Dundalk Art Show a Gift to the Town

Amanda Oberlander has her post-high school map drawn.

She plans to attend The Community College of Baltimore County and then Towson University, where she will major in art education.

While she'll take her general education courses at those two schools, she'll enroll in art classes at the Maryland Institute College of Art.

Just a couple of weeks from her graduation, the senior at Patapsco High School and Center for the Arts took a break on Saturday and displayed her artwork at the Dundalk Art Show.

At the end of the day, the young artist had something to add to her résumé —she placed second in the high school art category.

The 46th edition of the venerable art show was held under a beautiful sunny sky that included, for a brief moment, a commercial message—no doubt aimed at the Preakness crowd—spelled out in a smoky haze by a plane that flew over Veterans Park.

The art show took on more of a festive feel this year with the addition of a performance by the Black Cherry Puppet Theatre, a craft corner for children, face painting and a puppet-making workshop.

Live music provided by John Young and Bill Owen wafted across the park most of the day, adding to the festive atmosphere.

But the stars of the day were the artists, who ranged from elementary school students to local senior center members.

Spectators were treated to a variety of arts and crafts, including paintings, drawings, paper mosaics, photography and quilting.

Shahna Williams, a 19-year-old largely self-taught photographer, had several of her photos on display.

Her exhibit included one of her all-time favorites, a picture of a peacock in "full bloom" that she shot at the National Zoo.

The artist also experiments with digital manipulation of her images, as evidenced by a black-and-white photo of a tabby cat that contained just two splashes of color—the feline was given lavender eyes.

Williams received a ribbon and cash prize for placing third in non-professional photography.

Local community leader and amateur photographer Dotty Cristy won first place in that category with a display of framed and matted images that included nature and architecture shots and portraits.

While taking down her display at the end of the show, Cristy said that many people offer to buy her photos, but she can't bring herself to allow that.

"I can't sell them," she said. "They're my babies."

Show organizers were a little disappointed by the light turnout of registered artists—23 entrants preregistered—but also recognized it was a busy weekend in the region, with Preakness, Wine in the Woods and several other regional special events happening the same day.

"We've had as many as 50 artists in past years," Dundalk-Patapsco Neck Historical Society President Jean Walker said. "It was tough this year for some reason."

The event has long been a project of the historical society and the Dundalk-Eastfield Recreation Council. They were joined this year by the Dundalk Renaissance Corp., which secured grant funding to pay for the puppet troupe's appearance.

All art show winners received ribbons and cash prizes.

The show was judged by Carolyn Council. The Maryland Institute College of Art graduate is a watercolorist who has taught at Anne Arundel Community College and holds workshops for arts organizations, according to the event program.