The Woodward News

Local News

April 22, 2009

Mooreland Arts Festival opens Saturday

For the 23rd straight year Mooreland will host an arts and crafts show.

The unique show, which occurs Saturday and Sunday, features artwork from students as well as craft booths from local artists. For the second straight year the Mooreland Arts Festival will have live music. This collection of art, crafts and music is what makes the Mooreland event different from others in Oklahoma and the rest of the country.

Organizer Bob Beatley said there used to be many more festivals in the area that featured both and art show and a craft sell, but they have been dying out.

He said that in 1986 the art department at Mooreland was in jeopardy of being cut in order to save some money. In order to save the department, Beatley had to come up with an idea that would promote to the community the virtues of Mooreland art students.

He decided to put on an art show, but was told there would be no budget for it. He learned of an art show in Okeene where students displayed their work and local crafters could come and sell their creations.

This idea became the base on which the Mooreland Arts Festival has become. Beatley said he rents booth space to crafters so that the festival can be paid for. He said there is a symbiotic relationship between students and crafters.

“The student’s show needs adult crafters to pay for the space,” he said, “while the adults need the kids to bring their parents so they can buy things.”

Beatley said the money received selling the booth space goes back into the show in the forms of judges and prizes.

Over 70 crafts booths will be present at the show. The craft sellers will take up two buildings at the Mooreland Fair Barn. There will also be vendors outside.

Five hundred pieces of artwork from high school and middle school students will be displayed. Some of the schools that have work in the show include: Mooreland, Guymon, Waynoka, Alva, Seiling, Shattuck, Canton, Turpin and Crosbyton, Texas.

Beatley said the 25 best art pieces from each high school and middle school will be on display at the festival.

In addition to the middle and high school art, there will be over 400 pieces of art from elementary school kids who entered a coloring contest.

Last year there were 10 groups who played music for festival goers. This year there will be 15 acts. Beatley said the goal is to have an act play every 30 minutes.

There will be three country music groups, a couple rock groups, a gospel choir, a few school dance teams and the Woodward Square Dancers will perform.

Besides music, art and crafts, there will also be food, door prizes and a silent auction.

The silent auction will consist of 25 items. Some of these include a 40 inch flat screen television and a new DVD player. There will also be memorabilia from the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University, including pictures signed by the quarterbacks of each school, Sam Bradford and Zac Robinson.

An electronic flying insect trap along with graduation packets and pamper kits, which would make a good Mother’s Day gift, will also be available in the auction.

To ensure that there is something for everyone, Beatley said the kid’s area has been redone this year. There will be a reading corner where kids can read inside an inflatable castle. A station where kids will be taught how to make crafts like friendship bracelets will also be in the area. Puppeteers and storytellers round out the entertainment for kids.

The festival is free. It starts on Saturday at 9 a.m. and runs until 6 p.m. On Sunday the festival opens at noon and closes at 6 p.m.

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