The Masskrug have been washed and put away, and the sun has set on the 5th Annual Boerne BierFest benefitting the Hill Country Council for the Arts.
As always, the small gathering of artists and artisans who commit to Boerne BierFest remind festivalgoers that it is the overall goal of BBF to raise funds used to expand opportunities to experience the arts in Kendall County and surrounding Hill Country counties. Keeping true to the Art Council’s mission, the day was filled with music, conversation with artists and art isans – paintings, jewelry, photography, pottery, quilting – and the sampling of fine crafted beer and cider brewed by Texas Craft brewers.
Benjamin Roberts took home first place with his sublime photographs of the Texas Hill Country. As First Place winner, Roberts will take part in the creation of next year’s BierFest Limited Edition poster. According to the mystery judge, “Roberts displayed a serious eye for the aesthetic potential of our Hill Country landscapes.”
Second place was awarded to Tonya Stromsness for her particularly imaginative artwork, taking her love of finger paints to a new level. Stromsness gave up her paint brushes while studying art in college, stating, “I simply could not get brushes to do what I wanted them to, so I create primarily painting with my fingers and palette knives.” Stromsness’ work is primarily in watercolor and acrylic.
As a nod to Art History, and according to several sources, finger paints were first used by an elementary school student of Ruth Faison Shaw’s at the Shaw School in Rome in the early 1930s. Ruth Faison Shaw was an American artist and educator who developed her techniques using finger painting as an art education medium, and in 1931, patented a safe, nontoxic paint. The idea came to her when she found a student painting with the iodine on the walls of the bathroom rather than doctoring the cut on his hand. Finger painting is said to have migrated to art classes in America several years later.
Returning to BierFest this year as a hand-crafted jewelry artisan is Roxanne Markline with her lovely and delicate jewelry creations. The judge found the execution of her trade to be very consistent. Her eveningwear earrings were particularly interesting.
We thank all who contributed to the success of our 5th Annual Boerne BierFest. We will continue over the next few weeks to acknowledge all those who worked so hard, making this year’s festival a success. But for purposes of today’s column, HCCArts Board members appreciate our sponsors, volunteers, our board members’ spouses, attendees and game participants, food vendors, brewers, artists and musicians and members of HCCArts – all of whom were necessary to make this a festival to remember. THANK YOU!
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