IRON MOUNTAIN, Mich. (WZMQ) – Iron Mountain’s much-anticipated juried art show, “Art for All,” showcased an array of talent this weekend, featuring new exhibitors, including watercolor artist Kim Fleming at the city park.
Kim Fleming shared her journey to the event, saying, “I found out about it through the art brochures at Escanaba at their Bonifas Center, so I thought I’m going to apply and see if I can get in. And it’s a juried show so they select, and I feel honored to be a part of this.”
Fleming’s booth attracted visitors with her vibrant and functional art pieces. She explained, “What’s going the best are the notecards, which are prints from originals. Typically, some of the abstracts like the birds, people seem to really like, and some of the trees. So, something that’s a little bit abstract or something that’s functional like notecards seems to be the most popular.”
Despite experimenting with different mediums, Fleming found her niche in watercolors. “Yes, I’ve tried a couple of different mediums, but I prefer watercolor and I like to do something fun and colorful,” she said.
Her busy schedule didn’t stop with Iron Mountain. Fleming added, “Well, I have Menominee tomorrow and then there is a folk fest in Manistique that I’m going to do. I think it’s July 12.”
Even with a few hiccups, such as the wind knocking her prints off, Fleming remained positive. “The wind keeps knocking my prints off, but it’s alright. It’s not raining, so we’re happy about that,” she remarked.
Encouraging others to pursue their artistic interests, Fleming concluded, “Well, I would just encourage anybody that’s interested in art to just try because I’m retired. You know, I had to do something with my time, and so this is what I’m doing, and I love it. And if I can make other people happy, that makes me happy.”
The event culminated in the announcement of the final results:
• Best of Show: Hannah Olmedo
• Most Promising New Artist: Matt Dault
• Jewelry: Don Wilson
• Sewing: Tina Murray-Anderson
• Wood: Larry Springer
• Pottery: William Haggerty
• Sculpture: Blaine Riutta
• Painting:
• Jennifer Larabee (pastel painting)
• Herb Haase (oil painting)
