Pahrump’s Art and Sol pays tribute to creativity

Under bright blue and sunshiny skies, with a light breeze stirring the air, Petrack Park came alive with the sights and sounds of artistic pursuits as the Pahrump Arts Council hosted its annual Art and Sol Festival.

A gathering to celebrate all things creative, the festival attracted attendees from all walks of life, drawing them together for a day that was meant as a tribute to the arts. Dozens of area artisans put their talents on display and appreciative patrons were able to browse the works of art and chat with their creators to learn all about the vendors’ many and varied passions.

“We had a wonderful time at Art and Sol on Saturday!” Event organizer and Pahrump Arts Council member Ginger Forbes raved with enthusiasm. “It was a beautiful day and between the great entertainment and the wonderful vendors and food, it was really a fun time. There was so much to see and do and we were busy all day long.”

Though estimating the actual number of attendees at the free-admission event was difficult, Forbes noted that there appeared to be a fairly steady flow of attendees all throughout the event, which took place Saturday, April 13.

“I know that we had over 50 kids doing crafts all day and people were there listening to the bands play. We sold lots of raffle tickets and our food vendors were pretty busy too,” Forbes detailed of the overall turnout.

There were three major food vendors, Pete’s Meats and Treats, The Tamale Place and The HUBB, which also provided a beer garden for thirsty adult patrons. For those with a sweet tooth, there was also the Cakes, Cookies and Creations vendor booth, which had a variety of tasty treats and delicious desserts, along with a cookie decorating station for the youngsters.

Art and Sol’s 2019 featured artist, Richayne Jenkins, was on hand as well, displaying and demonstrating her “unicorn spit” art technique and her own masterpieces.

Jenkins was the creator of the logo for this year’s Art and Sol as well, with matted prints of the logo for sale at the event to help bring in even more cash for the arts council. Twenty-one other vendors participated too, selling and demonstrating their arts and crafts throughout the day.

“We just were so happy to have so many amazingly talented people participate in this event,” Forbes stated happily. “It was so much fun to meet everyone and see their beautiful creations. We had some great entertainment and we heard so many people tell us that they were having a great time and wanted to see more events like this in the future.”

Forbes made sure to offer a shout-out of thanks to those who helped make the Art and Sol Festival a success, including the event committee consisting of James Wilson, Kristin Swan, Terri Meehan, Richayne Jenkins and Denise Gholson. “Thank you isn’t enough,” Forbes said with gratitude.

“We want to say thank you to Pat at UPS for the wonderful job she did on the artwork and for coming through for us at the last minute,” Forbes continued. “Thanks to the Cutting Edge for making the big banners and thank you to all of the local businesses that donated items for the raffle as well as those who were so generous and donated cash to our cause. We truly appreciate all of the support we have been getting.”

The proceeds from the event will now go toward a major mission of the Pahrump Arts Council’s, that of building a performing arts and events center right here in the valley. Forbes extended a heartfelt thank you to those who showed support to the arts council by attending the event.

For more information or to donate visit www.pvpac.org

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com