Arts in the Park showcases creativity

Celebrating art, music and nature was the focus of a festival Saturday at McCormick’s Creek State Park.

The eighth annual Arts in the Park festival spanned seven hours and included demonstrations and art presentations by more than 25 local artists and craftspeople.

Traditional Arts Indiana, a local organization dedicated to expanding public awareness of Indiana’s traditional art history, presented information about Indiana’s rich limestone history during the event.

Taking part in the TAI Limestone Traditions exhibit were quarry workers, carvers and toolmakers who showed the audience samples of their work and explained the process of stone production for use in buildings, art pieces or other projects.

Following this presentation was a stone carving demonstration and a live music performance by a group of local stone workers.

Live music was also a main feature of the Arts in the Park events, including the Fabulous Roosters, Nate Johnson & the Keepers, Backwoods Bluegrass Band and the Hesitation Blues Band on the festival stage of the park.

The park amphitheater was also used as a concert venue that day for musician Craig Brenner and The Freddie Shaw Band.

Visitors traversing the entertainment and artwork booths that afternoon could help the Friends of McCormick’s Creek State Park group assemble a community art project by making animal origami figures.

The Friends of McCormick’s Creek State Park group organized the event with help from the Indiana Arts Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts and Traditional Arts Indiana, among other local organizations.

— Amanda Jacobson