Art show and jazz enthusiasts rejoice! The Covington Art Fair is back and bigger than ever for its 31st anniversary.
Featuring local, regional, and national artists as well as local jazz performers, the event returns to Covington Plaza, 6410 W. Jefferson Blvd., from Saturday-Sunday, June 24-25.
Still Fresh After 30 Years
The fair has garnered quite the following more than 30 years as a host for high-quality art in one of Fort Wayne’s most popular shopping plazas. It’s also a wonderful opportunity for artists near and far to showcase works.
It all began when the owners of the plaza approached Asher Agency to help them drive in traffic. The first show was a success and has proven to be a staple for the area.
The Covington Art Fair has continued to provide support for not only the plaza, but artists, musicians, and food trucks with plans to continue for many years to come.
Coordinator Glenda Brown said she and attendees are always pleasantly surprised by the amount of new works that appear at the fair from artists that have participated multiple years in a row.
“You come and you think you’re going to see the same thing from your favorite artist,” she said. “You might, but there’s always going to be something new.”
The Covington Art Fair maintains its standing in the art company thanks to its thorough auditioning process.
“It’s a juried art fair,” Brown said. “They send in three pictures of their work and of their booth, and we send it out to an independent judge. Then we get the list back of who is accepted.”
One hundred juried fine artists will be featured at the fair, each with a booth showcasing their past and recent work.
Getting the Timing Right
Previously held during Father’s Day weekend, the fair has seen an increase in attendance since the adjustment to later in the summer.
“It’s a busy weekend for a lot of people,” Brown said of Father’s Day weekend. “Yeah, guys like art, but plenty would rather be golfing.”
The new weekend has also been a convenient adjustment for the artists.
“It’s been very successful,” Brown said. “That weekend doesn’t really conflict with other shows that a lot of the local and regional artists attend.”
Since the pandemic, the Covington Art Fair has retained its connection with the community and has even grown in attendance.
“The only year we had to cancel was 2020,” Brown said. “In ’21, we had a great crowd even though we were still under restrictions, and last year we had a terrific crowd.”
The art fair draws thousands every year, creating a spirited environment of art enthusiasts tapping their toe to the local jazz while examining some of the best art in town.
Expecting an even better turnout this year. Brown cites the culture of Fort Wayne for the popularity of the event, saying they wouldn’t be able to have found this success if it weren’t for Fort Wayne’s artsy community and loyal following.
“With all these murals they’re painting, our downtown is becoming much more vibrant,” she said, excited for the artistic direction the city is headed.
Supplying soundtrack
The experience isn’t purely visual either — showgoers can expect a delightful jazz soundtrack courtesy of talented local musicians as well as some local food trucks for a bite while they peruse.
Live music on Saturday will feature the John Weber Jazz Trio at 10 a.m., the Kevin Piekarski Jazz Quintet featuring Scott Allen at 12:30 p.m., and the Cohen/Ruthkowski Jazz Trio at 3 p.m.
The jazz returns on Sunday, with Dave Latchaw Jazz Trio performing from 12:30-2:30 p.m. All musical performances can be found at the center atrium right in the heart of the plaza, in front of Planet Fitness.
If you’re an artist looking to get involved with this event in the coming years, applications can be found at asheragency.com.
