Event looks to connect community with creativity

A new event in Monticello aims to connect local artists with their neighbors. 

Art in the Park, an event organized by Monticello Parks and Recreation and Riverside Gardens, will offer local artisans a chance to display their work, share their talents with community members and bring people together on a summer day to celebrate creativity. 

“This will be a great way to interact with individuals about their art,” said Kara Burrack, Monticello Parks and Recreation adult recreation and events coordinator. 

She said her goal in organizing the event is to connect local artists and, in time, plant a seed that grows involvement in the local arts scene. 

Art in the Park will take place in a much warmer time -- at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 26 -- in Riverside Gardens among the blooming flowers. Burrack said a food truck is already booked, and she’s aiming to also have art demonstrations and live music to add to the atmosphere. 

“Riverside Gardens is an amazing space, and this is a way to hopefully feature it and get more people out there to see the art.”

The idea for the event was spurred by camping trips Burrack took with her family. She learned that artists, such as urban-sketch groups from Cedar Rapids and Dubuque -- get together to create and display their work. 

“That really started to get me thinking about our art community and how we can connect with more artists,” Burrack told the Express.

Parks and Recreation is seeking artists to participate in the event, and applications are currently being accepted at tinyurl.com/PnRArt. A non-refundable $10 application fee will be charged. 

Applications will be vetted by both Monticello P&R and officials with Riverside Gardens. 

Approved artisans will have a 10-by-10 space to display their work, and any local artist  is encouraged to apply. 

“Ceramics, woodworkers, prints, photographers -- that’s the goal,” Burrack said. 

The deadline to apply is March 15, and the approved applicants will be announced a month later, Burrack said. 

Art in the Park will also include judging, with a best-in-show award going to the exhibit that best showcases skill, creativity, presentation and community connection.