Festival

DIGHTON - For the third year, people came from all over to take in a little art, music and wine. The annual event, held at Araujos Garden Center on Sunday, was sponsored by the Dighton Lions Club and the Dighton Art Association. Martha and Rose Sibin, of Tiverton, R.I., took one of the school buses, courtesy of Bloom Bus Services, which shuttled people from the Auto Auction to Araujos. They have been involved with the arts for years. “We heard about this through a friend,” Martha said.
“We travel around the area to different arts festivals,” she said. “It’s a great way to support local artisans,” Rose explained. “Plus, having the wine and children’s area gives it so much more. It’s a great exposure to everyone.” This event is the dream of Lions member Carl Stonstrom with help from Ron O’Connor, Dighton Art Association President.

“This dream began 10 years ago,” Stonstrom said. “I went to an art festival in Arizona and fell in love with what I saw and I knew I wanted it to happen in my town.”
In previous years, the event was held at the Lions’ Pavilion, behind the Dighton Town Hall, but due to increasing popularity, it was moved this year to Araujos.
Of course both O’Connor and Stonstrom have great volunteers within the Lions and the Art Association to help pull the event together. O’Connor said it’s the people’s commitment to the arts and community that makes planning the event so easy. The art association even has a waiting list now for artisans who want to participate.
The people that are involved really care,” Stonstrom said. “Our camaraderie and determination is evident.”

Visitors walked from greenhouse to greenhouse, five in all, and enjoyed just about every form of art as well as a greenhouse for children’s art work. Students from all the Dighton and Rehoboth schools created drawings, paintings and sculptures and students from grades one to seven from the Palmer School had paintings on display. There were various vocal performances by young local artists such as 16-year-old Maria Ventura, 17-year-old Matt Borrello, 16-year-old Sarah Borrello, 14-year-old Kara Fortier and 14-year-old Mia Boostrom. Both the Dighton Elementary School Chorus and the Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School Jazz Band performed and singers, Gary Duquette and Johnny Botelho performed on the main stage.

Almost 40 exhibitors came from all over the Bristol County area, some as far away as West Warwick, Rhode Island to showcase their pieces, most, one-of-a-kind.
For the first time this year, the event offered wine tasting. Rui Campos, Lions member, shared his expectations. “I’d like to start off slow with about five or six tables, and grow the wine portion as time goes by,” Campos explained. “We’re trying to bring some culture in,” he said. “Some of our wines are local, while others are from Portugal. We also have Port wine and Maderia wine.”

Mary Ann Martin and Martha MacNaught were at this particular festival for the first time selling handcrafted jewelry. Both former educators, they decided to take some jewelry making lessons five years ago. “We never intended to start a business,” Mary Ann explained, “but we had so much stuff, that we decided to do a craft show. We actually sold some stuff, so we figured we might have something here.”

Ester Entin and Steve Davis came from Swansea to take in the great atmosphere.
“This is our first time,” Entin said. “Our friends live down the street. They told us about it.”
“It’s a nice mix of arts and crafts and the fact that it’s local artisans,” Davis said. “Mixing in stuff for the kids makes it nicer as well.”
“I also like that the artists are local,” Entin added. “I found one who has a pottery studio that I’m interested in working in.”
This was the second year for Charles and Brenda Winters, of Somerset.
“There’s a great mix of items and we’re interested in seeing what the wine tasting has to offer,” Charles said.

Mother and daughter team Lisa Hodgson and Ellie Campion, of Crooked Moon Studio, are mosaic artists from Taunton. They had their pieces on display for the first time. Hodson learned of the festival through the Dighton Art Association, where she is a member. Given it was her first time, she had a slight touch of nerves, but her beautiful mosaic pieces could speak for themselves. One of the more unique items she had was a mosaic acoustic guitar.

“I’ve been doing mosaics for three years now,” Hodgson said. “I offer classes as well.”
Painter Theodore Lippold from Berkley has been selling his work at the festival since it began. He specializes in restoration of heirloom photos and nature photography. Lippold has been painting in watercolor since 1965 and working with digital photography since the 1980s.

“This is a great festival because it gives the community the chance to see all local artists and crafts people,” Lippold explained. “The setting is desirable because you’ve got the wine-tasting and great vendors. All these things combine to make a great event.” He noted how the natural light from a greenhouse also adds to the atmosphere and brings out the best in all the art pieces.

