Five-year old Isabella Santeufemio and her two-year-old sister Maggie had never been to an art fair before. They had opportunity to experience Guilford’s first art fair during their visit to Greensboro from Orlando, Fla. with their grandmother, Karen Davis. “The girls had a great time at the fair and they got to do things they have never done before, like learning how to tie-die shirts and how to paint,” Davis said.

On April 19, the art department held an art fair, with several stations run by students from the art department, where they taught Guilford students and children from the Greensboro community how to create different types of artwork.

“I had fun. I like art and painting things like trees and flowers,” Isabella said, “and I liked getting my face painted. You see? I got a pretty butterfly. It’s green, purple and blue.”

Young kids like the Santeufemios, teenagers and young adults alike enjoyed old-time-favorite activities, many of which they had not been able to enjoy in years.

“I haven’t tie-dyed in so long,” said sophomore Hadley Meenan, “and it was fun getting my face painted.”

Sophomore Jossie Dowling agreed and said that she enjoyed the live music and being outside.

“With all the stress going on at the last minute it’s really great to take a break and spend time with people doing things I don’t normally have the resources or access to do like tie-dying and pot throwing,” Dowling said.

Some of the activities included simple and more common things like tie-dying and face-painting, but the art students were able to teach new, more complex skills to the participants at the fair. Activities included marbleizing paper, book binding, creating fork sculptures, batiking, which is a form of dying using wax, and the ceramics pot-throwing on wheels, led by ceramics students.

Senior print-making major Zarina Mareneck assisted with the marbleizing paper project.

“There are two ways to do this, one is using shaving cream and food coloring, or using oil paint, linseed oil, turpentine and water,” Mareneck said. “You just dip the paper in, and because of the oil, the water and turpentine with separate. It’s so hard to get it just right, but so many people have mastered it.”

The participants enjoyed free art lessons, free pizza, vegetables and fruit, and free music.

Several bands were invited to entertain the audience and create a special atmosphere, including the Clay Pigeons, Matt Delomo, Adam Pearman, African Drumming, and Durham-based band from Sophomor Gillian Galdy’s hometown, called Of Durham.

Galdy, an art major, planned the fair.

“This is the first year we have done this art fair,” Galdy said. “I kind of made it up and decided to do it. It went really well and a lot of people attended.”

Galdy said that while it was a fun day for people to “play with art,” her motivations for the fair run deeper.

“The reason I wanted to have the fair was to point more attention to the art students and what they do,” Galdy said. “We have an amazing art department and very talented students, but I don’t think we get the attention we need and deserve. This art fair is to let the community know that we want to work with you and share what we do and love.