The 64th annual Columbus Arts Festival is bringing a full slate of top artists and performers to the Scioto Riverfront from June 12-14.
More than 230 artists, local and national, will exhibit their art, with mediums ranging from painting and mixed media to glass, ceramics, jewelry and more.
Amongst these artists are a handful of new faces. The Emerging Festival Artist program, established in 2011, supports local artists with little or no experience participating in national festivals and provides them with training and a tent at the festival.
This year, 19 artists were selected for the program. Hear from a few below:
Brian Williams: Scenes of civilization and nature
Brian Williams
From artist to artist, subject matter varies widely.
Brian Williams, for instance, seeks to capture humanity’s relationship to nature. His graphite drawings often juxtapose animals with human civilization. He says being a nature and animal lover, as well as having a lifelong concern for environmental protection, influences his work.
Williams, who was born and raised in Akron, moved to Columbus when he attended the Columbus College of Art and Design in 1998.
Following his studies in illustration, he developed his own style, taking a liking to graphite and other dry media.
He says his style is inspired by Surrealism and the Pictorialist movements.
“I find a lot of inspiration in their work, the way that they used photographs to create images that look like drawings (that are) soft and dreamlike,” Williams says.
Although he says the Columbus Arts Festival is his first time displaying art at a festival, he has exhibited his work in galleries such as La Luz de Jesus Gallery in Los Angeles and the Arch Enemy Arts Gallery in Philadelphia. He has even illustrated a German-language poetry book about extinct and endangered animals, Dodos auf der Flucht (Dodos on the Run), by Mikael Vogel.
Having enjoyed attending the Columbus Arts Festival over the years, Williams says he spent a lot of time thinking about applying and thinking about the work he wanted to create.
“I finally gathered up the courage to (apply) this year. And I was surprised to be accepted,” he says. “That was a big honor… I have this chance to really design my own gallery space, so to speak, and I’ve never had that chance before.”
Williams says he’s excited to design his booth and show off his work, focusing much of his time on the upcoming festival. He hopes the experience will potentially open the door to other festivals.
Candace O’Neal: Peace on canvas
Candance O'Neal
For Candace O’Neal, art is a conduit for tranquility.
“I like to paint from a place of peace… The way art becomes a peaceful and a safe place for me is something that I like to share with other people in hopes that they can also get that feeling as well,” O’Neal says.
She primarily does oil painting, appreciating the paint’s consistency and smooth texture. One of her favorite pieces is a large 30-inch by 40-inch lemon tree painting from her fruit series, which reflects lessons learned in her personal experiences.
“I started out learning about how the day you plant the seed is not the day you eat the fruit. It was a lot of me in my life learning about patience and just watching and learning through the journey, growing through the journey and then realizing what the finished product becomes once the fruit is fully at its potential,” O’Neal says.
O’Neal says that growing up, she always attended the Columbus Arts Festival with her family and was amazed by all the different artists in attendance. She says her acceptance into the festival is “a dream come true.”
“It’s one of those things where as a young artist, you grow up and you go to the festival over and over again, and you’re like, ‘Maybe one day, I can go. Maybe one day, I can be there,’” O’Neal says. “I grew up in the city, so why not come out and represent it well?”
She says she’s grateful for the opportunity and is excited to interact with people.
“(The festival) allows them a chance to view who you are and not just see your work. Most people can see it online… But I think it’s a little bit different when you’re actually physically there and you are talking to the artist,” O’Neal says.
She says she hopes she can do art full-time one day and would love to do more shows.
Juan Daza: Colorful community art
Juan Daza
Growing up in Colombia, Juan Daza found inspiration in public art, admiring the political activism expressed in graffiti and posters. Although he was not always supported in his aspirations to attend art school, Daza found an opportunity for art in the newspapers and magazines around his household: political cartoons.
Following his immigration to New York in 1999, Daza focused on editorial cartoons, seeing an opportunity to reach a wide audience.
“My goal is to (get) people to participate in politics because the only way we can change or make (politics) better is participate and vote,” he says. “So, I’m making humor, but at the same time, explaining the politics in the situation.”
He later relocated to Columbus in the mid-2000s to be near family and fell in love with the city.
While he continued creating editorial cartoons, he found himself seeking a creative outlet.
“I need to do (the cartoons) in black and white for the newspaper... I focus Monday to Friday, working on cartoons and newspapers,” Daza says. “But I need (an) escape, so the way I can find (one) is in my art using colors.”
He says using color is the best way to reflect his Colombian heritage and that, while cartoons “go straight to the point,” he wants his art to evoke more feelings.
“It’s a long journey to find (a) different way (to make) my art not look like my cartoons,” Daza says.
He started showing his art a few years ago, beginning with Festival Latino where he first connected with the Greater Columbus Arts Council (GCAC), leading to opportunities such as murals, art shows and even designing tifos for the Columbus Crew.
Daza was also a part of GCAC’s Navigator program, which launched in 2023 to expand community engagement and outreach to artists from underrepresented backgrounds. He also volunteered at the Columbus Arts Festival for a couple of years.
“I love (the) festival because it’s the best way you can interact with real regular people,” he says. “I love to go outside my tent and see their reaction.”
Daza says the festival is a special time for him and he hopes he can give back to the city with more community paintings.
Amanda Stevens is a contributing writer at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
