Art lovers will be in for a treat June 13 when the East Alabama Arts Society hosts its second annual Downtown Art Show in Wedowee.

The festivities will begin at 10 a.m. and will feature more than 30 local artisans and food vendors selling their wares.

“We are hoping to have a wide variety of mediums,” Jo Kicker, Art Show chairperson, said. “We will have oils, watercolors, acrylics, sketching, photography and hopefully we will have a potter.”

The event will be in the median on U.S. Highway 431, the same location as last year.

“We had 13 artists represented last year and we were able to fill one section of the median,” Kicker said. “We had a great turnout of people and hopefully this year will be even better.

“One thing we added for this year is allowing food vendors at the event. We evaluated the show after last year's event and decided it would be a welcomed addition.”

The Wedowee Area Merchants Association and the Town of Wedowee are also sponsors of the event and Mayor Tim Coe sees the positive potential for the town.

“We feel like the art show is a good opportunity to show local talent and gives the visitors to our town a chance to see what all we have to offer.”

Wedowee police officers will be on hand to help direct traffic as well as direct visitors to available parking.

The shops in the downtown area will also be open for the day and the owners encourage the visitors to take a peek in their doors as well.

“We are trying to do something for the merchants downtown and we think this is a great way to get publicity,” Gene Crouch, president of the Wedowee Area Merchants Association, said. “We want to do our part to continue to grow this event and make it special.”

There will be no admission charged for the event but most of the artwork will be available for sale.

“There will be some artists who will choose just to display their work,” Kicker said. “But there will be numerous artists selling their work.”

The logo for the event was designed by Tom Scott, a watercolor artist featured in the premiere issue of Lake Wedowee Life.

“He did a wonderful job creating the logo from one of his paintings,” Kicker said. “And, he graciously allowed us to use it for the event.”

By Kelly Caldwell

Kelly Caldwell helped create Lake Wedowee Life in 2008 and remains the principal photographer as well as the main writer for the magazine. She has more than 10 years of journalism experience after graduating from Troy University in 2000. She grew up in Randolph County and has enjoyed spending time on Lake Wedowee.