Area artists participate in Paint out in the Park Aug. 8 at the top of the hill at Ford Field during the Dearborn Homecoming Festival.
Artist Sasha Corder helps coordinate the annual Paint out in the Park event during the Dearborn Homecoming Festival.
By SUE SUCHYTA
Times-Herald Newspapers
DEARBORN – Under sunny skies, five dozen artists filled the top of the hill at Homecoming with colorful creations during the annual Paint Out in the Park competition.
Artist and event staff member Sasha Corder said this is the 12th Paint Out in the Park and the biggest year yet, with 60 artists participating.
“Everyone forgets it is a competition,” she said. “Everyone just spends all three days making friends, meeting new people, networking, exchanging styles and techniques and products, and how to push people’s art even further.”
Corder said it’s inspiring to see everyone come together for Paint Out in the Park.
“I think the consistency of us being here in the arts district is we get a lot more interaction now with the festival goers, where they will actually come seek us out every year now,” she said. “It’s not like a happy accident, ‘I just stumbled on some really cool art.’ It’s like, ‘I’m going to the Homecoming Festival to go see the art.’”
Corder said they have 20 emerging artists who are under 21, and of those, six are Pockets of Perception mural team alumni and two worked on the mural at the Dearborn Historical Museum this summer.
She said they have a small scale mural done by a featured artist, along with a community mural to which all may contribute.
Dearborn Community Fund Executive Director EmmaJean Woodyard said it is inspirational to see what the artists come up with in terms of their designs and ideas.
“Everybody is so different,” she said. “That, to me, is the exciting part.”
Area artists participate in Paint out in the Park Aug. 8 at the top of the hill at Ford Field during the Dearborn Homecoming Festival.
Team member Johanna Seidel said Paint Out in the Park has had a great turnout in terms of artists this year.
“I have my fingers crossed for no rain,” she said.
Participant Sofia Peterwas, who was working on the community mural, said it is fun when people stop by, and they encourage them to get involved.
“It’s kind of nice to see the kids smile, knowing that they helped with the mural, and when we tell them they can see it in the gallery when it’s all done, they get excited about that,” she said.
Artist Jonathan “Seymor” Sandberg, who was participating for his fifth year in Paint Out in the Park, said he likes to paint trees, which he said are a metaphor for neurons and state of mind, or the collective unconscious.
He said he enjoys spending time with other artists as well.
“It’s a great excuse to see a bunch of friends,” Sandberg said. “We are all kind of workaholics, so we get to see each other while we’re working, so it’s a great experience.”
Artist Matt Thornton said it’s also his fifth year doing Paint Out in the Park.
He said he enjoys painting fun cartoon characters, a theme he was pursuing this year at Paint Out in the Park.
Thornton said spending time with artists who are his friends is like “a weird family reunion.”
He said he also enjoys the encouraging feedback from attendees who stop by to watch them work.
“It’s usually painting in your studio by yourself,” Thornton said. “You’re just kind of painting, but this brings a different type of energy to it, and I think I enjoy that because oftentimes I’m in my studio and I get a lot of self-doubt. But when you have people walking by, like, ‘That’s really good,’ it’s constantly encouraging. It’s good to have that public feedback.”
Artists Tameshja Brooks (foreground) and Selena Jade create artwork Aug. 8 during Paint out in the Park at the Dearborn Homecoming Festival at Ford Field.
Artist Selena Jade, a first-time participant in Paint Out in the Park, said she enjoys working side-by-side with other artists.
“It’s super nice, and it’s kind of cool because you get to see how everybody else works, so it’s very interesting,” she said.
Artist Tameshja Brooks, who works with acrylic and digital media, said this is the third time she has participated in Paint Out in the Park.
She said the event is really freeing artistically.
“I do a lot of events where I have to do vendor stuff, trying to sell your art and stuff like that, so this is an event that feels like I can just paint something and be with other people to talk about their paints and stuff, and just relax,” Brooks said.
Artist Hailey Tabor, a first time Paint Out in the Park participant, said she enjoys interacting with both the other artists and the attendees who stop by to see their work.
“Talking to the other artists has been really awesome,” she said. “They are all good people.”
This year’s winners were: Kevin Furgerson, first place Judge’s Choice; Angelo Aquino, second place Judge’s Choice; Andrew “Kingovworms” Alcenius, People’s Choice; Rukaiya Berry, AAA Emerging Artist (under 21); and Zaina Saab and Omaima “Mina,” Billbey Award honorable mentions.
All of the participants’ work will be on display Sept. 11 to Oct. 24 at the Padzieski Gallery at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center, 15801 Michigan Ave., with an opening reception from 5 to 8 p.m. Sept. 11.
Artist Cashline Taylor works on the community mural Aug. 8 during Paint out in the Park at the Dearborn Homecoming Festival at Ford Field.
Artist Sofia Peterwas works on the community mural Aug. 8 during Paint out in the Park at the Dearborn Homecoming Festival at Ford Field.
Artist Jonathan Sandberg, aka “Seymor,” creates artwork Aug. 8 during Paint out in the Park at the Dearborn Homecoming Festival at Ford Field.
Above and below, area artists participate in Paint out in the Park Aug. 8 at the top of the hill at Ford Field during the Dearborn Homecoming Festival.
