Not just a pretty face
Face painter brings a special touch to Paseo Arts Festival.
Clarissa Sharp unveils a new work of art literally every few minutes at the Paseo Arts Festival.
“They’re very individual,” she said. “One of the delights is when you show them the mirror . ... They’re sitting there and they’re waiting, and maybe they’re having a bad day, maybe they’ve been crying, maybe their parents have been shouting at them. And then they see the mirror, and so many times, they go ‘Ahhh.’
“They’re just amazed because whatever they imagined they would be, they see themselves for just a few minutes as something else, kind of a character. ‘I’m a butterfly.’ ‘I’m a tiger.’ So it’s always fun to see the wonder in their eyes, even if I think, ‘Today, I’m not really on ... and it’s not my best work.’ ... To them, it’s their piece of art, and they’re really excited about it.”
During Memorial Day weekend, Sharp will mark her 21st year as the official face painter for the longrunning Paseo festival. “She’s a Paseo tradition,” said Amanda Bleakley, executive director of the Paseo Arts Association, which organizes the event. “A lot of people come down to the Paseo festival because they want to go see their favorite artist, and they will come, visit, purchase —and get painted —every time they come.”
The 41st Annual Paseo Arts Festival will feature about 90 visiting artists from across the state and country, plus dozens of neighborhood artists, along with almost 50 local entertainers, 20 food vendors, two children’s art areas and more Saturday through May 29 in the historic neighborhood,
situated between NW 28 and Walker and NW 30 and Dewey.
“I think the community part is the fact that it’s a street full of artists. It’s not just something that popped up in a random part of the city and is gonna be gone tomorrow,” Sharp said during a recent lunchtime interview at the Paseo landmark Picasso Cafe. “They’ll come for the festival, but you’ve got the cafes and all the artists in the studios, and that will be here all the time. … It’s an institution because of the fact that it’s a neighborhood and the festival is just an extension of it.”
Raising funds
More than 200 artists applied for an opportunity to show their work on Paseo Drive, which is closed during the festival.About a third of the visiting artists are from across Oklahoma, Bleakley said, while the rest hail from more than a dozen states from across the country.
“We feel like we’re the ambassadors for the Paseo, Oklahoma City and the state of Oklahoma. We want people to come here and if they’re here from out of state, we want them to have a really good experience so that they tell other people about Oklahoma City,” she said.
Over the past four decades, the juried event has built a reputation as an artist-friendly festival, said longtime festival chairman and Paseo artist Collin Rosebrook. Although the festival is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the nonprofit Paseo Arts Association, it doesn’t take a percentage of artists’ sales.
“That word-of-mouth from the artists is what grows the show, bringing people from all over the country saying, ‘Hey, this is the place to go because really they’re for the artists.’ I think that also sets up apart. It’s not just putting on a show to put money in our pocket, but it’s something for us to then give back,” Rosebrook said.
Since admission is free, the festival primarily raises funds through water, soda and beer sales at the drink tent as well as sales of T-shirts and fine art posters, which this year feature a colorful design by Chickasaw artist Brian Landreth. The festival helps fund family events like Magic Lantern Celebration and Fairy Ball, the Paseo FEAST micro-grant program and the monthly First Friday Gallery Walk.
“And the festival itself is a community event that we provide. Not only is it a fundraiser for us, but it’s something really special that our organization does,” Bleakley said.
Offering variety
About 80 bands applied to perform on the threeday event’s two stages, which will showcase an array of local favorites. Neo-soul hip-hop group Bowlsey, African drummer Jahruba and Aalim Bellydance Academy dancers will be among the performers on the electric-leaning south stage, while Americana trio Judith, jazz and swing outfit The Savoy Trio and folk group the Casey & Minna Family Band will play the acoustic-oriented north stage. Festival mainstay Edgar Cruz will strum through a May 29 solo set as well as a May 28 band gig with his Brave Amigos.
“We made sure that we had a really good variety,” Bleakley said. “We want all different kinds of music so we can have all different types of people here.”
Variety also will be on the menu at the food court, where the fare will range from giant funnel cakes and monster wraps to Greek gyros and Jamaican jerk chicken. For the second year, Roughtail Brewing Co. will serve up craft brew in the beer tent.
The event even offers two different children’s areas: At the SixTwelve community center, youngsters can take part in the festival favorite spin art and other hands-on art activities, while Theatre Upon a StarDanceSwan will again encourage families to combine paper and imagination at Paper Play Theatre.
The henna artist, face painter and caricature artist will provide festivalgoers the chance to be part of the creative process.
“It’s an approachable kind of art. They can see it happening,” Bleakley said. “It’s some of these kids’ first exposure to art. And then maybe that will help them appreciate other things when they see it on a wall somewhere.”