’ve had.”\nArtwork included painting, photography, woodwork, ceramic, fiber, sculpture and jewelry. This year a new booth featuring Western art and digital art were added to the fair.\nNew to this year’s Arts Fair on the Square was a nationally recognized clown and face painter, a smoothie stand and an additional 12 booths on Sixth Street, which was closed to vehicular traffic for the day. \nApril Barr and Jennie Todd, both residents of Nashville, Ind., said they have attended the fair about 10 times. While the two said they have greatly enjoyed every year, they said they enjoyed this year the most because of the perfect weather and the addition of new attractions.\n“It’s a great way to spend an afternoon,” Todd said. “You get to see great art and everyone from the town that you don’t usually see. It’s just a great community outing.”\nArts Fair on the Square also provides a one-day venue for artisans to sell their work, Vande Sande said. \nImmediately after the event, Vande Sande said he did not have exact numbers but from the feedback he received from the artists, this year was a good year for sales. Bloomington potter and blacksmith Walt Schmidt said the arts fair is a bright spot in this floun\ndering economy.\n“Momentarily it allows me to continue what I’ve been doing for a period of time,” Walt Schmidt, a Bloomington potter and blacksmith, said. “This is my livelihood, after all.”