Kearney's Art in the Park is a sizzling crowd-pleaser (2024)

KEARNEY — As soon as gates opened, a throng of people, strollers and a few leashed dogs flocked into Harmon Park at 9 a.m. Saturday.

Never mind the heat. The 53rd Kearney Artists Guild Art in the Park was a crowd-pleaser.

“The crowds have been great,” Misti Scheibel, who displayed what she called “fluid art” at her booth.

That was echoed by other artists at the show, where 75 booths offered pottery, jewelry, watercolors and oils, herbs, plants and much, much more. Live music was on tap, too.

Larry Allder of Cortland had such brisk business at his L&J Metal Works booth in the first few hours that he was practically sold out before noon.

“Shoppers got here at nine and I’ve been selling non-stop,” he said around 11:30 a.m. He specializes in garden art. As he talked, he paused to sell a crane creation to sisters Ashley Trampe of Kearney and Alex Olsen of Elm Creek.

This was his first year at Art in the Park, and he was delighted to be there.

At the MBowls booth, Mark Entzminger of Lincoln was selling his handcrafted wooden bowls. He’s been creating them for 18 years. “My wife said I need to get rid of some of these,” he grinned.

Entzminger has been coming to Art in the Park for eight years. “I love this venue,” he said. He does big art shows in Lincoln and Omaha, but “here we have room, with trees and green space. We’re not elbow to elbow,” he said.

He also praised the Kearney art market.

“It’s much bigger and stronger than you might expect. I do almost as well here as I do in Lincoln,” he said.

Nearby, Tammi Zentic was selling jewelry containing bits of corn at her Harvest Gems booth. She grounds five kernels of corn and puts the resulting powder into most of the necklaces, bracelets and other pieces she creates. “They inspire people,” she said.

At her booth, a small card said, “Live Your Blessings” and explained the five qualities that each kernel of corn represented: friendship, freedom, nature’s beauty, family and love, and God’s love and care.

This business started after Zentic retired as a teacher. While she was contemplating what she might do next, she happened to walk past a corn field and was suddenly reminded of an old legend about five kernels of corn. Harvest Gems sprouted from that.

Sally Jurgensmier of Heartwell was busy with shoppers at her Sculptures by Sally booth. “It’s been a great day already,” she said.

Jurgensmeier has been making striking art out of metal 18 years. Saturday, her wares included garbage can lids that dangled inside circular frames. ”I had to get creative,” she said.

Andy Gentert of Hastings was selling what he called “visual illustrations,” or geometric art that started with with high density fiberboard. “It’s playing with shapes,” he said.

It’s a hobby he’s honed for 20 years while working in various fields. “I always made enough money to pay for this addiction,” he said.

Gentert, too, loves Art in the Park. He’s traveled to shows as far east as Columbia, Missouri, and finds business very good here. “The crowds are more than what you’d expect here,” he said.

Art in the Park customers were happy, too. Skye Howard of Kearney comes to Art in the Park every summer and never misses the creative pottery offered by Megan Schroll.

“This is always the one booth I have to stop at. I always buy something,” Howard said.

Schroll, of Lincoln, is a graduate of the University of Nebraska at Kearney who’s been working successfully as an ceramicist, illustrator and sculptor for the last 10 years.

Her husband Austin was assisting at the booth. “This seems like one of the best years,” he said with a smile. “We’re so busy.”