Three Rivers Festival is awash in fine artistry

A vase made from molten glass, a painting awash in color, a whirligig twirling in the breeze -- all can be found in artists' tents that will line Columbia Street in downtown Covington next weekend. The Covington Three Rivers Art Festival will be held on Saturday and next Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

"Three Rivers has grown to become one of the premiere arts festivals in the South," said Karen Whiteside, event coordinator. "The continued success helps our local artists, restaurants and economy much more than we had dreamed 13 years ago when it began."

More than 200 artists from more than 25 states will display original, handcrafted art at the free festival. Medias include original oil, acrylic, pastel and watercolor paintings; glass; printmaking; photography; sculpture of metal, wood, glass and other materials; functional and art pottery; jewelry made of metal, stones, beads and glass; fibers and textile creations; and wooden or metal furniture.

Young talent also will be on display in the Junior League Dogwood Cottage, at the corner of Kirkland and North Columbia streets.

The Student Art Competition is open to St. Tammany Parish public, private, parochial and home-schooled students in grades K-12. Ribbons will be awarded in each grade. Best of Show ribbons will be awarded for elementary, middle, junior high and high school levels. Michelangelo Awards, presented by the American Society of Italian Heritage, also are awarded in each age bracket, along with a cash prize of $50.

"The Covington Three Rivers Art Festival is a premiere event for the city, enhancing Covington's reputation as an arts mecca and serving as an economic catalyst into the retail holiday season," said Pam Keller, president of the Three Rivers Art Festival and director of economic development for the city.

"This year, we're extremely excited with the new addition of `Emerging Artist,' focusing our attention on our mission to encourage and promote the arts to the youth of our community." Austin Whiteside, a junior at St. Paul's School in Covington, has been named this year's Emerging Artist.

The 16-year-old, who works in pastels and charcoal, received first-place honors in last year's student art competition.

Racers can show off their own fluid motion by entering the 1-mile or 5K races, held on Saturday. Race-day registration starts at 7 a.m. The one-mile begins at 8 a.m., followed by the 5K at 8:30 a.m.

Both will start at the Columbia Street Landing. Registration can be done online at www.threeriversartfestival.com or at www.15thstreetflyers.org.

Winners of the top eight race spots will receive handcrafted awards by artist Jose Balli.

Hungry visitors, after working up an appetite by participating in the races or by walking to view the art and visit with friends, will be satisfied by a wide range of menu treats. They include turkey gumbo, crawfish etouffee, chicken and sausage jambalaya, seafood and spinach volcano, shrimp and corn soup, alligator on a stick, funnel cakes, fresh lemonade and more.

The Covington Three Rivers Art Festival is a nonprofit organization, whose goals are threefold: to expand and enhance St. Tammany's reputation as an arts-oriented community; to increase tourism in St. Tammany Parish; and to support children's art education programs in the parish.

For more information, call Whiteside at 871.4141, or 705.7968, or send her an e-mail to info@ThreeRiversArtFestival.com.

Published on NOLA.com

Published in The Times-Picayune Sunday, November 8, 2009