Art in Central Park set for Sunday

Ft. Madison’s Art-in-Central Park has a decade of family fun Sundays under their belt since FMAAA brought the event back to town. Plenty of visual artists will be displayed under the shade trees of Central Park. Musical performances will crank it out in the gazebo in the afternoon. The Kid’s Art Activity Zone will be in flow from 11am-2:30pm. A microbrew BBQ awaits visitors in the shelter house featuring The Lost Duck Brewery. New programs evolved as well with “Yoga and a Pint”. Meet instructor Alexis Taryn at the Fountain at 11:30 for half hour class before the gazebo musicians begin, bring your mat! Afterwards celebrate your zen with a “Pint” from Lost Duck Brewery special recipes. Also new, display of paintings created THAT DAY for the Lee County Plein Air painting competition from 2:30-4:00pm. Axalta Coating Systems is the Event sponsor for this cultural arena at Central Park on Sunday.

The Kid’s Art Activity Zone will feature Ray McKee’s graphic artistry with linquistics. Popular Sweet Mimi the Balloon Clown is back…however, without balloons. Due to an injury Mimi will be weaving yarns not balloons as storytelling will occur every 20 minutes for 4 sessions. Susan Buehler will man the Halloween figurine ceramics painting booth. Pumpkins for Painting will be available again as fall’s bounty harvests.

Music in the gazebo kicks off at noon with the country twang of Paytyn Young of Basco, IL. At age 16 Paytyn has been polishing her technique since the age of 11! Veteran musicians Bluezillion headline the gazebo for a long set of funky blues. Jamaican born Victory Henigan finishes the afternoon with the sounds of reggae, mon! Thanks to music sponsors Jim Baier INC, MidWestOne Bank, and Lost Duck Brewery for setting the tempo. Just prior to Victory will be the Ft. Madison portion of the Lee County Plein Air Painting competition. Artists equipped with skills and light easels will select subject matter to paint in Keokuk on 9/22 with a display and awards near The Grand Theater from 5-7pm that day. Ft. Madison scenes are painted on Sunday and will be on display and for sale by the shelter house from 2:30-4pm on Sunday. Dr. Marie Brady Whitcannack is the judge on both days in both towns. Plein air artists are coming from Kirksville, Pulaski, Fairfield, and Cedar Rapids to participate for Lee County! This idea began with a donation from the Virginia Riddle Family and has snowballed since! 10 roving artists per day picking locations to paint outside in Keokuk and Ft. Madison the weekend of “Bridging the Arts in Lee County”.

Visual artists at Art-in-Central Park include work in the mediums of wood, copper, jewelry, photography, pastel, and drawing. Artist vendor maps will be in the park describing name, medium, and booth numbers. They will vie for $250 Fort Madison Partners purchase award, $200 FMAAA Purchase Award, and $150 Fort Madison Rotary Club purchase award. FMAAA Booth Awards will be determined as well. FMAAA’s Art-in-Central Park merged this year with Keokuk Rocks the Arts to create a 3-day weekend of cultural events designed to draw visitors to the wealth of talent in Lee County. View the schedule for all events all weekend at keokukiowatourism.org. Enjoy an entertaining weekend slate of culture in your neck of the woods!