Sandra Hughes
Special to the Sun

At 6:55 p.m., an eager crowd waited patiently outside the Oddfellows Hall in Kernville last Thursday, March 26 for “Green-Art,” the opening event of the Living Green in the Kern River Valley Festival. The doors opened quickly and the crowd, a mix of valley residents from all walks of life, streamed in.

Beautifully displayed original artwork in bold, vivid hues lined the walls. A food table set up by Abundant Harvest provided a rich array of fruits, vegetables, cheeses, and dips. Shiny metal kegs held the beverages for the evening: locally made root beer and ale from the Kern River Brewing Company. Deep welcoming browns attracted the crowd’s eye to an organic coffee table provided by Natural Health. Balloons in all shades of the rainbow, provided by Petal Pushers, rose above the crowd, pulling all the colors in together. Other community sponsors mentioned at the show were Thomas Refuse, All About Travel, and the Kernville All-Fellows Hall. Due to the generosity of these organizations, and the hard work of many community members, the event was free. All of the art came from local artists, and dealt with natural themes. There were gorgeous sunsets, fascinating animals, and beautiful local architecture. They served to remind the event-goers what our valley could possibly lose if we are not responsible with the care of our environment. One of the most evocative paintings was by artist Maria Hunt, simply titled, “Shrinking Lake.” The painting stood out because the colors, a blend of blue, purple, and green, were extremely vivid.

Another effective painting, rendered by Dan Mancini, gave off a nostalgic ambience. “Onyx Store, Open for Business,” portrayed the store how it must have looked when it was still in business. Mancini created the painting using oil paints. Most of the painting was very precise and detail-oriented, but the bark of the giant cottonwood trees he portrayed had a real texture to them, with layers and layers of knife-applied paint. The work felt reminiscent of an older, simpler time.

Throughout the Oddfellows Hall, the event-goers met old friends, made new ones, and talked and laughed over snacks of organic produce and fresh root beer. There were at least 200 people in attendance. Local performer Archie Longsdon, Jr., provided the entertainment for the evening with a folk music style he called, “Americana.” Longsdon not only sang, he also accompanied himself on the guitar and provided additional harmony with his harmonica. All of the songs he performed were self-written, with a rustic, wistful, mountain music style, and he claims, “My poetry comes out of my travels and my experiences. The music connects them together.”

Richard Rowe, one of the main leaders of the Kern River Valley Revitalization organization, which is responsible for organizing the Living Green in the Kern River Valley Festival, found the turn-out at the art show, “enthusing.” Rowe claims that one of the wonderful things about the festival is that community members of all affiliations have been a part of organizing and attending the events. Rowe stated, “Republicans, Democrats, church groups, and businesses have all come together to make this happen. Green is not about red and blue; it’s green.”

Richard Rowe stated that the festival will become an annual event and that if anyone is interested in learning more about the Kern River Valley Revitalization organization, there is a website at www.krvr.org. The mission of KRVR is to “Facilitate the social, natural, and financial health of the Kern River Valley for this and future generations.”