PORTER | The sound of water gently trickling vertically from cup to cup on a 65-inch high copper fountain caught the attention of visitors at the Chesterton Art Fair at Porter's Hawthorne Park on Saturday.
Artist James Vertrees, of Clarksville, Tenn., said people often use the words "unusual" to describe his work.
"Some say they have never seen this before," Vertrees said.
Besides creating a soothing environment, the fountains also have an accidental function.
"Pets find these very attractive," Vertrees said. "People call me and say 'I think my fountain's leaking,' and then we discover that their pets are drinking from it."
The 52nd edition of the show featured 110 artists displaying jewelry, photography, watercolor, oils, acrylics, wood, pottery, textiles and stained glass.
The juried fair hosts artists from 16 states -- "the best of the best" -- said show publicist Wendy Marciniak.
"Artists are trying harder to sell their work. They want to be visible, and they are pricing things so they are affordable," she said.
Dirk Wales, of Chicago, traveled throughout the U.S. and Canada, buying lottery tickets to combine with objects in his shadow box displays.
Wales has hundreds of tickets from Indiana, Illinois, Georgia, Pennsylvania, California, Louisiana and New Mexico, but he'll never know if they are winners.
"I don't want to scratch them off because that will ruin them," Wales said.
The fair also featured art classes, live music, food and a tent where kids created their own art to take home.
Vertrees said the Chesterton show is one of the best.
"It's just the right size, the venue is wonderful. People ask questions, and above all, they purchase," Vertrees said.
The Chesterton Art Fair continues today from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Please Wait…