Visitors could take a break and grab some quick eats from the Lions Club, who were serving burgers and hotdogs, chicken wings, chili fries and curly fries, coffee, hot cider and hot chocolate and a few other favorites. According to Stonstrom, this was the perfect place to learn about wine and art and have fun doing it. “I want people to come and experience culture,” he said.

Reprinted with permission, courtesy of the Taunton Gazette

View Larger Map

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 16, 2007

Ron O’Connor - (508) 821-3782
Carl Stonstrom - (508) 669-5665

THIRD ANNUAL DIGHTON ARTS FESTIVAL ON OCTOBER 28TH

The Third Annual Dighton Arts Festival will be held on Sunday, October 28th from10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Araujo Farms, 1522 Williams Street, Dighton. The festival is sponsored by the Dighton Lions Club in cooperation with the Dighton Art Association.
Thirty-five fine artists and artisans will exhibit, demonstrate their art, and offer their work for sale. Paintings, sculpture, textiles, jewelry, wood carvings, photography, fine art greeting cards, and mosaics are among the many offerings expected at this year’s event. A list of exhibitors is on the Dighton Art Association web site at dightonart.org/festival.

Carl Stonstrom, who is leading the festival planning effort for the Dighton Lions Club, said “the festival is designed to promote an appreciation for the arts in our community. We feature local artists as well people from outside the community to provide a broad experience for festival participants. Children are an important part of our community so we have included activities that help to build an appreciation for the arts among children. We had very successful events the first two years and we look forward to another great festival this year. The change in venue to Araujo Farms will provide heated and enclosed space for the comfort of artists and visitors. We are grateful to the Araujo family for opening their greenhouses for this community event.”

Children’s art will be featured in the Emerging Artists Gallery where festival visitors can view artwork submitted by students from Dighton and Rehoboth. The Emerging Artists Stage will feature musical performances by local youth: Matt Borrello of Dighton (2nd place in the 2007 Boston Folk Festival Songwriting Contest, Youth Division), Sarah Borrello of Dighton (Ist place in the 2007 Boston Folk Festival Songwriting Contest, Youth Division), Maria Ventura of Taunton (voted Best Female Vocalist in the Providence Phoenix Poll 2007), fiddle player Kara Fortier of Dighton, and singer-guitarist Mia Boostrom of Dighton. The Dighton Elementary School Chorus is also scheduled to sing at the festival.

The 2007 festival will also include a wine tasting event hosted by Westport Rivers Vineyard and Winery of Westport and sponsored by Vault Liquors of Taunton. Festival visitors will have the opportunity to try a variety of wines while learning about wine selection. Visitors to the wine tasting area will hear singer, finger style guitarist, song interpreter, and songwriter Gary Duquette (Westport; 1 Bad Ant) and folk singer/songwriter Johnny Botelho (Fall River).

At the 2005 and 2006 Dighton Arts Festivals, children painted one square foot sections of the “Hidden Magic Places” murals. These murals are on display in the Dighton Lions Club Pavilion located near Dighton Town Hall. Festival participants will have the opportunity to participate in the creation of new murals and in other children’s art activities throughout the day.

“The festival provides an important opportunity for Dighton Art Association members and other artists to share their work with the community and each other” said Dighton Art Association President Ron O’Connor. “We are grateful for the commitment that the Dighton Lions Club makes to the festival and its ongoing contribution to fostering an appreciation for the arts in our community. We are excited about this year’s event and the opportunity it provides to showcase established and emerging visual and performing artists.”

The Food Court will be hosted by the Dighton Dandi-Lions again this year.
More information about the festival can be found at the Dighton Art Association web site: dightonart.org.

ART GLASS IMPRESSIONS (Berkley) - Kiln fused art glass including African masks, bowls, glass ornaments, butterflies, and other decorations for the home

TRACY BAUER (Somerset) -Bead jewelry and lighted snowmen

CHAIRS BY BOB (Taunton) - Cane and rush chairs; repair and refinish antique chairs

ROSALIE CONTI-STEBENNE (Taunton) -Nature photography

CROOKED MOON STUDIO (Taunton) - Two and three dimensional mosaics

MONA CROSS (Taunton) - Oil and pastel paintings inclduing portraits, florals, still lifes, animals, and landscapes

