Submitted by the Creative Arts Guild

As summer prepares to yield to autumn, the Creative Arts Guild’s 45th annual Festival of fine arts and fine crafts provides the region with a wide variety of arts and activities designed to provide a perfect day out.

“Dalton is a great community,” said Leanne Lawson, Festival director. “We see Festival as a gift to the community, a gift made possible by generous sponsors, dedicated volunteers and dozens of talented artists, musicians and dancers.”

The gift will be opened today (Friday) at the annual Patron Party, sponsored by Shaw Industries, at the Guild’s 520 W. Waugh St. facility. The Patron Party highlights the juried exhibit that features work by artists in a variety of traditional and contemporary styles. The exhibit continues through the weekend.

On Saturday, Festival weekend begins with the annual Art Dart, a one-mile walk/run sponsored by the Cowan Law Firm and Dalton Animal Care.

Saturday also offers visitors their first chance to review the Outdoor Artist Market, sponsored by Mohawk Industries, on the Guild’s grounds. The artist market will be open on Saturday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. and on Sunday from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Artists will offer a selection of unique, handmade works of art ranging from oil and acrylic paintings to jewelry, ceramics to woodwork, furniture to photography and watercolors to metal sculpture.

“We are delighted to welcome back familiar friends and to introduce new artists to the community. Some of these artists and artisans have shown at national shows like Asheville Arts and Crafts and the American Artisan Festival in Nashville. We work very hard to attract the best to Dalton,” said Lawson.

“We have a terrific mix of local, regional and national artists,” she said. “There are so many choices at all price points, which is one of our goals: to provide work that is artistically excellent and that is a good value, as well.”

In addition to the artist market, music will fill the air at Festival. Performers include:

Saturday:

10 a.m. — Earl Brackin. Brackin performs a variety of acoustic vocal and guitar music, most of which are original compositions. He performs with bluegrass group Spatial Effects and serves as worship director at Evangelical Methodist Church in Dalton.

11 a.m. — Rome Area Flute Ensemble. This recently formed group features veteran flute and piccolo players Terry Brandin, Vicky Drnek, Shellie Keit and Allison Lemke, all of Rome, Tammy McDonald of Summerville, and Creative Arts Guild music director Lisa Elders of Dalton. Selections will feature light classical and beautiful hymn music.