Alternative artworld

The annual outdoor art festival rolled into my town this weekend, clogging the streets with gawking tourists and hordes of �art enthusiasts.� It’s an alternative artworld in which white 10� x 10� tents, staffed by late-middle-aged artist/illustrators, are packed with hundreds of framed prints, paintings, and stained glass. Fancy van-and-trailer rigs line the back streets, serving as both lodging and storeroom for the hardworking artists. The artwork cleaves toward the traditional (beach, boat, landscape, still life) or bright and lively abstract paintings. Designed to be broadly likable, the soulless fare doesn’t appeal to me, but the artists� nomadic lifestyle is fascinating. If it weren�t so expensive to accumulate all the necessary gear, I�d be tempted to hit the road and blog about the experience next year.