Arts Festival Wanders Through Montclair Village

The will once again make a stop in Montclair Village as it slowly winds across California with juried works by more than 90 painters, sculptors, photographers, stone, metal and wood workers, jewelers and other fine artists.

The traveling arts festival, which visits more than two dozen communities between spring and fall each year, has been recognized as one of the top 200 outdoor festivals by Sunshine Artists Magazine.

From her experiences leading the Pacific Fine Arts Festival since 1980, working at other festivals before that, and being married to an artist, Director Judy Cunningham has a deep understanding of the kind of venue that allows artists to best display their work and art buyers to feel most comfortable shopping. In 2000, Cunningham was joined by Dana Hale-Mounier who grew up with artist-exhibitor parents on the festival circuit; she brings both spontaneity and organization to the festival.

Many local artists will present their works in Montclair this weekend, including Oakland residents Ted Kugelman, Mark Untener and Karen LeGault.

Kugelman is a stone artist who uses the natural shapes of the material to create sculptures, fountains and even clocks. Untener works with ceramics and creates pieces that are both beautiful and functional. LeGault's works, which are reminiscent of Impressionism and possess the simplicity of Japanese wood prints, are informed by Western realism and Taoist philosophy.

The festival also includes works by Berkeley painter and jewelry artist, Robin Senour, as well as San Francisco's Terry Steinke who creates handmade copper plate etchings of landscapes, nature and architecture.

Stop by Montclair Village and stroll down La Salle Avenue, Mountain Boulevard and Antioch Court on Friday and Saturday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., and on Sunday between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.