Mark your calendars for the inaugural San Marino Art Fair, a free two-day event on Nov. 4 and 5 at San Marino High School.
Surrounded by the city’s picturesque greenery, this fair promises to be a visual feast, showcasing diverse art forms such as ceramics, textiles, fine arts, and photography.
Denise Wadsworth, President of the Rotary Club of San Marino and San Marino High School Speech-Language Pathologist, said the idea for the San Marino Art Fair has been brewing for years.
For over a dozen years, Wadswroth has been Chair of Rotary District 5300’s Art for Peace Competition and recently became chair of the annual Rotary Club of San Marino art competition.
“Soon after COVID hit, and upon our return to school, my educational priorities were focused on reintegrating students into social settings through our Interact Club’s weekly Hour of Service,” Wadsworth said. “Knowing through experience that our San Marino Unified School District supports the visual and performing arts, I knew that with advisory support our 23-24 SMHS Rotary Interact Club’s Board of Directors had the skills, energy, creativity, and perseverance to build a professional art show from the ground up.”
Wadsworth said the main objectives of the San Marino Art Fair are multi-faceted. It will serve as a platform for local students to develop entrepreneurial skills and engage with professional artists.
The organizers also emphasized that the San Marino Art Fair will only present original items created by the exhibitor.
“If you plan to sell products that you do not make, please DO NOT APPLY,” the application webpage for the event says. “This show is open to all artists/craft persons who exhibit work of their own concept, design, and execution. Should you attempt to supplement your handcrafted inventory with commercial or manufactured items, you will be asked to remove them, so please do not bring such items with you.”
“That said, this is a new show and for that reason alone, we wanted our artists to have a reasonable booth rent and the public to view and purchase hand-made original art from sculpture and ceramics to jewelry and clothing,” Wadsworth added.
Part of the proceeds from the event will benefit the San Marino High School Rotary Interact Club, known for its Rise Against Hunger meal packaging events. Students have also been saving up to sponsor their own Rise Against Hunger event.
The Rotary Club also plans to promote peace through the installation of community peace poles in various locations. The initiative will begin on the San Marino High School campus and later extend to the school district and the City of San Marino, Wadsworth said.
A portion of the proceeds will be earmarked for future scholarships.
As the inaugural event of the San Marino Art Fair, the expectations for its success are high. The organizers, including the San Marino High School Rotary Interact Club and local artists, expect to learn a lot from the experience to be able to get ready for next year’s show, where more student and professional artists will be featured.
For more information, visit www.sanmarinoartfair.com/ or www.zapplication.org/event-info.php?ID=11509#general-info.
