May 7, 2006- It seemed all things were possible this weekend at the 26th annual Arts Alive festival at Tillett Gardens, where more than 30 vendors displayed their wares and the breath of springtime was in the air.
Music rang over the happy throng as old and new friends greeted one another. All the while, candles were being made, portraits were painted, and a handmade iguana necklace was sold.
"This matches my iguana, actually my newt," said Kate Glass, displaying an ankle tattoo. "It was supposed to be an iguana, but it doesn't have a long-enough tail."
The necklace, "Carib Glo," was one made by Gloria Zakers, who imaginatively displayed her beaded, silver, and glass creations on sea grape leaves.
Glass said she was part of a family reunion visiting St. Thomas. "We were raised here," she said. Still wearing the canvas floppy hat, which identified him during his 24 years on St. Thomas, Andy Glass stood nearby greeting old friends.
Glass produced the tourist and local guide "Here's How," from 1968 to 1992. He was visiting places he and his late wife, Jane, had frequented with four of his eight children. "So many memories," he said. Jane Glass died last year, after 57 years of marriage, Glass said.
The garden was filled with all manner of soaps, sauces, clothing, perfumes, creams, handcrafted dolls, madras garments, bamboo and even Feng Shui. There were also quilts, tarot card readings, water color and oil paintings, sculpture, ceramics, and one booth selling simply "bling," Cindy's Bling Ting.
Retired teacher Susan Span was having some bling. "Look," Spann said, holding out her decorated cell phone. "Cindy says she can put bling on anything."
Ruth Prager, Tillett Foundation executive director, was circulating through the festivities Sunday, clearly delighted with the festival. "In the last three years, this is our best," she said. "This year we will break even for the first time."
Prager praised the musicians who played through both days, gratis. "They were so great. They just played and played. And we even had some other musicians sit in," Prager said.
The performers included Barefoot Davis with Morgan the Steel Pan Rael and Kris Woodrum; Lightnin' Phil Robinson and the Low Pressure System; Jason Jones; Harmony Dem' with Polly and Fred Watts; The Pop Tarts: Janet Reiter and Dawn Dobson; Guitar Scotty; and Danny Silber and the Smoking Section.
The raffle table was selling tickets right and left. "We have volunteers manning it all day in two-hour shifts, " Prager said. "We did really well yesterday, too."
Prager then excused herself. "I have to run and get something before it's gone," she said. She returned with a hand-dyed Japanese silk scarf in varying shades of an intense blue. "Look, isn't it lovely?" she said. "And you can wear it different ways."
The silk scarves and other silk clothing are designed by Cruzan artist Yemaya Rice-Jones who said she hadn't displayed at the festival since the late Rhoda Tillett had run the event. Tillett, founder of the Arts Alive concerts and shows, died three years ago.
Rice-Jones said her art differs from tie-dye. "I use a folding and clamping technique," she said. The dyes produce deep, elegant colors. And she has some inventive touches. "I use a turkey baster and an eyedropper for detail," she laughed. Yemaya, as she prefers to be called, said she was pleased that she had made enough on Saturday to cover her traveling expenses from St. Croix, adding, "I can look forward to a little profit today."
No festival would be complete without Cheryl's Taste of Paradise. Cheryl Miller has been a stalwart at local expos and arts shows for 14 years. She showed a variety of attractive wrappings and products. "I've started putting new things together, spices and sauces," she said. "It's all about packaging. And people are learning more about using the hot sauces in cooking now."
Retired obstetrician Al Felice relaxed before his display of unusual art: 3-D pictures created out of paints, woods, plasters, and stones. "It's what I love to do now," Felice said.
He said he had practiced medicine for 30 years. "I've delivered more than 2,000 babies," he said. Pointing to his artwork, he said, "These are my babies now."
Felice said he started with the art in the '60s, but his practice soon took over. "I didn't have time to do both," he said, "but, I had a heart attack a few years ago, and now I take it easy doing my art."
Many of Felice's 3-D pieces depict colorful street scenes, with one resembling an Italian villa. "I love the three-dimensional art," he said. "You don't see that often."
May is Foster Care month, and Human Services had information available on a stand on the garden's fountain. Elise Niles was manning the display Sunday.
"We need more foster parents," she said. She said people can apply to be foster parents at the Human Services agency. "Their backgrounds are checked out," she said. "It's a wonderful thing for people to do for the community," she said.
Prager said the next arts event will be the Holiday Festival scheduled for Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 25 and 26.
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