ORO VALLEY, Ariz. (KGUN) — This past weekend, the Oro Valley Marketplace transformed into a vibrant hub of creativity as it hosted the Oro Valley Spring Festival of the Arts, an event dedicated to celebrating and supporting local artisans.
Organized by the Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance (SAACA), the festival featured over 140 artists and exhibitors, displaying works across various mediums, including paintings, ceramics, woodwork, and metalwork. More than just an art show, the event served as a crucial economic driver, offering exposure and sales opportunities for artists during uncertain financial times.
“Oro Valley is home to so many diverse and talented artists, folks who have been in their craft for a long time,” said Amanda Staples, Artistic Programs Manager for SAACA.
“To be able to make a connection with the artists and hear more about their process and keep the funding in our economy is so important for the health and wellbeing of our community and the art scene in general,” Staples said.
Among the featured artists was Joni Pevarnik, a seasoned potter with 45 years of experience. She emphasized the importance of community support in keeping artists thriving.
“Events like this have kept me going, and Tucson is the most wonderful community because they support artists. They care about us working artists,” Pevarnik said.
As consumer habits shift, Pevarnik noted an encouraging trend—locals opting to support small businesses over big-box stores, ensuring their dollars go directly into the hands of independent creators.
Pervarik held up one of her handmade mugs as an example. “You can buy this cup if it was made in China and it would be a lot less expensive but the materials and effort were still paid by the Earth,” she said. “If you buy a locally-made cup, you meet the person, it’s another experience and it didn’t have all that energy wasted being made somewhere across the ocean. It’s like eating your mother’s homemade food.”
The festival also featured interactive experiences, such as the Plein Air Painting Competition, where more than 20 painters captured the beauty of Oro Valley in real-time. Artist Sam Hernandez participated in the event, painting a landscape he says was inspired by the colors of the mountains as he arrived that morning.
“People tend to think of the desert as barren, with no color and I wanted something that showed how majestic the desert can be,” Hernandez said. “I like to consider my painting style flowing so when I’m painting mountains, I try to follow the paths the water run in.”
Hernandez highlighted the broader impact of investing in the arts.
“Those artists are likely to also become your next engineers, your next physicists, your next doctors,” Hernandez explained. “Being good at one makes you good at the other. If you’re good at art, you’ll be a better scientist or doctor, and vice versa.”
Hernandez enjoyed the engagement with festivalgoers while painting live. “I like the people stopping and talking,” Hernandez said. “I like hearing people’s thoughts, good, bad or indifferent. That swap of energy is so inspiring.”
Abel “Pato” Aguilar also participated in the Plein Air Painting Competition, painting an indigenous women accompanied by a hummingbird. He says festivals like these can be a lifeline to struggling artists.
“Sometimes there’s an idea that this is just a fun world and it can be sometimes, but it’s also a struggle,” Aguilar said. “So the local support is very important.”
The competition culminated on Sunday with each piece displayed for the public, and a cash prize awarded to the winner.
For more information about SAACA and upcoming festivals, visit the organization’s website.
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