ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, December 29, 1995 TAG: 9512290048
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MATT CHITTUM STAFF WRITER
It seemed an amicable enough divorce when it was announced in August.
The Docent Guild of the Art Museum of Western Virginia had decided to part company with Festival in the Park and move its Sidewalk Art Show from Elmwood Park to Salem Avenue. The two events had simply outgrown each other, and everyone agreed separation was the best course.
Festival, it seemed, would be left with its usual craft show on the first weekend and no major exhibit for the second.
But now, fine arts have been added to the craft show, and an ``Art to Wear'' show is on for the second weekend, and the Docent Guild is concerned that confusion over who is running what will reign as powerfully as the clouds that dampened last year's Festival.
Here's the problem: The second weekend of the festival is traditionally anchored to the Sidewalk Art Show. The show is a Festival event, but the Festival crew, headed by Executive Director Wendi Shultz, doesn't handle it.
``It just became irritating,'' said Jobil Cole, chairwoman of this year's Sidewalk Art Show. ``People would say, `Oh, you mean the Festival in the Park show,' and I would say, `No, I don't.'''
Organized by the Docent Guild of the Art Museum of Western Virginia, the Sidewalk Art Show actually predates Festival by about 10 years. But over the years, their physical proximity to one another has led many festival-goers to muddle the events together in their minds.
So, with hopes of overcoming its identity crisis, the Docent Guild decided to move the show to the City Market, on Salem Avenue between Williamson Road and Jefferson Street. The new location is well away from what Cole has called the ``carnival'' atmosphere of Festival, with its bike race and music and rows of food vendors. It's also closer to its parent organization, the Art Museum of Western Virginia, located in Center in the Square.
``A lot of people who came to the show didn't even know where the museum was,'' Cole said. ``Even a lot of the artists didn't know.''
She considers this year to be a return to the way the show was when late artist John Will Creasy organized the first one on Kirk Avenue 38 years ago - no bands, no food, no jugglers, just ``pure art.''
Cole believes moving the show won't be taking anything away from Festival but will add another dimension to what Roanoke has to offer.
But in mailings to artists by both organizations, there's still some degree of territoriality apparent.
Festival has decided to add painters, photographers and other artists to its craft show, now called the 13th annual Roanoke Festival in the Park Fine Arts & Crafts Show.
The Docent Guild, meanwhile, is referring to that event as Festival's ``first art show ever.''
Shultz points out that Festival's craft show has been around for 13 years. The show is merely expanding to include fine art, which Shultz says is the trend nationally anyway.
Either way, Cole and the other docents are a little insulted by Festival deciding to do its own fine-art exhibit the weekend before theirs.
"We were shocked,'' she said. ``We really were."
Theoretically, an artist could exhibit in both shows, though Cole doubts many would be willing to lay down the hundreds of dollars in fees it would take to be in both.
Ultimately, the separation appears still to be a good move for everyone. The Docent Guild has yet to send out its prospectus and application, but Cole said more than 200 artists have confirmed that they will participate in the Sidewalk Art Show. That's up from the 167 artists in last year's show.
As for Festival, the ``Art to Wear'' show, which will feature original jewelry and clothing, is scheduled for that same weekend and should bring in a few extra bucks. Shultz said Festival always incurred expenses from the Sidewalk Art Show, but all profits went to the Docent Guild. Festival should stand to increase revenues at least a little this year with the $100 fee artists will pay to it and not the docents.
And Shultz believes that in the end, the two shows will benefit each other by providing more for everyone, even if they are a few blocks apart.
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