Getting a shady spot in Oleson Park to display and look at art is easy enough - there are plenty of trees to give shelter under their canopies behind the restored bandshell.
Finding a shady spot to listen to that music - in front of the bandshell - is more difficult.
While attending the Music and Art at Oleson Park Saturday, the Sporrer family found a way to cope.
They brought their own - under three large umbrellas - which covered Rachel, 8; Lindsey, 11; Dianne Sporrer and her mom, Linda Schertz but left Art Sporrer out in the sun.
"I"m getting ready for a good burn," he said.
The family was planning to stick around for awhile.
"We're going to have a little lunch and make a day of it," Dianne Sporrer said.
Courtney Kopp, of Fort Dodge, brought her son, Austin, 5, to take in the sights. His first stop was to get a henna tattoo from artist Kathryn Dillon.
"It's a beautiful day," Kopp said. "We thought we would see what they had for kids to do."
Dillon appreciated the day, too.
"It's a nice opportunity for the community and us artists," she said.
Dillon had several of her paintings on display. She is currently an art student at the University of Northern Iowa and is planning on making it her career.
She didn't have a price tag on her work though although she was somewhat open to selling her paintings.
"They're hard to part with," she said.
She also said that she appreciated the chance to talk to people about her work.
Jared Pott, of Fort Dodge, calls himself a multimedia artist. He brought along a selection of clay figures that ranged from mushrooms to mystical creatures, handmade refrigerator magnets and an eagle-headed walking staff carved from a piece of wood he found in Oleson Park during a walk.
"I try to make all kinds of stuff," he said of his work.
Katrina West, of Fort Dodge, is an artist who specializes in drawings and paintings made from photographs provided by her clients.
She's been pursuing her work professionally for several years and said she appreciates the show and her ability to network with potential clients and other artists.
"I wish there were more of these I could attend," she said.
During the day, a variety of musical acts performed on the restored bandshell. They ranged from Jenny Williams, who performed Christian music, to Peaches and Diesel, a blues band from the area.
Contact Hans Madsen at (515) 573-2141 or hmadsen@messengernews.net
