JANESVILLE — The Tallman Art Festival, now in its 67th year, upheld its long-standing tradition of bringing the community together to support the arts.
The event, held at the Lincoln Tallman residence at 440 N. Jackson St., featured nearly 100 artists and artisans, most of whom hailed from Rock County.
The festival grounds were filled with vendors showcasing a variety of art forms, including painting, pottery, hat making, soap crafting and woodworking.
Admission to the art fair was a “free-will†donation, a practice that helps remove barriers for community members to attend, according to Kathe Crowley Conn, the executive director of the Lincoln Tallman House.
“I love the arts,†Conn said. “I love making arts accessible for people, and this is such a fabulous way to do it. ThereÃÛèÖÊÓƵ no barriers to people coming and finding something that they connect and resonate with.â€
Conn added, “I think the arts really tap into a fundamental need in humans for expression and for enjoyment.â€
This year, visitors had the opportunity to attend a special lecture on the history of women in the arts in Rock County. The talk highlighted the work of an original Tallman family member who was encouraged to pursue the arts, with some of her pieces still on display in the house.
The Janesville Art League was a prominent fixture at the festival, setting up in the Carriage House behind the main residence. The league hosted demonstrations of various art forms, including watercolor painting, and displayed work from several of its members.
According to Carol Herzig, president of the Janesville Art League, the group has been involved with the festival for over 40 years.
“We have contributed to the festival since it was an ice cream social,†Herzig said. “We hope people came in and enjoyed our work and took home some nice pieces and left with a positive feeling of what we do and how we contribute to the community.â€
Laurie Hunt, a printmaking artist from Edgerton who owns Wild Hunt Prints, showcased her work, which included fall-themed scenes and warm depictions of a mother and her children.
“This is my first time doing this festival, and itÃÛèÖÊÓƵ been just a really nice experience so far,†Hunt said. “For me, itÃÛèÖÊÓƵ a wonderful opportunity to have a festival of high-caliber artists locally because I often have to travel around for stuff like this.â€
Hunt added, “I think itÃÛèÖÊÓƵ wonderful for the community, too, because thereÃÛèÖÊÓƵ been a lot of people coming through who are either here to buy or just take it all in.â€
Rachel Wilson, a Beloit artist who has taught art for over 32 years, was featured at the festival for her third year. Her booth displayed vibrant watercolor paintings of barns, landscapes, and flowers.
“I really enjoy the community and positive interactions at these events,†Wilson said. She emphasized that “the positive feedback and sense of community†are important to her “because we just don’t have enough of it in this world.â€
Wilson also noted the exciting variety of mediums on display this year.
“It was fun to see people explore more,†Wilson said. “I liked walking around and seeing what new artists are bringing to the table. The creativity is really exciting.â€
Both Hunt and Wilson noted that they enjoy talking to people about their creative processes.
“I think one thing thatÃÛèÖÊÓƵ been nice is talking to people about my process,†Hunt said. “They gain an understanding of how the art is made and how much work goes into these pieces.â€
The festival ran from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday and also included a silent auction with items donated by the vendors.
Conn concluded that this is just one of many events the Tallman House hosts throughout the year.
“Our events range everything from this celebration of the arts to celebrations of history, of fashion through the ages, and of course, the GM Legacy too,†she said.