DESIGNS BY LAURA (Fall River) - Handmade jewelry using sterling silver, glass beads, Swarovski crystal, semiprecious stone and shell

DESIGNS BY NANCY (Taunton) - Greeting cards with original art; business cards, brochures, flyers, and newsletters for custom orders

DIGHTON GARDEN CLUB (Dighton) - Membership information

EAST BAY IMAGES PHOTOGRAPHY (Warren, RI) - Seascapes, landscapes, nature and wildlife photography

RHONDA FAZIO (Dighton) - Weaving, natural dyes

GEORGE FERREIRA (Berkley) - Local scenes and portraits illustrated using a combination of charcoal and graphite

KATERINA GREEN (West Warwick, RI) - Watercolor paintings of nature (flowers, birds) and surreal scenes (mermaids, hot air balloons)

H.G. DESIGNS (Westport) - Handmade jewelry using fine stones, sterling silver, crytsal and handmade glass components

MAUREEN HANSON (Berkley) - Homemade yoga mats

HOMETOWNE PRINTS (Rehoboth) - Monntage prints/cards of cities/towns of Massachusetts and Rhode Island

KM DESIGNS (Swansea) - Handmade beaded jewelry

BOB LEAL (Raynham) - Oil painting

JL RIBBON GEAR (Westport) - Ribbon & scarf belts, watches, headbands, baby blankets, handbags, and custom items

LINDSEY EPSTEIN POTTERY (Dighton) - Functional and decorative pottery, sculpture and more using a variety of ceramic techniques and surface treatments

TED LIPPOLD (Berkley) - Digital photography, watercolor, photo restoration

LITTLE FOLKS THEATER (Dighton) - Promotional display of next play production - "A Pirate's Life for Me"

BEN MACOMBER (Attleboro) - Watercolor paintings of traditional New England scenes, florals

MARYANN & MARTHA (Tiverton and Newport, RI) - Jewelry pieces from beads, stones, lucite, sterling and vermeil

JOAN MCKENNA AND BETSY MCCARTHY (Taunton) - Hand stitched banners/wall hangings made of wool felt and homespun cloth

CHRISTINE MEDEIROS (Dighton) - Clay sculpture of mythical creatures (dragons, fairies, etc.)

NEW ENGLAND JEWEL CRAFTS (Attleboro) - Handcrafted fine silver and beaded jewlery

RON O'CONNOR (North Dighton) - Black and white film and digital portrait amd landscape/nature photography

PAINTED PRIMITIVES (Dighton) - Small furnishings and accessories of wood designed after antiques from early American homes

PALMER RIVER ARTS (Rehoboth) - Ceramic sculpture and functional wares

MERRILL PIDGEON (Rehoboth) - Shaker oval boxes and other reproductions

ANN REBELLO (North Dighton) - Oil and watercolor painting

CHRISTOPHER SIMMONS (North Dighton) - Photography

PAULINE SMITH (Dighton) - Watercolor and pastel paintings

THE COUNTRY PAINTER (Dighton) - Watercolor paintings and decorative painting

THE ORGANIC MOM, INC. (Berkley) - Non-profit enviromental education organization that uses art and images of nature to convey tts message

SHERRY TIBBETTS (Dighton) - Decorative painting (mostly with acrylics but also a varierty of techniques and media)

WILD SAGE STUDIOS (Dighton) - Portrait photography of children, families, and pets; framed and matted photographs

THOMAS ZAKS (Raynham) - Paintings, sculptures and textiles

Music at the Third Annual Dighton Arts Festival

On the Main Stage

Gary Duquette/1 Bad Ant
Johnny Botelho

Gary Duquette – 1 Bad Ant is a singer, finger style guitarist, song interpreter, and songwriter who has recently embarked on a solo career. You can find him somewhere under a bright red spot light, pouring his heart and soul into every song he does. Whether it’s a slow ballad or an up tempo bottleneck blues, he approaches each style with the same heartfelt tenacity and high energy.

After many years of developing as a band musician, he now redefines his sound and style of play. Night after night, he reaches to perfect this dying art of live acoustic music.

Gary plays at many local clubs and parties and just this past year released his first solo CD, Ant-strumental. He wrote, arranged and produced all of the songs on this awesome CD and played the guitar, bass and percussion himself.

Find out where Gary is playing or listen to excerpts from his CD at www.1badant.com.

