Vibrant colors reflected off a beautifully lit ofrenda, onto a woman on pegs in a butterfly costume, and onto the people of Stockton; displaying the city’s appreciation for local artistry.
Celebrating art in its many forms, people in the community were brought together in honor of Stockton Arts Week.
The annual Collide Festival took place on Oct. 19, with people and families from all around the city gathering at the Weber Point Events Center to celebrate local artistry.
This event was free to the public, and featured live music, cultural performances, art and clothing vendors, local food trucks and art related activities for people of all ages.
“I’ve been wanting to be a part of this,” said Patti Crowder, owner of Patti’s Junk Art. “We’ve had artist’s exhibits down at the county administrative building, art contests, we’ve had demonstrations where a lot of us teach kids how to draw, paint or just make things out of nothing.”
Crowder was just one of the many vendors selling her homemade art, including pictures and jewelry made of recycled materials.
Other vendors featured things such as homemade tie-dye, scarves, backpacks, personal art and so much more.
Multiple local bands and musicians performed on stage throughout the night, playing covers and originals that the crowd could dance along to.
Children and families were also lined up at the art tents for their turn at painting and sculpting activities and workshops.
“I think it’s pretty cool,” said Jeremy Arnell. “We don’t get a lot of stuff like this very often and we can definitely use more art appreciation in this city.”
This festival brought local art appreciation to life not only through its content, but through its vibrant decorations as well.
String lights ran along the art tents, colored stage lights lit of trees as the night fell and a large ofrenda displayed neon lights, similar to that of the movie “Coco.”
“It brings a lot of artists together,” said Crowder. “It shows that there’s a lot of good going on in Stockton, that there’s a lot of very creative people and we just need to be shown.”
