The Claremont Museum of Art will host the 10th annual Padua Hills Art Fiesta on Sunday, Nov. 3, with an outdoor art show, arts-and-crafts demonstrations, music and more. This year’s exhibit will feature original Fiesta artist Betty Davenport Ford.
Some local residents still recall the popular Art Fiesta held through the 1950s. Since 2011, the Claremont Museum of Art has continued the tradition with Claremont-area artists showing their work under the shady olive trees of the beautifully restored Padua Hills Theatre.
The festivities will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Padua Hills Theatre, 4467 Padua Ave. in Claremont. Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for CMA members, and free for children under 18.
More than two dozen area artists will display and sell their paintings, ceramics, glass, sculpture, textiles and jewelry. There will also be arts-and-crafts demonstrations by local art organizations, including potters from the Claremont High School adult education ceramics program, craftsmen from Maloof Woodworkers, and artists from the Chaffey Community Museum of Art and the dA Center for the Arts.
The Claremont Museum of Art will present a sculpture exhibit titled “Betty Davenport Ford: Capturing the Animal Spirit.” One of Claremont’s most prolific sculptors, Ford has worked in clay and bronze for more than 60 years as she simplifies form to abstract the natural essence of the wild creatures she depicts.
ARTstART students will also lead children in creative art activities.
A music stage will feature local performers, and festive foods from Casa de Salsa and Spaggi’s will be served with traditional Jamaica punch and fresh Padua Hills lemonade.
First held in 1953, the Padua Hills Art Fiesta was organized by local artists to bring art into the community. The studio art movement that flourished here in the 1950s centered on the use of natural materials and traditional sensibilities – watercolor, pottery, woodworking, sculpture in stone, bronze and ceramic, mosaic, textiles and painting. Visitors came from miles around to meet the artists and watch “art in action” at the popular festival.
Today, the tradition continues as a new generation of artists shares their talents.
