The annual Des Moines Arts Festival filled the streets of downtown Des Moines with a myriad of artists and their stunning artwork for the 18^th time this past weekend. 

Tents lined each block with the work of artists from across the nation. Artwork ranged from oil paintings to glasswork, basket weaving to clay sculptures, jewelry to fabrics and clothing. The talent was astounding and people looked at the art in awe.

Other booths offered food, drinks and souvenirs. Live music, a film festival, performing arts, interactive art and entertainment were present at the festival as well.

A special tent was dedicated to the nurturing of young artists and contained artwork from kindergarten through 12th grade students. It was created to exhibit the creativity of children and display artwork of children from central Iowa.

The festival also showcased the artwork of young artists through the “Emerging Iowa Artists” program. Artists who are currently enrolled in higher education or have graduated within the past year are eligible to apply for the program. This gives them the chance to exhibit their talent and sell their artwork during the festival.

Professional artists filled the majority of the booths on the streets and they displayed their art for the enjoyment of the public and in the hopes that they would make sales.

Su Abbott, a self-taught contemporary painter from East Point, Ga., specializes in acrylic paintings full of texture and color. This year was her first at the festival.

Abbott works with many different acrylic mediums to create the texture seen in her art.

“It’s a multi-layering process. I’m using the full spectrum of acrylic paints: everything from the heavy body stuff through the liquid translucent acrylics,” she said. “And then I’m using a lot of acrylic medium like modeling paste [and] heavy body gels.”

Tentacles drew people into the tent of Brianna Martray, a self-taught sculptor from Pittsburgh, Pa. Many of her nautical creations are made from clay, cast in resin and painted with watercolor.

Martray started off in creative writing, painted for a while and then found her passion for sculpture. Her sculptures caught looks from many passing eyes. This was her second year at the festival. 

Carrie Hoffnagle, from Minneapolis, Minn., is a jewelry designer who graduated from Iowa State with a degree from the College of Design and a degree in journalism and mass communication. 

Hoffnagle specializes in metalsmithing and has worked for jewelers in the past.  She now sells her jewelry in galleries and on her website. This was her third year participating in the festival.