ArtsAltoona Art Market gives local artists chance to make impression

May 17, 2024

ALTOONA, Pa. (WJAC) — Artists in Blair County got the chance to show off their craft to the community Saturday. ArtsAltoona's seasonal art market returned, seeing dozens of vendors selling all sorts of creations.

A number of the local artists didn't have storefronts of their own. Now, not all of them are impressionists, but they were all there to make an impression.

"We don't have a storefront," painter Naomi Maurer told 6 News, "which is why we're at art shows."

And if you're like the Maurers, events like this are critical for making a first impression.

"Well, Jim grew up here, and we were hiding from the virus because it was such a hotspot in New Orleans, where we came from," Naomi recalled. "But when we came here, it was so beautiful and peaceful, serene."

"I've been painting for 20 years, pushing it now, and most of it in Jackson Square in New Orleans," her husband, Jim, said. "And so, we ended up moving here and now we're trying to find new places to sell, where it's not 105 degrees (F)."

For Naomi, painting isn't just a new chapter of her life, it's also a side business.

"I am kind of an artistic person anyway, but I've never painted and my mother's a great painter and [Jim] is an excellent painter," she explained, "and he said, 'Just try it.'"

And try, she did.

"ArtsAltoona, for the size of this city, ...it's really been helpful to the artists."

Jan Kinney, who makes various wooden knickknacks with burnt-in designs, told 6 News the pandemic also pushed her to get creative.

"I find that working with wood is a very satisfying thing," she explained. "And one of the things about working with these kinds of things, you never know how it's going to burn. Depends on the wood. Depends on the grain. Depends on the temperature. Depends on the humidity. Depends on a number of things. So, when I start out with a box, I'm never quite sure how that box is gonna turn out."

"Actually, I've run out of space store in my house," Kinney added, laughing that "I have to share with the community."

She also said ArtsAltoona's Summer Art Market has made her items a hot commodity.

"I think wherever you go, art is kind of a universal draw because, you know, people like original things," Naomi said, adding that it's also "a place for artistic people to get ideas."

If want to look at the Maurers' artwork, you can check out their website here.

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