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Special Report
2nd
Annual Mari Times Art Fest at the Biscuit - July 1, 2006
Eye witness report by
Horst Wolf
The July Brookings Art Walk was a success as usual, and
you will-no doubt-read about it in the PILOT. My
report this month will deal with another event, one that
happens only once a year, and thus takes precedence: the
Annual Mari Times Art Fest at the Biscuit Gallery in
Gold Beach, our friends half an hour to the north.
This was the second year Ted Watkins, the owner
of Gold Beach Books, put on Mari Times, and again
he did it BIG.
At the 101-side of his
large parking lot, Ted had placed a young mermaid in a
wading pool. She waved to motorists drawing attention
to the event. As you got closer to the entrance, a large,
two-legged fish, talking in plain English, invited you
in. Once inside, you were greeted by a larger-than-life-size
statue of Poseidon, the ancient god of mariners, who sported
Hawaiian bathing trunks under his traditional toga.
The gallery had been enlarged
to display the maritime art submitted by top artists along
the coast, from Crescent City to Nesika Beach, about half
of them from Brookings. Nina Paulsen and Shirley
Hyatt (piano and violin) provided background music.
The hors d’oeuvers of the Biscuit chefs were superb
as usual. In addition you could buy tickets for a delicious
Mari Times meal and wine, a bargain at $2 a glass, at
the bookstore counter, which Ted had converted into a
bar. The guests were handed a ballot sheet to vote for
their three favorite pieces of art. The winners to be
announced later during the upstairs activities.
At 8:00 P.M. Ted invited
everyone upstairs to the Rare Book Room, where
a stage had been set up for the musicians, poets, and
“art comedians.” The room was filled to bursting,
with extra seats added on the aisle, in back of the room,
and even outside the two double doors, which were left
open so outsiders could look at the stage.
House musician Rapp
Brush started the entertainment with a mermaid song
he had composed especially for the evening. He was followed
by Laura Wright and Lon Goddard, both guitar
and vocals. The Carl Rovainen “Trio”,
consisting of Carl, Robert Petzold, Dorothy Power, Christina
Olsen and Bill Hiltz, completed the musical round with
sailor songs. Next the noisy bunch of Limericists, all
seven of them, walked in with bugle blowing and bell ringing,
to recite mermaid limericks they had produced for the
occasion. It wasn’t the height of poetry, but the
audience got some great laughs out of them. The winner
(by acclamation) was Marge Woodfin, as usual, who
enchanted the audience with her charm.
I am running out of space. So just one word about the
mermaid art competition: HILARIOUS - especially the jury.
Earl Mohr, the Biscuit’s
Wizard of Od, dressed in his book-toga, guided the evening
masterfully through the rough spots.
Fantastic event, Ted! Let’s
do it again next year.
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