Spend Saturday in the park with Art in the Park and Okoboji Blues Festival

Join over 90 local, regional and national artists as they display the fruits of their labor at Art in the Park on Saturday, Aug. 1 from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Held at Preservation Plaza in Arnolds Park and presented by the Pearson Lakes Art Center, the juried show features handcrafted work - sculpture, pottery, silversmithing, glass, drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, folk art, mixed media and more.

"We begin planning a year in advance for Art in the Park," said Danielle Clouse, Visual Arts Curator at the Pearson Lakes Art Center. "We always shoot for the first weekend in August and start designing entry forms and getting organized in November and December."

This year's event will be bigger than ever with approximately 20 more artists entered than last year.

"We really do have a lot of new artists this year," said Clouse, who is also displaying her art at the festival. "We have artists from Michigan, Colorado, Illinois and one that comes from Florida every year. It's a nice variety of artists."

In addition to this event, Arnolds Park Amusement Park will be holding its third annual Okoboji Blues Festival, beginning at 1 p.m.

Featured in the festival are Peaches Blues from Fort Dodge (sponsored by the Pearson Lakes Art Center and Tom and Avis Tourville); Paul Mayasich and the Jonny Lang Band Alumni from Minneapolis, Minn., and Big James and the Chicago Playboys from Chicago, Ill.

"This is a great opportunity to witness both the performing and visual arts in one place," Clouse said. "It should be a wonderful year."

Admission is free for both events. Bring the family and enjoy a fabulous day of art and entertainment. In case of inclement weather, the event will be postponed for Sunday, Aug. 2.

For more information, contact Danielle Clouse, Visual Arts Curator at the Pearson Lakes Art Center at (712) 332-7013 or danielle@lakesart.org.

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Featured artists

Lakes area artists

Kari Bruinsma, Spirit Lake

Pat Cain, Spirit Lake

Danielle Clouse, Spirit Lake

Dennis Dykema, Spirit Lake

Kathy Evert, Spirit Lake

John Feldhacker, Spencer

Hank Hall, Spirit Lake

Roger Hargens, Spirit Lake

Cherie Harms, Spirit Lake

Deb Paxton, Milford

Lissa Potter, Okoboji

Deidre Rosenboom, Arnolds Park

Dan Ruf, Spirit Lake

Ret Spies, Arnolds Park

Mari Stewart, Arnolds Park

Tootie Steward, Arnolds Park

Brad Travis, Spirit Lake

Iowa

Kat Barron Miller, Des Moines

Lori Bonz, Des Moines

Jamie Bowers, Sioux City

Linda Burris, West Des Moines

Dawn Caskey, West Des Moines

Karen Cooper, Spencer

Darla Ellickson, Decorah

Craig Fent, Sioux City

Anne Ferguson, Renwick

Mike and Eileen Ferrance, Iowa City

David Gardner, Woodbine

Marvel Houge, Estherville

Sara Johnson, Spencer

Holly Kellogg, Spencer

Kristy Kepp, Alton

Lissa Lane Johnson, Hospers

Carla Marsh, Mapleton

Lisa McClurg, Cedar Falls

Mel Myers, Spencer

Jim and Judith Miller, Clear Lake

Bettina Perkins, Anthon

Beth Peterson, Parkersburg

Ken Peterson, Sioux City

Gene Polson, Marcus

Perry Polson, Spencer

Cheri Schloerke, Ames

Rhonda Scott, Ames

Karen Spears, Sheldon

John Stillmunks, Des Moines

Julie and Don Ulmer, Hawarden

Diana Vondra, Adel

Abigail West, Des Moines

Jill Winders, Solon

Gary Winkler, Fort Dodge

Rhonda Wittkop, Cherokee

Ruth Wolterstorff, Ocheyedan

Tracy Zirbel, Johnston

Surrounding areas

Trish Casey and Kevin Casey, Bellevue, Neb.

Marisue Caskey, Kansas City, Mo.

Tom Chamberlain, Brooksville, Fla.

Brenda Collison-Schmidt, Sioux Falls, S.D.

Marcy Costello, Lakefield, Minn.

Russ Duerksen, Sioux Falls, S.D.

Carmen Dyar, Sioux Falls, S.D.

Genevieve Echols, Mission Hill, S.D.

Roger Ellingson, Sioux Falls, S.D.

Cathy Evans, Marshfield, Mo.

Roberta Finch, Sioux Falls, S.D.

Douglas Fulks, Lake Lotawana, Minn.

Shelagh Gamble, Minneapolis, Minn.

Kristin Gehrels, St. Charles, Ill.

Jean Haefele, Chaska, Minn.

Terry Hunt, Hart, Mich.

Lori Kading, Sioux Falls, S.D.

Olga Krasovska, St. Paul, Minn.

Dee Leavitt, Norfolk, Neb.

Vicki Mason, La Vista, Neb.

Rory Mattson, Albert Lea, Minn.

Orville Mengedoht, Arlington, Neb.

Robert Nordstrom, Nisswa, Minn.

Janet Olney, Willmar, Minn.

Debbie Plucker, Parker, S.D.

Deana Polak, Dakota Dunes, S.D.

Lee Reams, Tulsa, Oklah.

DebRae Sandvik, Harmony, Minn.

Rebekah Scott, Valley Springs, S.D.

Sara Snyder, Nederland, Colo.

Tom Soucek, Litchfield, Minn.

Char Swanson, Sioux Falls, S.D.

John Tapager, Austin, Minn.

Patricia Thomas, Ashland, Neb.

Diane Mallu Thompson, Stillwater, Minn.

Leon Van Weelden, Springfield, Mo.