Cultivating creativity
Sunflower Festival supports arts programs for kids in Torrance County
There is more to the Mountainair Sunflower Festival than meets the eye. The festival, which runs tonight through Saturday, Aug. 26, helps raise money for and raises awareness of the Manzano Mountain Art Council’s ongoing service to the community. The council has developed four youth art programs for ages 3 to 19 in Torrance County, as well as the land grants of Manzano, Torreon, Tajique and Chilili. Some of the programs include an art club, guitar lessons, field trips to Meow Wolf and the Albuquerque Museum of Art and History and a National Dance Institute after-school program. The council also puts on a number of events in addition to the Sunflower Festival, including West Fest for the ranching community and Fiesta de la Primavera for the Hispanic community in the spring. It coordinates the The Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument staff to do educational lectures about the history of the area.
“There’s a lot of different things that our council does to provide the community with art and culture and history and having a medium for creative expression for youth,” said Karen Smith, coordinator for the art council. “And so this Sunflower Festival, for the Arts Council, it’s sort of a celebration of all that. All that coming together and then having this family-oriented event.”
The Mountainair Sunflower Festival starts tonight with an event for ages 21 and over featuring wines from Black’s Smuggler Winery of Socorro County, jazz by Nervous Nation and an art show reception. Proceeds benefit the Manzano Mountain Art Council Building Fund.
“We had a little building we rented, and in the last two years we purchased the building,” Smith said.
Saturday’s community event is open to all ages. It will feature arts and crafts, a sunflower hat contest and live music, as well as artists and crafters selling their wares, including jewelry, candles, soap, paintings, handwoven rugs, tinwork and
woodwork. There also will be vendors selling Native American foods, including fry bread and traditional dishes, according to Smith.
There will be tents located outside the Manzano Mountain Art Council Building where children do rock painting, learn how to make corn husk dolls and even create some duct tape art. Some members of the Art Club will be assisting and teaching the kids at the tents.
“We really try to get the children engaged in their community, not only in creating art, but encouraging those who are younger than them to create art,” Smith said.