Brownsville festival has record attendance
Holly Tonini
Shelby, 12, and Elizabeth Bogdewic, 9, both of Bentleyville, learn to make earrings at a stand at the Market Street Art’s Festival in Brownsville
Holly Tonini
Kourtney Polvinale, 18, of Brownsville draws on the sidewalk with chalk that was left out for those wanting to create their own art at the Market Street Arts Festival in Brownsville. Polvinale stopped at the festival during a break from re-enacting the 18th century at Nemacolin Castle.
Holly Tonini
Kylie, 8, and Jenna Bodnovich, 9, along with Megan Sawka, 8, all of Brownsville and Abagail Davis, 9, of Isabella all try out some hula hoops provided by a seller at the Market Street Arts Festival.
Dave Rafferty
Marie Forsyth of South Union Township, a tour guide at Nemacolin Castle in Brownsville, explains the toy room at the castle to visitors, Alexa and Alyson Lewandosky and their grandparents, Sonny and Kim Kurek of Maxwell.
BROWNSVILLE — Wylie and Joan Rittenhouse praised their granddaughter Joanie Brittingham’s soulful solo performance on Sunday during the Market Street Arts Festival.
Brittingham’s powerful voice echoed across Christ Church Anglican’s vaulted ceiling as she sang hits from a bygone era such as George Gershwin’s “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off” or “As Time Goes By” made famous in the timeless classic “Casablanca.”
“It’s not often that I get to play for my grandparents,” said Brittingham, who now lives in New York City. “This festival was a lot of fun. There was so much to do. I’m glad to see people coming to Brownsville.”
Accompanied by Josie Merlino on the piano, Brittingham’s soprano stylings would have made Casablanca’s Humphrey Bogart ask her to “play it again” for the crowd.
“She sings better than I do and puts on a good show for the audience,” said Wylie Rittenhouse of Vanderbilt. “This is a good program for Brownsville to put on – very well received.”
Joan Rittenshouse said, “It’s nice to see the talent we have in the area.”
Brownsville streets came alive with arts, history and music as the second Market Street Arts Festival drew more people than last year.
“Last year there were about 1,000 people who attended the festival, but this year we had close to 1,500 who came, ” said Susan Sparks, festival director. “We grew, so I would say it was a success. I think everyone had a very good time.”
The festival was a destination point for many during the National Road Festival. People of all ages shook and shimmied their hips to hula hoops while the smell of food captured the imagination of the hungry needing a bite to eat within Brownsville’s downtown square that stood in the shadows of familiar historic buildings poised for rebirth and renovation.
“The festival has been great – a lot of people came to town,” said Megan Sheesley, a volunteer with AMERICORP/VISTA who touts the plans and progress made by the Brownsville Area Redevelopment Corporation to transform downtown. “Brownsville is so rich in historical value. People are passionate about this community.”
The festival offered a premier juried art exhibit that was presented by Market Street Arts and the Frank L. Melega Art Museum in collaboration with the National Road Festival.
The exhibit featured at least 50 works from 21 artists living and working in Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland counties. Melega was a highly renowned local artist whose works appeared alongside such iconic masters as Jackson Pollock, Andrew Wyeth and Georgia O’Keefe.
“I have no doubt that the festival brings us more visitors and that the museum brings more visitors to the festival,” said Patrick Daugherty, the museum’s director. “I think Mr. Melega would be very pleased to see all this activity in the arts in his hometown.”
Daugherty said he was pleased there was a wide array of media on display ranging from paintings to photographs.
“For a couple of these artists, this was their first show, but there were others who exhibited stuff with us in the past,” he said.
Ron Nigro’s mixed media “Ship of Fools” conjured up images of sailing ships and landed the best of show award. Juror’s award went to Colleen Nelson’s acrylic on canvas “GNP”, Richard Stoner’s photograph “Bank Lane, Latrobe, Pennsylvania” and Suzanne Widmer’s “4th Act” – a piece she created with pigments suspended in bees’ wax.
Fred Lapisardi, artistic director for Friends of Market Street Arts, said the festival brings in a lot of professional artists from wide ranging disciplines to celebrate the art and culture of a historic river town.
“People are drawn to the festival because we have professional artists from various places,” he said. “We had potters, blacksmiths, jewelry makers, singers, writers and artists. The whole idea is to celebrate the art and history of this area — southwest Pennsylvania.”