White tents covered Hardesty Park over the weekend, filling it with artwork as the 37th annual Akron Arts Expo kicked off with a heat wave and ended with a bang — of thunder.
But as many of the 150 vendors at the show knew, braving the elements is just part of the artistic lifestyle.
The torrential downpour that rolled through Sunday afternoon was a drop in the bucket compared to the weather Robert Ramaglia and his wife, Eileen, endured at their last art show in Michigan. After nearly losing their tent to 64-mph winds and chasing their handmade jewelry stolen by flooding, they were well-prepared for the weekend’s weather.
“To be an artist, you’ve got to be crazy and tough,” said Eileen Ramaglia. “I’m crazy, and he’s tough.”
Robert Ramaglia, the owner of Ye Olde Silversmith in Florida, began making jewelry in the 1960s to fund college. He sees designs in his dreams and wakes up to quickly sketch them out, inspired by everything from Picasso to Chinese script.
“This is not normal jewelry,” he said. “I try to make it different and affordable.”
Ramaglia, who makes jewelry out of semi-precious stones and sterling silver, won first place in a subcategory of ornamental craft in this year’s show.
Eight local artists volunteered as judges and awarded prizes to artists Saturday, making up some of the show’s 65 volunteers this year.
This year’s expo had several elements that hurt its numbers of other participants, though.
Laurie Chenevey, the expo’s coordinator, said the muggy weather led to a decreased number of attendees, while a competing art show in Michigan resulted in slightly fewer vendors than last year. Fortunately, there’s a bright spot.
“This gives others the opportunity to participate that have been waiting for years to come into the show,” Chenevey said, noting some local artists were newly selected this year for the juried show as spots opened up.
And despite the weather, Chenevey said they had a good turnout Thursday and Friday for the Taste of Akron and Summer Uncorked, a wine tasting and silent auction that funds the expo.
Jeneen Hobby, one of the show’s local artists from Cleveland, has been showing her photography at the expo the past five years. Her art has taken her around the world, capturing images that range from children playing in China to the red waves of Antelope Canyon in Arizona.
“I’m drawn to color,” Hobby said. “I’m always experimenting and trying new subject matter. It’s also nice to explore elsewhere.”
Hobby, along with many other vendors, agrees that Akron Arts Expo is one of her favorites. “The staff here is fantastic,” Hobby said.
As the rain continued on Sunday, many vendors selling clothing, metal art, paintings and more closed their tents to protect their work. Some kids visited the children’s tent to make crafts and balloon animals while others splashed in giant puddles formed through the day.
A large portion of the crowd dispersed because of the weather, but a few stuck around and sought refuge in artists’ tents.
Bill York and Bonnie Pepperney, two friends from Akron, waited out the storm in Hobby’s tent.
“I’d say there’s some really fine artists here,” said York, who studied art at the University of Akron.
“I’ve been coming since the beginning just to see what’s new. Like, this is gorgeous,” said Pepperney, motioning to one of Hobby’s colorful photos. “It’s part of a tradition of West Akron. No matter the weather, people come.”
Theresa Cottom can be reached at 330-996-3216 or tcottom@thebeaconjournal.com.