By Mandy McFarland Editor
NAPPANEE — The Nappanee Public Library has announced some major changes for this year's Spring Into Art Fine Art Exhibition and Sale.
For starters the event, scheduled for Friday, May 1 through Sunday, May 3, has been redesigned to focus on interactive hands-on projects and live demonstrations by the artists. These workshops and demonstrations will be free of charge. This has to do, in large part, with the recent downturn in the local economy, but is also based on the idea that the creative process is "healing and life-enhancing."

“As in previous years, our goal remains to celebrate the arts and promote artists," Nappanee Public Library Executive Director Linda Yoder said. "This year we want to also concentrate on how art benefits the community.”
Despite the changes in structure for this year's event, patrons will still have the opportunity to purchase artwork and enter prize drawings. The proceeds this year will go to the Open Door and Family Christian Development Center food pantries.
Another major change is the fact that the purchase award program and VIP reception have been done away with this year in favor of the hands-on atmosphere.
Free workshops
A tentative schedule will include a variety of hands-on art projects and demonstrations by the artists. Some of the hands-on projects will include mixed media drawing for moms and kids, a glass pendant workshop, make-and-take kids' crafts, charcoal drawing, a memory wire beaded bracelet, stone sculpture, candy making, beaded bookmarks, Mothers Day earrings and more.
Visual art demonstrations will include hand quilting, oil painting, wood turning, pastel painting, fiber beads, wheel-thrown pottery, fleece hat embellishment and many others.
These activities and demonstrations will be spread out between the three days of the event.
Meet the artists
This year's show will feature more than 30 artists and crafters from throughout the country. Some of the names and specialties will include Wayne Harshberger of Goshen doing stone sculpture; Laurie Balla of Mishawaka with watercolor and oil; Dayle Brown of Mishawaka with watercolor; William Jensen of Granger with pastel; Roger Umbaugh of Plymouth and Phil MacFarlane of Frankfort, Ill., both with wood turning; Don Johannesen of South Bend with Scandinavian folk art; Susan Karczewski of Warsaw with jewelry; Al Knight of Lafayette with photography; and Tom Fuhrman of Woodbury, Tenn. with glass.
More information
Spring Into Art will be at the Boys & Girls Club of Nappanee, 451 N. Main St.
Admission is free. Class sizes are limited, so the committee encourages advance registration.
Those wishing to participate can register at the Nappanee Public Library, 773-7919 or going to www.nappanee.lib.in.us. Walk-ins are welcome on a first come, first serve basis if there are open spaces in the class.
The purpose of Spring Into Art is to support the arts, promote artists and benefit the community. Sponsoring organizations include the Friends of the Nappanee Public Library and Psi Iota Xi and Tri Kappa Sororities.