By Dawn Langston
2023 marks the 75th anniversary of the Eagle Rock Art Guild. Started in 1948 by Helen Hoff Aupperle, Fred Ochi, Suzanne Fonnesbeck, and Ina Oyler, the Eagle Rock Art Guild (ERAG) has been instrumental in support of the arts in the Idaho Falls community and surrounding areas.
During the past few years, the ERAG has been less visible in the community while working on behind the scenes projects, such as procurement of a permanent location, developing strategies to adjust to changing trends in the art community, and building membership. We want to assure supporters that we are building momentum to resume our traditional activities, such as hosting art shows, participating in exhibits, and community educational opportunities.
To drive this momentum, the guild members are teaming up to make this year’s Sidewalk Art Festival an event to remember! We have scheduled our annual Sidewalk Art Festival for Saturday July 22nd and Sunday July 23rd on the Snake River Greenbelt in Idaho Falls. As it is the guild’s 75th anniversary, we are going all out to truly make the event have a festival feel. Upgrades include:
• Food Truck Culture- more food, more drinks, more variety, and more places to sit
• Entertainment- live music and entertainment throughout the entire event • Kids Activities- Face Painting, Art Activities
• Free Community Events- Birthday cake on Saturday, Children’s art activities, Photo Ops
• Event Booth- Selling previous years’ posters from the ERAG archives and donated original art
• Varied price points: from stickers, to mugs, to prints, to originals, there will be something for every budget
• And of course, amazing art- blown glass, woodworking, oil painting, pottery, watercolor, textiles, metal art, acrylic pour, epoxy art, photography, charcoal, silk dyeing… you name it, and we probably have it.
The Art Museum (TAM) will be exhibiting pieces from the ERAG’s permanent collection this summer to help celebrate the anniversary. This will be your opportunity to view pieces from our original members; Helen Hoff Aupperle, Fred Ochi, Suzanne Fonnesbeck, and Ina Oyler. Additionally other amazing artist’s work will be shown that include Gloria Miller Allen, Marilyn Hanson, Jeannine Reimers, Werner Gisen, Richard Bird, and several more. These pieces are not often displayed, so the exhibit is a great opportunity to celebrate local talent.
To make the Sidewalk Art Festival a success, support from the community is needed. First of all, come to the event! The Sidewalk Art Festival is family friendly, features local and regional artists, scrumptious food, free entertainment, and free admission. Second, if you would like to be an art or food vendor or provide entertainment, contact us for an application. We have reduced the cost to have a booth this year with the goal of packing the entire east bank of the greenbelt. Third, join the guild. Benefits of joining the guild include half off price for the Sidewalk Art Festival Booth, exclusive access to participate in member only events, networking with other artists, and service to your community. Finally, volunteers are needed and appreciated. We will need help with running the festival event booth, set-up and take-down, cleaning, and vendor check-in. This is a great opportunity for volunteer organizations, scouting, and civic clubs.
The Eagle Rock Art Guild expresses great appreciation to our community for their support over the last 75 years and looks forward to a long future that includes procurement of a permanent location, offering art classes, art shows, and other community outreach events.