Nations are well-represented at Summer Festival of Arts

The arts festival continues today.
By JoANNE VIVIANO
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Changed into her embroidered Peruvian peasant blouse, black skirt and the red tasseled sash her great-aunt had sewn, Cassandra Arcenio fit right into the Festival of Nations.
Standing in a Peruvian booth Saturday with her great-aunt Trinidad Galizia and great uncle Anthony Galizia, the Austintown toddler was ready to watch her father, Victor, dance the Marinera.
The festival, featuring exhibits and performances from around the world, is part of this weekend's fifth annual Summer Festival of the Arts, sponsored by Youngstown State University and the Arts Council of Youngstown and Mahoning County. Events continue today from noon to 6 p.m. on the campus of YSU and at surrounding libraries, churches and museums.
Those walking through the Festival of Nations heard accordion music coming from a Polish booth and saw colorful flags. Hand-painted eggs were clustered in a Ukraine booth, and an African booth showed sculptures and masks. Treats from around the world included Irish soda bread, Romanian stuffed cabbage and Arabic sweets from Palestine.
Artists' marketplace
Nearby was the artists' marketplace, where artisans showed and sold their wares. Charles Wilhoit's copper lawn sprinklers stood taller than the toddlers who gazed at the spherical creations with their parents.
Other artists offered jewelry, baskets, pottery, photography, paintings, silk scarves and pillows, metal work, stained glass and drums.
Bob Burko Jr. showed his Youngstown and Idora Park artwork at the festival for the first time this year and said, "It's been fantastic," with many fairgoers having positive feelings about the area.
"The setting is beautiful," he added. "It's another reason to come downtown."
Royalty
A group of YSU theater students strolled through the festival in the colorful costumes of royal characters: Sean Hayek of Boardman was McDuff from William Shakespeare's "Macbeth"; Joseph Nahhas of Niles dressed as a Turkish emperor from Christopher Marlowe's "Doctor Faustus"; and Matthew Pettitt of Youngstown and Jocelyn Lovich of Austintown were a king and a queen. The students were there to enjoy the festival and promote their upcoming shows.
"Get Out and Push" from the Lisbon/Salem area performed bluegrass. Its members said the Mahoning Valley doesn't always appreciate its culture.
"This is one of the few places that supports the performing arts," said Andy Cowan. "Everything we do is uplifting. ... We have a goal of lifting people's spirits."
Sierra Walker, 4, of Youngstown, and her brother Semaje, 5, watched the Harambee Dancers with drums and ethnic African dress, as they performed a dance to celebrate life and children.
"We come every year," said their grandmother, Brenda Rushton of Youngstown. "It's something nice to do ... rain or shine."
Nicole Grimm, 3, of Boardman, and her sister Lauren, 4, made African shields in the children's hands-on tent. And their dad, Dr. Richard Grimm, bought them necklaces of metallic-painted rocks.
Linda and Rod Rymer of Austintown, who visited the festival for the first time in 2002, planned to make a day of it this year. They like looking at jewelry and art and touring churches along Wick Avenue -- some they had not been inside before.
"People in Youngstown should get out more and get involved in the different activities going on," Rod Rymer said.