Cambridge Arts Council Festival Spotlights Art, From Enormous Silos To Delicate Metalwork

Vermont Public | By Mary Williams Engisch

Published August 10, 2017 at 4:31 PM EDT

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This photograph by Liam Lenel captures the detail of the finished murals by artist Sarah Rutherford in Jeffersonville. This marks the ninth year of the fine arts festival that fills Main Street in Jeffersonville with over 50 artists and artisans.

Liam Lenel

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(l to r) Earrings by artist Debra Kiel; landscape by painter Brian (Bud) Hewitt; Photograph, Jo Anne Wazny; Pen by woodworker Gary Walz.

Credit, artists and Cambridge Arts Council, courtesy

Main Street in Jeffersonville will be busy on Saturday. Its the9th Annual Festival of the Arts presented by the Cambridge Arts Council. Over 50 artists in all media set up booths that line the street, ready to meet and talk about their life's work. And this year, a Lamoille Valley bike tour company is encouraging art lovers to take a new trail to get there.

Recently, VPR spoke with Justin Marsh from the Cambridge Arts Counciland Yva Rose, who co-owns Lamoille Valley Bike Tours, or LVBT, with her husband James Rose, about the arts fest.

Marsh said the festival is a great place to walk up to a local artist and have their full attention. This year's festival features many new artists and artisans, as well - from plein air painters to metal workers. Marsh said the street will be full of booths, food, kids' art activities and two live bands.

Also, this year, the Cambridge Arts Council plans to celebrate the muralsthat artist Sarah Rutherford painted on the abandoned cement silos on Route 108 in Jeffersonville. The project, which was completed with a grant from the Vermont Arts Council, was finished a year ago, but poor weather dampened last year's celebration.

A new way to support the Cambridge Arts Council is to take by e-bike. LVBT specializes in electric bike tours along the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail. The owners often encourage patrons to check out local attractions, artisans and festivals.

Rose said the company is very supportive of the local arts community and has a soft spot for the annual Jeffersonville event. She said she and her family have gone to the arts festival over the years.

She said for those who choose to rent an e-bike from the Johnson office of LVBT this Saturday to make the trek to the arts festival, a portion of the rental fees will be directly donated to the Cambridge Arts Council, the festival's presenter.

The Festival Of The Arts, presented by the Cambridge Arts Council is Saturday, August 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. E-bikes are available to rent from LBVT for two hours up to a full day. Children under 14 can ride in the family-oriented cargo bikes for free.