Art Fest on the Green returns for 12th year

The Wellington Art Society’s annual two-day festival returns this month with more of the vendors and demonstrations that have made the event a favorite on the South Florida art festival circuit.

The 12th annual Art Fest on the Green will be held Saturday and Sunday at the Wellington Amphitheater. With a roster of local and national artists, this year’s event promises to be one of the best yet, said Leslie Pfeiffer, Wellington Art Society development chair.

“Each year, it gets better and better,” she said. “Palm Beach County has the best fine-art shows in the country from January through March, and we’re excited to be part of that.”

Admission is free. All proceeds go toward the Wellington Art Society’s scholarship program, which helps Palm Beach County students pursue degrees that will lead to art-related careers. The program has provided more than $80,000 in scholarships, Pfeiffer said.

The money raised also helps pay for the society’s outreach programs, which include providing art supplies to children in local hospitals. The society also worked with Wellington and the village’s contractor to coordinate the under-the-sea artwork at Tiger Shark Cove Park.

This year’s Art Fest features 55 vendors from across the country, working in painting, sculpture, ceramics, jewelry, mixed media, photography and more.

Artists are carefully selected by the Art Society, Pfeiffer said.

“We really look for the original, for artists who are just excelling and taking the medium and making it their own,” she said.

Pfeiffer has lived in Wellington for more than 20 years. Before that, she taught art in the Midwest. She has been “captivated by light and color” since an early age, she said, and loves seeing others have that experience as they watch artists’ demonstrations at Art Fest on the Green.

Those on-site demonstrations are part of the draw for attendees, but also for artists, who find it a great way to connect with their patrons, Pfeiffer said.

“The artist is right there to share their inspiration and point of view in creating the piece,” she said. “I watch this happen time and again: People interact with artists and purchase the piece because they feel like they were part of its creation.”

Several artists plan to unveil new pieces at this year’s Art Fest, including Wellington-based glass artist Sheree Blum of Kicking Glass, whose pieces have been featured in Coastal Living and People magazines.

Also unveiling new work will be Manny Jomok, who works in the plein air style. Jomok has been involved in the Plein Air Palm Beach organization, a group of artists who paint in the open air.

This year’s event features several sponsors, including Wellington, Whole Foods, Westlake, Wellington the Magazine and the Town-Crier newspaper. The event’s Young at Art children’s activity area is sponsored by Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, with the Art Cellar staff leading the activities.