Johnny Botelho was born & raised in Fall River, Massachusetts. He is a Singer/Songwriter of Folk music with roots in the tradition of Greenwich Village though he leans toward the contemporary folk scene. He writes songs that are lyric driven about his close ties to family, friends and the area that he calls home.

"I'm Home" is his first CD released in 2004 on Bongo Beach Productions. The CD is dedicated to his beloved parents and his late brother, James. John plays his songs in the Folk Coffeehouses and Pubs throughout New England and recently opened for Michael Troy at the Narrows Center for the Arts in Fall River.

Johnny is currently back in the studio recording new songs with John Mailoux at the mixing board. He will also co-produce this new CD. His plan is to have a more organic sound employing fiddle, upright bass and his acoustic guitar.

More information about Johnny can be found at www.myspace.com/johnnybotelhomusic

On the Emerging Artists Stage

Maria Ventura
Matt Borrello
Sarah Borrello
Kara Fortier
Mia Boostorm

Maria Ventura, who won the Best Female Vocalist award in this year’s Providence Phoenix Best Music Poll, turned 16 in July. She has been performing and writing songs since she was nine. Most often seen at Steve’s Backstage Pass, Rick’s Music World and area open mics locally, she's played extensively throughout New England, especially at venues in Providence, such as AS220 and The Century Lounge. When Maria was 11, she played her first of many shows in New York City at venues like FEZ and Arlene’s Grocery, and at summer festivals on the Lower East Side where she has had the privilege of opening for David Johansen, Gloria Deluxe, Regina Spektor. When she was 12, Maria formed a short-lived punk band called The Prom Bombs and a country duet called The Hiccups, the latter with multi-instrumentalist Joel Thibodeax, who has since been signed to Sub Pop records. That same year, Maria got to open for Blue Man Group. At 14, Maria released her first CD, called Tear Bird Train.

Singer-songwriter Matt Borrello, 17, took second place honors in the youth songwriting competition at this year’s Boston Folk Festival and won the crowd-pleaser award at the same event. Matt credits Neil Young, Johnny Cash, and especially Bob Dylan as songwriting and musical influences. An equal dose of inspiration comes from local folk musicians he often sees and performs with. Matt also entertains at local nursing centers and assisted-living homes, playing sing-alongs and traditional folk songs. At the 2006 Newport Folk Festival, Matt ended up on stage sitting in with the French-Canadian zydeco band, Blou. Matt has opened shows for Rick Fetters, Don White, Polly Fiveash! & Anand Nayak, and Kevin So at local venues including Steve's Backstage Pass, the Union Coffeehouse, and the Soule Homestead Folk Concert Series.

Sarah Borrello was the winner of the youth songwriting competition at this year’s Boston Folk Festival. Though only 16 years old, Sara’s love of music goes back many years. Her formal training began at the age of six when she started classical piano lessons, which she continued with for nine years before picking up a guitar. She lists her major musical influences as Janis Joplin, Fiona Apple, and Kurt Cobain. Sarah has been performing publicly for more than two years. Most recently Sarah has performed at both The Narrows Center for the Arts and the Soule Homestead Folk Music Series. Currently, she is writing and performing music for both guitar and piano and is working on her second full-length CD.

When Kara Fortier was eight years old, she watched a show about a Canadian fiddler. That was six years ago, and it sparked an interest in fiddle music she hopes will never die. In April of 2002 she started violin lessons. A little more than a year later, however, she switched to fiddle. She has been taking lessons with Sam Ruest in Assonet ever since. Now 14, Kara plays in a variety of fiddle styles that capture the traditional music of Ireland, Scotland and Cape Breton. Kara also plays traditional fiddle tunes on a regular basis with the Freetown Fiddle and Folk Club.

Mia Boostrom, 14, has been singing seriously for the past four years and has made rapid strides in that time. The winner of the Talent America competition for the Taunton area in 2004, she went on to appear in the national Talent America program in New York City that same year. She currently performs regularly at area open mics, including a recent feature slot at Rick’s Music World. Mia accompanies herself on piano and guitar, and has studied both voice and piano for the past three years. Her musical influences include John Mayer, Fiona Apple and Jewel. She performs her own material and interprets the work of others, including up-and-coming artists such as Los Angeles songwriter Colbie Caillat.

The Dighton Elementary School Chorus and the Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School Jazz Band will also perform at the festival this year.