In its Art in the Garden event, the League of Women Voters saw a win-win-win scenario: an art exhibit that would raise some funds for the organization, support some local artists and offer some weekend fun.
Now in its second year, the event will go something like this on Saturday, July 26: Four private gardens in the Congdon Park area will open themselves to art fans. Each garden will host three or four artists, and for $5 per person, patrons can stroll through and buy art.
"It should make a fun Saturday thing for people to do," said Marnie Lonsdale, president of the League of Women Voters of Duluth.
"That gardens themselves are kind of nice," she added.
Two LWV members -- Lonsdale and Rosemary Guttormsson -- have opened their gardens. Joining them are Tom Kaspar and Susan Nelson.
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"We're really very pleased to have Tom Kaspar's garden among them," Lonsdale noted. Kaspar is a well-known gardening columnist and Duluth's city gardener.
Two of the gardens have ponds, and others have rock gardens.
The artwork tends toward fine art and away from craftwork, Lonsdale said. Included are watercolor and oil paintings, pottery, jewelry and photography, much of it with garden themes.
Artists include Don Melander, Candace Whelan, Jennifer Szczyrbak, Claudia Wingert, Darlene Palmer, Karen Clarke, Randy Samarzia, Susan Bolos, Vicki Hanson, Louise Lurye, Michelle Wegler, Betty Brown and Guttormsson.
Last year, the event drew about 200 people, Lonsdale said, and organizers hope for a few more this year.
Funds from ticket sales and a small commission on art sales will go to fund the LWV. The nonpartisan organization describes itself as "a multi-issue, grassroots volunteer organization of concerned women and men working together to better understand and influence the issues that affect us, our families, and our future." The group is well known for its efforts to encourage citizen participation in the election process through public forums, voter registration and candidate debates.
While not endorsing or opposing any candidate or party, the group also takes on issue advocacy under the direction of its membership, including library and education funding as well as hot buttons like gun control, abortion rights and tax policy.
Tickets for the event may be purchased at either of two starting-point gardens, one at 20 N. 36th Ave. E. and the other at 3715 Greysolon Road. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m, and the gardens are within about four blocks of each other. A rain date of Aug. 2 has been set.
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Call 728-5169 for further information.
