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CONTENTS General information and schedule of events Lodi Grape Festival honors nation with patriotic theme, ‘America the Beautiful’ Mural captures festival’s patriotic theme Fair talent guaranteed to rock Lodi with funk, alternative, blues Don and Jean Phillips head this year’s parade as grand marshals Festival parade comes from months of planning, effort Patriotic festival theme turns Grape Pavilion into a hall of flags Festival presents chance to taste fine local wines Good eats, from snacks to desserts, can be found at the festival Bobbie Norton: Invaluable behind-the-scenes person Answers to Grape Festival trivia questions Butler Amusements brings fun, games to Grape Festival Step right up and win a stuffed bulldog! Talented people make murals with grapes Hewlett-Packard brings technology exhibit to town Swan Brothers bring comedy circus to festival once again Don’t forget to visit the petting zoo Grape Festival features tobacco-free zones for fair-goers Festival Web site tells what to see, do 2002 president Caroline Lange has years of festival experience Board of directors plans for four-day event all year 2001 Grape Festival carried on despite terrorist attacks in New York, Washington, D.C. From Tokay to today: Evolution of the Grape Festival |
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Mural captures festival’s patriotic
theme
By Jason Wallis Those attending this year’s Lodi Grape Festival will find a new feature in the form of a mural painted on the west end of the ground’s main pavilion by local artist Tony Segale. Sharing a title with this year’s festival theme, “America the Beautiful,” it depicts many of the country’s central landmarks. The theme was chosen in response to last year’s terrorist attacks as a modest commemoration of a great nation, Grape Festival General Manager Mark Armstrong said. Drawing inspiration from the song “America the Beautiful,” festival officials were originally planning to use the vacant space in the pavilion’s alcove area to simply write out the phrase in bold lettering. However, after consulting with Segale to go over the details of the project, the two decided that a more lavish piece of artwork was in order, Armstrong said. Given complete artistic control, Segale envisioned a collage of American landmarks, starting on the West Coast with the Golden Gate Bridge and progressing east, ending with New York’s Statue of Liberty. “The idea seemed patriotic, and definitely fit the theme,” Armstrong said. Featuring instantly recognizable bits of Americana such as Mount Rushmore and the Grand Canyon, the mural was completed over a period of three weeks in February. Measuring 40 feet long and 8 feet high, it is a relatively simple but effective testament to America’s many beauties. Whether they know it or not, anyone who has visited the pavilion previously is already familiar with Segale’s work, which includes the paintings featured outside the main entrance to the building. Segale’s prior collaborations with Grape Festival officials is the reason he was chosen to work on the new mural as well. “Mark said he always liked my work,” Segale said. “And since I’ve done other murals there before, he thought I was the natural choice.” Segale, who was born and raised in Lodi and has been working as a professional artist for 19 years, didn’t have any high-minded preconceptions about what thoughts or emotions that “America the Beautiful” should evoke in those who view it. He wanted the piece to be void of pretense, simply presenting an objective view America in all its glory. “I wanted people to be able to immediately recognize the United States without seeing every state, or a bird’s-eye-view of the outline of the country,” said Segale “I didn’t really aim to evoke anything specific. I just wanted them to instantly realize and appreciate that what they’re looking at is a cross-section view of the country, from sea to shining sea.” Home | News | Sports | Business | Features | Opinion | Obituaries |Classifieds | Archives |
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