YSU festival celebrates summer, arts, cuisine of community

YOUNGSTOWN — James Brindle hopes to turn a profit from his artwork at Youngstown State University’s 2015 Summer Festival of the Arts.

This is Brindle’s fifth year participating as an art vendor at the festival selling decorative items such as bowls made from alabaster stone and pepper grinders that come in various types of wood.

“It’s a nice event to come to,” the 70-year-old from Parma said today. “Sales vary year by year.”

For 18 years, Brindle does stone and wood turning to produce his products. The craft involves using a lathe, a machine that revolves the object on an axis as the craftsman uses tools to shape it.

The craft gave him something to spend time with after he retired.

“I always had an interest in wood,” he said.

Brindle uses local woods such as cherry, maple, walnut and oak. He also uses woods imported from Australia and South America.

The 17th annual Summer Festival of the Arts featured more than 70 artists at and near the YSU campus. Patrons also enjoyed food, music and dance performances.

The festival continues from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

For the complete story, read Sunday's Vindicator and Vindy.com